You Are What You Think

So my 11 lb dog went knuck if you buck on two massive canines while we were going on an evening stroll a couple months back and boy did it teach me a lesson...

During his evening walk, my little Chico decided to wiggle himself out of his leash sending me on a wild chase around our neighborhood. And then he got to a neighbors fence where he heard some dogs barking. I could tell these dogs were huge from their barks alone; I feared they would jump over the fence or crawl under it and just rip Chico to shreds. But to my surprise Chico stood on 4 (paws) and showed his little tail off, you hear me!

The dogs would run left and Chico would run after them barking his little high pitch bark. Then they would run away to the right, but Chico would dart after them and scare them again. This legit went on for 5 minutes and I just stood there in shock 🙊😮. 

Like how did this small dog cause these massive canines to go into a complete panic?

Clearly Chico saw himself to be a lion or a beast lol. 

And this very thing reminded me of when the Israelites thought they were so low, powerless and useless that they were like grasshoppers. 

A nation empowered, backed and vetted by God said they were a whole insect?! 🦗 (Numbers 13:33)

So for a bit of a recap: God gave the patriarchs of our faith , Abraham, a promise that one day he would enjoy a land called Canaan where he and his descendants (the Israelites) would live in peace and prosperity and abide with God (Genesis 17). The Israelites also were told they would go into captivity for 200 years under the harsh rule of the Egyptian Pharaoh, but after a time they would be freed from their oppression through a mighty move of God. They would also plunder all the the Egyptians' wealth and then journey to the land of Canaan that was promised to the descendent of Abraham (Exodus 6:6-8). After escaping Egypt, God gave them a clear and sure word that they would remove the people currently living in Canaan and take hold of their great possession after a short walk through the wilderness. But they couldn't believe that last word after all the miracles God done did 😒.

When I read back on the story of the Israelites I’m always like what kind of foolishness 🙄🙄🙄!

• God caused 10 plaques to completely destroy the Egyptians who has greatly oppressed the Israelites in order to set you free as He said he would!

• God promised the Israelites that when (not if) they become free, they will plunder the Egyptians and take all their wealth. And it happened just like that! 

• God didn’t allow the Egyptians to take the Israelites back captive and split the Red Sea wide open allowing His people to walk on dry ground and escape!

• God then caused that same Red Sea to drown the Egyptians!

• God kept His people safe as they journeyed through the wilderness, en route to the promise land, with a cloud by day and a fire by night.

• He didn't allow for them to starve by providing manna from heaven for sustenance.

And at the end of it all they complained that God left them in the wilderness to die and that they cannot take hold of the land of Canaan that He promised, because they were scared of the people still living there. And then to top it off, they said they were a bunch of grasshoppers.

Back in the day, as a naive and somewhat cocky baby Christian, I use to laugh at the Israelites, clench my pearls and say, "I would never!, The audacity of these people! How appalling! I totally would have believed God, it would have been so easy, come on, like duh!"

But life has an interesting way of humbling you! Let me tellllll you! lol. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes see a hint of the Israelites' humanity/flaws in my life journey. 

I sometimes doubt His promises. I sometimes can’t fathom how He can accomplish "THAT" big ol’ vision through me… little ol’ me!

But check out Chico. He applied a biblical principle and it worked for him.

So a man (or dog) thinketh so he is! (Proverbs 23:7)

Chico, a whole dog, was able to work the Word of God! 

He said, "I am a bad, bad dog." He said, "I may be small, but I’m mighty! I am strong! I am a terror to other dogs!" And he literally became that and stood up to two 70 lb dogs. 

So a man thinketh so he is…

What do you think about yourself? Do you see yourself to be the awesome man or woman of God that God says you are. Do you see yourself to be the repairer of the breech for your bloodline-- to break the generational curses through your faithfulness to God's word? Do you see yourself being able to set the captives around you free by sharing the light of God within you, as scary as it may be? Do you see yourself starting that foundation that can save the poor and hungry? Or create that non profit to help abandoned children or battered women? Do you see yourself becoming the one to change the culture in the work place so others can reach their potential? As scary as it may seem, do you see yourself coming into agreement with God and what He has purposed you to do?

You are that! You can do it! But only if you think it. God knows it, but if you can’t believe it, it becomes null and void.

So, as we step into the new year I challenge you to go before the Lord and ask him to show you you— the real you! The you he always destined you to be. The bad mama jama, small but mighty you! And the Holy Spirit will pull you into the will of the Father to walk that thang out! 

You got this!

Xoxo,

Jenn 

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Here is Chico, the terror! Or so he thinks  😉🤭

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!  🎄🤶🏾🎅🏾