DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
LET’S FLO-JO TO THE FINISH | Day 20 of 40 (LENT)

I used to run track, before shin splints coaxed me back to dance. I was a 200 girl. But once, I remember being asked to pull a 400 in place of our injured. (We were a nationally ranked fine arts magnet school: heavy on artists, light on runners).

Needless to say, that first 200 metres/meters was rough. Even though I had a short time to prepare, I wasn’t used to that first 200 stretch.

Oh, but when I hit the half-way mark!

When I rounded the curve and hit that last 200m, you would’ve thought I was Flo-Jo circa ’88 Seoul Olympic gold 200m world-record-breaking fastest woman alive! Did you see how she pulled away from that crowd? My body hit its familiar stride, like, “I’ve done this before!”

We’re at the half-way mark, Fam! We’re rounding the corner. We’ve completed 20 days of fasting and prayer for LENT leading up to Easter, and we only have 20 to go. We’ve done this before! Can we feel the wind whipping our hair (or non-hair) as we press down the home stretch? Anybody feeling a Flo-Jo kick coming on?!

Welcome, also, to many who are joining for the last 20 days. The bible is full of all sorts of fasts: 40 days, 21 days, 10 days, 3 days, 1 day. The physical number is secondary to the intent of the heart. Whatever time we’ve committed to sacrifice something in order to humble ourselves before God is A-O-K with Him; so welcome aboard!

We’ve been enjoying Nehemiah.
Chapter 1, we put “First Things First” and explored Daddy Drama.
Chapter 2, we got “Ready for Yes“.
Chapter 4, we became “1/2 Worker, 1/2 Warrior“.
Chapter 5 we figured “My Debt is Bigger than Yours!”

Today, we’re in Nehemiah Chapter 6, and the wall is more than halfway done. They’ve completed most of the work, but still have to set the doors and gates. What’s fascinating is that his opposition has only grown more intense.

Day 20:
Click here to read: NEHEMIAH 6:1-9

Nehemiah’s enemies are relentless.
When the enemies hear that the wall is almost done, they start sending messages to convince Nehemiah to stop working and come to them. I love Nehemiah’s response:

“I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”

What if we got half-way through our race and decided to veer off track to go chat with the high jumpers and shot putters? That would seem bizarre, right?

Do we have any distractions trying to derail us?

I keep having dreams of various kinds of cheesecakes. Pray for me. I told my husband last week that I was craving a hamburger. I’m vegetarian. I haven’t had a hamburger in ten years, and would probably get sick trying to eat one. But all of a sudden, in the middle of our fast, my body starts going bonkers for In-and-Out. I had lentils instead, but I find myself craving everything I’ve given up.

What about you?

Any temptations to come down off your wall and go chat with your enemies? It’s a trap, Fam. Nehemiah doesn’t fall for the okey-doke, and neither should we. When Nehemiah’s enemies start lying, he sends back a brilliant reply:

“Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

That’s what I’m talking about! Let’s call our enemy’s lies just what they are: LIES.

When the enemy says our prayers and fasting are ineffective, let’s respond, “LIAR!” Then speak the truth of what God is doing and what we believe and have faith for.

Some of us have been battling in our dreams at night. Let’s respond, “LIAR! That ain’t happening!” And then let’s speak God’s word over our situations and our dreams and our sleep. Let’s pray for our Lord to guard our hearts and minds.

When the enemy whispers that we will never change and that we will not complete the work, let’s respond, “LIAR!”. And then pray to the Lord like Nehemiah, “Now, strengthen my hands.”

Fam, we’re half-way home!
Don’t give up now.
Let’s kick it up a notch and Flo-Jo to the finish!

Check out this VIDEO of Flo-Jo’s 200 metre Olympic win.

One of Flo-Jo’s famous quotes is, “I pray hard, work hard and leave the rest to God.”

Be encouraged today.
Let’s pray hard, work hard and leave the rest to God.

Florence Griffith-Joyner (1959 – 1998)

Half-way home!
Go forth,
Naima

DAILY PRAYER (LENT):
1) Confession & Repentance – Let’s confess our wrongs and ask forgiveness
2) Complete transparency – Let our guard down and talk to God about our lives.
3) Listen – Let’s quiet and listen to God’s Spirit re: the scriptures, etc.
4) Intercession for others – Let’s pray for our family, friends, coworkers, church, etc.