BLACK HISTORY MONTH featuring: Hazel I Jackson

BEVALUED

Hazel I Jackson , a native of South Carolina, earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary English education from South Carolina State College and a master’s of education degree from Temple University.  She did post-graduate work at Delaware University.    Prior to moving to Lancaster in 1952, she taught four years in the public schools of South Carolina. 

In 1961, Lancaster Sertoma Club began a mission to help African-Americans who had been deprived of job opportunities to get into their qualified fields.  Every time she applied for a teaching postiion, she had to supply a picture along with the application, so school boards knew she was African-American.   She was rejected 12 times–“not because of her credentials.”  But, she didn’t let that stop her.  It just inspired her to work harder to get a foot in the door as a subsitute teacher.  Eventually, she was hired as an English teacher  for seventh and eighth…

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Encourage Yourself In the Lord

1 Samuel 30:5-6 (New International Version)

⁵ David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

Depression tried to overtake me. Negative thoughts, voices speaking into my ears, whispering criticisms and everywhere I turned… everybody was going through something .  There was no escaping!  I wasn’t getting a breakthrough at church or from reading scripture.  Finally, I gave into depression and decided to go to bed and pull the covers over my head. 

 Has this ever happened to you?  Have you ever felt like giving up and surrendering to defeat?

As I laid on my bed it occurred to me;  maybe instead of laying here feeling sorry for myself…I should pray.  Just as I began to pray the Lord spoke to me.  He said, “if you continue to lie here, you will become even more depressed, get up and get moving.  I have already overcome for you and the only way you’re  going to lose, is if you continue to lie here and remain in this state of mind.”  So I got up!  And, I began to ” encourage myself in the Lord.”  I started speaking to myself.  “You can’t change anything by staying in this bed.  In fact, some situations you can’t change at all.  The only way you’re going to change anything is by getting out of the bed and moving,  Moving toward the change; causing the change, and/or pressing on in spite of the circumstances.”  The more I spoke to myself the better I began to feel. 

The circumstances around me didn’t immediately change, but I changed the way I felt about them.  Yes, depression was all around me.  But, I determined that I wasn’t going to let it dictate how my day would be spent.  Or, how I would respond to what was happening around me.  It was all up to me.  I could remain depressed or remember that God has everything under control.  And He is working it all out for my good and the good of others.

Perhaps,  you’re going through a situation that has you depressed or discouraged.  Just like David, you can encourage yourself in the Lord your God.  David sought the Lord’s guidance and God told him that if he “got up”  he was going to be successful and recover all.  You should not only seek the Lord’s guidance but remember what He has done for you in the past.  He brought you out before, He’ll bring you out again.

PRAYER FOCUS:  Father, right now I am faced with a difficult situation.  But, I refuse to give into depression or discouragement.  I seek Your guidance and encouragement.  Thank you for ALL the times you worked it out in the past.  IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN. 

The Ultimate Price for Love

Isaiah 53:4 (Amplified Bible)

^“Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment],…”

You have been called out and separated by God.  You were not created to be abused.  You were not created to suffer with depression or anxiety.  You were chosen to fit in the hands of God who has already accepted you.  How you need to know the height and depth of His unfathomable love for you.

Some women have never been secure in the love of their natural fathers, and it affects how they view their Heavenly Father.  There is no doubt about His love for you.  He made the ultimate sacrifice just to prove the genuineness of His love.

You are so valuable that Satan held you for ransom, requiring that your Heavenly Father pay an unimaginable price.  What price would God pay to see you freed?  He sent His Son armed with love and wrapped in flesh.  He showed how much He loved you and  just how valuable you are to Him, by hanging on the cross…beaten beyond recognition, with a crown of thorns on His head.  All just because He loves you!

Never again question His love for you.  You may not understand it, but believe it.  He absolutely loves you.  Not only when you are right, but also when you are wrong.  You are special and full of potential and possibilities.  You are the daughter of a King.  He is the King who spared no expense to pay the ransom that delivered you from all that would have you in bondage.

Be Free…and know that your Heavenly Father loves you more than you will ever be able to comprehend.

PRAYER FOCUS:  Heavenly Father, thank you for the ultimate price you paid for me.  Even when I didn’t deserve it; you sent Your Son to redeem me.  There is no greater expression of love than for one to lay down his life for another.  Thank you for ALL that you have done for me.  Help me to realize Your love for me.  IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN.

If You Need Rest…Come Unto Me

Matthew 11:28-30 (Amplified Bible)

²⁸Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.

    ²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.

    ³⁰For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good–not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

 

There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day anymore.  The more I try to get done, it seems the more there is to get done.  There are only 24 hours in each day, and a portion of them we have to spend resting.  Most of us probably only average about 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night.  If  you get more than that, consider yourself blessed. 

No doubt about it, we all could use a few more hours in a day.  It’s the “rest” part that I want to focus on today.  Could anyone use more rest?  I know that I could sure benefit from a few more hours of it. 

As I read this passage of scripture, I discovered the reason I am so tired and overburdened, is because I have been removing myself from the yoke that God wants me to bear. Once I remove myself from His yoke, my burdens become difficult.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  It also explains why I’m not finding enough time for rest.  Because, He promised that I would find rest, relief, and refreshment for my soul. 

All we need to do, is remain yoked with God. 

PRAYER FOCUS:  Father, It is my desire to remain yoked with You.  Help me to trust You and come unto You when I am weak and weary.  Thank You for giving me rest.  IN JESUS’ NAME,  AMEN. 

PRIORITIES

P – Pray. Ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to show you His priorities for this season of your life.

R – Review God’s priorities for your life. Study God’s Word to determine His priorities for you as a woman.

I – Take Inventory Examine the activities that consume your time. Keep a time log for a week. Then ask hard questions. What are my true priorities? Are they the right ones?

O – Order your schedule. Ask, “What is important?” Make the hard choices based on God’s priorities for your life.

R – Resist the “tyranny of the urgent.” Don’t let the urgent keep you from focusing on the truly important.

I – Input from others. Seek input, counsel, and accountability from authorities, your husband, godly friends, and mentors.

T – Take advantage of the time God gives you. Don’t waste time. Do all to the glory of God.

I – Identify time robbers. What saps your energy and robs your time? Activities, attitudes, distractions, interruptions?

E – Experience this season fully. Be all there in this season of life. Weep, rejoice, work hard, and celebrate with all your heart. Don’t waste time living in the past or future.

S – Sabbaths. Take regular time outs to refresh, regain perspective, reflect and evaluate, and reprioritize. Make adjustments accordingly.

I hope  this helps ease some stress in your life and helps you make time for what’s truly important.

No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper

Isaiah 54:17 (King James Version)

  ¹⁷No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD

This is a very popular scripture to the body of Christ.  It is very often quoted by believers as one of the promises of God.  Usually, the focus is on the word “weapon” but we often overlook the word “formed.” 

It is not difficult to understand what a weapon is supposed to do.  They are meant to inflict injury, destroy and kill.  We sometimes forget that we are in a “spiritual warfare.”  And there will be weapons used in battle to fight against us.  Such weapons as:  depression, sickness, debt, cancer, unemployment, racism, jealousy, division, low self-esteem and abuse…..these are all weapons designed to kill, steal and destroy us. 

When these things occur in our lives, we sometimes want to blame God.  He never said we wouldn’t have battles to fight or weapons thrown at us. He didn’t say that the weapons would not injure us.  But, He did promise that they would not prosper.  

Rev. Dr. Laura Foster from (Greater Quinn AME Church of Detroit, Michigan) pointed out that the word “formed”  in this passage of scripture is often overlooked by many believers.   Indeed, there are weapons that are going to form…they just won’t prosper.  This is the heritage that belongs to the servants of the Lord.  If you are a born-again believer, this is a promise that belongs to you.  BELIEVE IT AND RECEIVE IT.  2 Corinthins 10:4, tells us the we have weapons too, but they are not carnal….they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds,  for we wrestle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers of darkness. 

 God has promised us the victory in every situation, against every weapon that is formed against us.  He has declared us victors not victims.  CHAMPIONS! THAT’S WHAT WE ARE!!

 

PRAYER FOCUS:  Father, you have already given us the victory over every weapon that forms against us.  Thank you for our heritage.  Allow us to trust you no matter what weapons we are facing today.  IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN.