"Honouring our Roots, While Living Forward" Feb 11, 2019 Black History Month Devotional

Today's Black History Month Devotional is "Honoring Our Roots" by Miriam Martin

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;   all things have been created through him and for him.                 Colossians 1:16 (NIV)

As tons of messages from YouTube, Whats App's, emails/messenger pour into my phone like grains of sand, with bold captions claiming “Blacks” are God’s chosen people, I smile. These posts are often accompanied by various opinions that either agree or disagree with this statement.  Hours of deliberation are invested into arguments trying to prove the other side wrong, and eventually, transgressions take place as the discussions inevitable leads back to the root of a discourse on “Slavery” and “Race”, instead of our identity as Children of God. Once again, the enemy draws the focus away from God, the creator of all things.

Let’s reflect for a moment: The children of Israel were slaves for over 400 years and when they exited Egypt, the remnants of slavery still abided with them, causing their hearts to be far from God, even though their lips proclaimed him (Jeremiah 12:2).  No matter what happened to them, God continued to call them His chosen people and never forsook them (Jeremiah 29:11).  

Therefore, as we honour “Our Roots” this month, let us live forward, refusing to become prisoners to any of our negative experiences (1 Kings 8:46-55). Though a people without knowledge of their past are like a trees without roots, let our roots be grounded in the Lord God Almighty, the source of living water that never runs dry (Psalm 1:3).  Let's position our hearts, as we proclaim by divine right with our lips, "We are the chosen Children of God."

Miriam is a part of the G7 Leadership at Kingdom City Church and holds a Master in Public Policy, Administration and Law. Her goal is to change systemic policies within government that enable poverty. Her passion and life-long goal is to create spiritual and financial prosperity for single parent families, especially those within the black community. She lives by the following motto, ”Faith is not just a part of the Christian life, it’s the whole thing.”