DAILY DEVOTIONAL | June 3rd

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📖 When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she’d know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

Immediately the two of them did “see what’s really going on”—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves. 

When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God. 

—Genesis 3:6-8 The Message  

If you sin, don’t run from God, run to God. If you miss the mark, don’t hide from God, talk to God. God doesn’t want to beat you over the head because you messed up. He wants to restore you. He wants to re-establish you and place you in right standing with Him. The Bible tells us that when we sin, we should confess our sin. When we do, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). He is the condemner. He wants to remind you of your sin. He wants you to develop a sin consciousness. That’s not God. God is a God of mercy and grace. He wants to cleanse you of that sin. He doesn’t even remember it once you have confessed it. Sin doesn’t have to separate you from God. Don’t make sin a lifestyle. Confess it and get rid of it. You are the righteousness of God. Don’t allow sin to have dominion over you. You overcome it. You overcome it by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony.   

#runtoGod #vcccharlotte #talktoHim #devotional #overcomer 

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | June 2nd

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📖 They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!” 

Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.” They called him. “It’s your lucky day! Get up! He’s calling you to come!” Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus. Jesus said, “What can I do for you?” The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you.” In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road. 
—Mark 10:46-52 MSG 

What’s stopping you? Blind Bartimaeus would not allow anything to stop him from receiving from Jesus. He would not allow the people to shut him up. When they told him to shut up, he cried even louder. This could have been the only time He would have been in the presence of Jesus. He would not allow anything to stop him. Because of his persistence, Jesus stopped and asked for him. He had gotten Jesus’ attention. Bartimaeus received his sight that day. His faith had made him whole, but his faith also caught the attention of Jesus. Faith will always get the attention of God. Without faith it is impossible to please God. God is always pleased when we stand on His Word. He is pleased when we act on the Word. Bartimaeus believed that Jesus could heal him, and his actions showed that. If we want to receive from God, we must do the same thing. Our actions must demonstrate what we believe. 

#walkbyfaith #vcccharlotte #standontheWord #devotional

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | June 1st

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📖 Then I said to them, You see the bad situation we are in—how Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a disgrace. 

Then I told them of the hand of my God which was upon me for good, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build! So they strengthened their hands for the good work. 

But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Will you rebel against the king? 

I answered them, The God of heaven will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem. 
—Nehemiah 2:17-20 AMPC 

No matter how things may look, you can rebuild your life. It doesn’t matter what storms you might face. It doesn’t matter what obstacles you must overcome; God can make it better. Nehemiah had taken up the task of rebuilding the wall. There were people who ridiculed and criticized the project. There was the threat of people coming to destroy their efforts. Nehemiah knew that the Hand of God was with them. He knew that the God of Heaven would prosper and protect them. They would eventually rebuild the wall, and the people would recommit themselves to God and His Word. As impossible as things look, the first step must be to rise and build. You must get started. You don’t have to be great to start, but you cannot be great until you get started. With God involved, it will be better than it was before. 

#rebuild #HandofGod #vcccharlotte #devotional

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 30th

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📖 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 

This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 

And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. 
—I Samuel 17: 45-47 KJV

When David faced Goliath, He did not brag about his skills with a slingshot. He did not talk about his experience with the shepherd’s staff. He did not refer to any earthly weapons. David leaned on God’s ability and not his own. David was coming in the Name of the Lord of hosts, not his own. He was not fighting to make a name for himself, he was fighting so that the earth would know that there is a God in Israel. David knew that the battle was not his but the Lord’s. We could learn a thing or two from David. When the devil attacks, we cannot rely on our intellect or our resources. We must fight with the resources of Heaven. We must fight spiritual battles with spiritual weapons. We fight with the Word of God, the Name of Jesus, and with the whole armor of God. We fight from a place of victory. We fight knowing that the battle is the Lord’s. When we fight the way David fought, we can expect to win the way that he won. The battle is not ours; the battle is the Lord’s. 

#spiritualwarfare #devotional #vcccharlotte #davidandgoliath

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 29th

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📖 The spirit of a man sustains him in sickness, But as for a broken spirit, who can bear it? —Proverbs 18:14 AMP 

In the world many people are consistent when it comes to feeding themselves. As Christians we are exhorted from the Word to feed our spirit man but many times we neglect to do so. The verse here says a man’s spirit will keep and sustain him in sickness. If we are not consistently feeding our spirit, it will not be able to sustain us during that time. Just like we constantly feed our natural body, we must give attention our spirit man. We can do this by reading and meditating the Word of God daily so that the word can come up in our spirits in our time of need. We also can commune with God in our heavenly language in prayer and worship. These practices will keep our spirits strong, and in turn, keep our bodies well. 

#prayer #devotional #feedyourspirit #vcccharlotte #worship

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 28th

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📖 The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your loving-kindness, Lord, continues forever. —Psalms 138:8 The Living Bible

God knows where we are supposed to be, and when we are supposed to be there. He knows which doors to open and which doors to close. He can coordinate encounters with people that can help us as we navigate our path. As we walk with God, we can trust that He will remove barriers and obstacles. He will go before us and make the crooked places straight. The Lord will work out his plans for our lives. When we believe that, it will remove stress. It will take pressure off us. Depending on Him will cause us to enter a state of rest. Faith rests. Faith trusts. Are you in faith today? 

#walkwithGod #devotional #vcccharlotte #God’splan #restinHim

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 27th

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📖 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for by Christ]; then do not yield yourselves up to become [in your own estimation] slaves to men [but consider yourselves slaves to Christ]. —I Corinthians 7:23 AMPC 

You are valuable to God. Did you know that? He thinks so highly of you that He purchased you with the Blood of His Son Jesus. As a token of appreciation, we should offer ourselves to God for whatever He may need from us. We are not our own. We belong to God. God could have left us in a sinful state. He could have allowed us to figure out how to save ourselves. Thank God He didn’t. We meant too much to Him. God wanted us to be free from Satan’s domain and so He purchased us. We owe Him our lives. Where would we be without God? We would be in trouble and subject to Satan and his demons. Thank God for the Blood. He has redeemed us from sin and from everything that is under the curse. We would be in bad shape if it weren’t for the Lord. We are free in Jesus Name. What a privilege it is to serve such a great God. 

#ServingGod #vcccharlotte #appreciation #devotional #valuable 

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 26th

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📖 Jesus replied, “Your trouble is that you don’t know the Scriptures and don’t know the power of God. —Mark 12:24 The Living Bible

This seems to be the problem with a lot of believers. They do not know the Scriptures and they don’t know the power of God. There is a promise in the Word of God that can handle anything you may face in life. There is nothing the devil can throw our way that the power of God cannot handle. The power of God is found within the Word of God. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth”. Believing the Word and acting on the Word, gives you access to the power the Word of God carries. The more acquainted you become with the Word, the more acquainted you become with the power of God. You don’t have to stay ignorant of the things of God. Let’s become more acquainted with the Word so that we can become more familiar with God’s power. It will change your life.

#powerofGod #vcccharlotte #believe #devotional #WordofGod

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 25th

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📖 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. 

For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting]. 

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] life [in the kingdom of God]? 
—Matthew 16:24-26 AMPC 

Jesus makes it very plain. If we are going to follow Him, we will have to disregard ourselves and our own interests. We will have to be willing to die to selfish ambition and to our own dreams and desires that are outside of the will of God. Walking this Chrisitan walk will not always be easy. Jesus told us that if they persecuted Him, they would persecute us. The student is not above his teacher. We must not be in love with this world. We are strangers, pilgrims just passing through. It is okay to enjoy yourself, but our comfort and security cannot be in this natural world. The Bible tells us that we are citizens of heaven, and once we have lived our lives out here on this earth, that is where we will live for eternity. We cannot jeopardize our salvation for the things of this world. What would it benefit us to gain the entire world and lose our soul? If we must choose between the world and Jesus, let’s choose Jesus. We don’t have to chase after the things of this world. Jesus told us that if we would seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all those things will be added unto us. 

#Kingdom #devotional #chooseJesus #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 23rd

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📖 But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit; —Jude 20 AMPC

God wants us to go higher and higher. He wants there to be progress in our lives. God not only desires for us to make progress, but He has provided the means by which we can go to another level in life. When we pray in the Holy Spirit, and when we pray using our prayer language, we are making progress in the Spirit. We are praying out mysteries (I Corinthians 14:2) and we know that all things are working together for our good because the Spirit of God is praying through us the perfect will of God (Romans 8:26-28). Praying with our intellect can be beneficial, but it is limited. When we pray in our heavenly language, the Spirit of God comes to our aid and assists us in our prayers, especially when we don’t know what to pray with our intellect. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit of God into the earth to be our Helper. When we allow Him to help, we can expect our lives to improve and get better. We can expect to make progress and rise like an edifice. We should be going higher and higher.

#HolySpirit #devotional #pray #prayerlanguage #verseoftheday #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 22nd

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📖 [But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].

No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. 

By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ). 
—I John 3:8-10 AMPC

Has anyone ever said, “You look just like your mother.”? Or maybe: “Your father used to act the same way” or “He used to do something like that in his younger days”? We all tend to have character traits that are like our parents, from a natural perspective. We can have the same tendencies as our Father from a spiritual perspective. If we are born again, we have God's nature. We can have a love nature. We can be extraordinarily patient, or kind, or peaceful. Those are just some of the fruits of the spirit that are in us because of the new birth. If one isn’t born again, he/she has the devil's nature. It's easy to lie, steal, or cheat. As believers, we must allow our Father God's nature to cause us to be the world's light or the earth's salt. The world should be able to tell that we are different because of our Father. We can all miss the mark, but we should strive to be more like Jesus, the ultimate example. He said that if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. That should be our goal. 

#likefatherliveson #GodsChildren #dailydevotional #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 21st

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📖 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. —Philippians 3:13-14 AMPC

God wants us to experience new things in the new year. God wants to do great things for us in the new year, but we must move forward if we are going to walk in all that God has for us in the new year. I am sure that in this past year, there were some great moments, and I am sure there were some not so great moments. Regardless of what we experienced, we must be willing to move on from the past. Some people’s past will always be greater than their present or future, because that is all that they want to focus on. They always talk about their high school years. They talk about their college years, but that is all that they want to talk about. They have no goals for the future. They have no future aspirations. They have not sought the Lord when it comes to His plans for their lives, so they are stuck in the past. God does not want us to be stuck. The past is to be a reference point, not a place to stay. Let’s not get stuck in the past. God has so much more in store. He wants to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or think, if we would just let Him. 

#moveforward #devotional #trustGod #vcccharlotte 

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 20th

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📖 When Jesus came down from the mountain, great throngs followed Him. 

And behold, a leper came up to Him and, prostrating himself, worshiped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me by curing me. 

And He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed. 
—Matthew 8:1-3 AMPC  

God wants you well. He desires for you to be strong and healthy. Unfortunately, many people still aren't sure whether it is the will of God for them to be healed. They think the sickness is supposed to bring them closer to God. Some think the sickness will keep them humble. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us that sickness will humble you. The Bible tells us that we are to humble ourselves and that God will exalt us in due time (I Peter 5:6). We accurately represent the kingdom when we are healthy and strong. We can pursue the will of God when we are totally strong and healthy. The leper was unsure about the will of God concerning his healing. Jesus made the will of God plain. God wanted the leper healed. God has not changed. He has always desired His people to be well. He demonstrated His desire by sending Jesus to the cross to redeem us from sickness and disease. The issue has been settled: God wants us well. 

#healing #vcccharlotte #willofGod #devotional  

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 19th

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📖 When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.” —Mark 10:41-45 The Message 

Two of Jesus’ disciples requested to sit on the right and left side of Jesus when He established His kingdom here on the earth. They wanted a position of greatness. Jesus eventually gave them a key to greatness. He told them that if they wanted to be great, they must first be willing to serve. Jesus even gave Himself as an example when He told the disciples that he did not come to be served, He came to serve. God has a purpose and a plan for all our lives. Regardless of how big the plan is, the plan is not self-serving. The plan is not to elevate you. You may be elevated in the eyes of the people, but the plan is ultimately to help people.  

God loved us so much that He gave us Jesus. Jesus was treated like a king (and rightfully so, He is the king of kings) and yet He came to serve the people. God sent His best, and His best came to serve. We should follow His example. We have been sent into this world, equipped with gifts and talents that will be a blessing to humanity. Don’t keep them to yourself. Don’t be selfish. The world is waiting on the manifestation of the sons of God. The world is waiting on you! 

#greatness #vcccharlotte #followHisexample #devotional 

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 18th

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📖 However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me before all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah he chose the house of my father; and among the sons of my father He was pleased to make me king over all Israel; 

And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 

And He said to me, Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father. 
—I Chronicles 28:4-6 AMPC

God has a destiny for all of us. He wrote the story of our lives while we were being formed in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:16 AMP). God chose David to be king over Israel. Then He chose Solomon, out of all his sons, to take over the throne from David. It is important that we walk out what God has chosen for us to do and not what we have chosen for ourselves. God is smarter than us, and He loves us more than we love ourselves. He has equipped us for what He has chosen us for. The gifts and talents that God has blessed us with are irrevocable. Many times, we want to carve out our own paths, but we must travel the path that God has preordained for us. When we do, we know that He will go before us and make the crooked places straight. God’s ways are always higher than ours. 

#destiny #purposedriven #Godswaysarehigher #vcccharlotte #giftsandtalents

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 16th

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📖 It was because of his faith that Enoch was promoted to the eternal world without experiencing death. He disappeared from this world because God promoted him, and before that happened his reputation was that “he pleased God”. And without faith it is impossible to please him. The man who approaches God must have faith in two things, first that God exists and secondly that it is worth a man’s while to try to find God. 
—Hebrews 11: 5-6 JB Phillips New Testament

It should be the desire of every believer to please our Heavenly Father. God is pleased when we walk by faith and according to His Word. God is pleased when we believe His Word above any circumstance. He is pleased when we speak what the Word of God says instead of our circumstances. God was displeased with the Israelites in the wilderness because of their constant complaining. They would not trust in God and put their faith in His integrity. This would cause the original generation to lose their lives and the next generation to receive their “promised land”. When we walk by faith, it not only pleases God, but it also brings Him on the scene. When this happens, things change, and circumstances begin to get in line with His Word. When we approach God, we must remember two things: first, that God exists, and secondly, it is always worth our while to seek Him out. He is a rewarder of those who do. 

#trustGod #faith #devotional #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 15th

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📖 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. —Philippians 4:11-13 NKJV

It does not matter where we find ourselves in life, we are to be content. You may not be in the ideal house. You may not be driving your dream car on the way to your dream job, but God expects you to be content. Don’t confuse contentment with satisfaction. Wherever you may find yourself, realize that it is only for a season. God will take you from glory to glory. Paul learned the power of contentment. He knew how to be full and how to deal with hunger. He knew that through Christ, he can overcome every situation that was contrary to the Word of God. If he was in prison, he knew it was temporary. If he was shipwrecked, he knew it was temporary. He wrote to the Corinthian church that the things seen are temporary. (II Corinthians 4:18) No matter what we face in life, we face it knowing that we will win. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. 

#wewin #glorytoglory #devotional #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 14th

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📖 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. —Proverbs 13:14 AMPC 

It is important which church you attend. It is also important who your teacher is. A teacher is someone you sit under and learn from. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life. God wants us to experience life. It could be one of the reasons why he set the ministry gifts into the Body of Christ. He wanted the Body to experience more life, and life comes from hearing and doing what you hear, especially if it is from a man or woman of God. Jesus came so that we can have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). God expresses His will towards us all throughout the Word of God. III John 2 tells us that He desires that we prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers. The Word of God was also given to us to avoid the snares of death. The Bible tells us the type of people to avoid and the behaviors that bring shame and embarrassment into our lives. We must lay hold and grasp the teaching of the wise. It is a fountain of life,and it is a path to abundance. That is the life that God desires for all His children. 

#God’swill #vcccharlotte #fountainoflife #devotional #abundance 

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 13th

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📖 We know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one. —I John 5:19 AMPC

People of God are different. We are not to act like the world. We are not to talk like the world. We are not to imitate this world because the world is under the influence of the wicked one. The world is being run by God’s enemy. God tells us that if we are a friend of the world, then we are His enemy as well (James 4:4). God does expect there to be a separation between us and the world. He tells us to come out from among them (the world) and to be separate (II Corinthians 6:17). Once we do, God said that He would be a Father to us, and we would be legitimate children of God (II Corinthians 6:18). We have been delivered out of the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Colossians 1:13). We ARE different: God expects us to look like and act like it.  

#childrenofGod #devotional #vcccharlotte #notofthisworld

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 12th

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📖 Let us look closely at our ways and examine them and then return to the Lord. 
—Lamentations 3:40 GWT 

Every now and then, we have to examine our lives. Sometimes, we can get off track and not realize it. Other times, we can find ourselves in a state of unbelief or in a place where we aren’t trusting God as we once did. We can become so busy that we aren’t praying or reading the Word like we used to. The good thing is that we can always get ourselves back on track. We can always return to the Lord. Returning to the Lord doesn’t always mean we are living a life of sin. It could also mean that we need a personal revival. We need to do things the way we once did. God is always reaching out to us; the key is how we respond. We can always come back if we have drifted away. 

#Godlovesyou #devotional #vcccharlotte #meditate