Author: Vanessa Moonkie

Do you ever find yourself going back? I remember when I moved to a new place, I told my niece, “One day, I’ll forget we’ve moved and end up at the old house, only realizing at the door that I don’t live there anymore.” I was so sure it would happen. But guess what? It never did.

I pass by the old house, but I never feel the urge to stop, nor have I ever absentmindedly found myself standing at that familiar door. Something in me has moved on where my body has gone, my mind has followed, and vice versa. Do you ever return to the past, even by mistake?

I often talk about Lot’s wife at least five times a year, lol. The Bible says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” But why? Because her body and mind were in conflict. Her body was leaving, but her mind wanted to return. And guess what? The mind won. The body follows where the mind goes always.

If I decide in my mind to write, my brain sends that command to my body, and my hands will pick up the device and start typing. That’s how it works. We keep returning to old, familiar doors because when we left, we never trained our minds to detach and move on. The body only follows the direction the mind has already chosen.

You’re only ever allowed to make a U-turn at specific points. You can’t just turn around on any road some roads forbid it because it would be dangerous. You could hurt yourself, other drivers, and even pedestrians.But isn’t that exactly what some of us have done? We’ve made turns where we had no business turning, and we ended up in accidents spiritually, emotionally, even physically. If only we had kept moving forward, things might have turned out differently. Imagine if Abraham had returned home after God told him to leave. “I’ll just go back. God can still use me from there!” Esquuuueze me! That’s not how obedience works! That’s not how it works AT ALL.

So, I told you that I moved to a new place, and one of the first things I got was a new set of keys. These keys don’t open the old door no matter how many times I try. Even if I attempted 20 times, the result would be the same. Eventually, the key would break, and I’d lose access to both the old and the new.

The old door has its own set of keys, and so does the new place. I can’t open the new with the old, and I can’t open the old with the new. If I return to the old place and try to use my new keys, I’m either trying to be a magician… or I’m just clowning. And here’s the thing, that old place is now occupied by new tenants. I can’t go back. It doesn’t belong to me anymore.(Leave your ex alone.)

The size 28 you wore last year doesn’t fit anymore. The shoes you wore at 7 don’t fit. So why keep going back to what was, no matter how good it was? Don’t return to Ur of the Chaldeans, Abraham. The One who called you out is leading you somewhere new. Keep following. The future is always ahead of us, never in the past. Do not return. And when you leave, leave with your body, soul, and mind. Leave altogether lol! Don’t return to that chat. Don’t return the call. See you tomorrow!❤️

Welcome to a new week my Yielded people!

Have you ever found yourself in a season of such overwhelming occurrences that you began to question not God’s existence, but His presence in your life? You know, without a doubt, that God is real but you wonder, Is He truly with me? I’ve walked through those seasons. I know what it means to stagger under the weight of trials, even though Abraham is praised for not staggering at God’s promises through unbelief. And I’m reminded of a man in Scripture who once asked, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?”

“The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”

Gideon looked around at Israel, at his own life, at the state of his people. He measured what he saw against what he had heard about God, and questions began to rise within him. Is God really with us? Where were the miracles their ancestors spoke of? Were they only stories from the past? If God was truly with them, why hadn’t He done those mighty works for them too? Why was there so much loss? And with all these unanswered questions, Gideon came to a conclusion: The Lord is no longer with us.

I’ve shared with you the story of how my dad passed away while I was on my knees, praying on the altar. Ehhh I prayyyyeeeed! That moment shook me. It made me wrestle with the very meaning of the name Emmanuel— God with us. Because if He is truly Emmanuel, then why did this happen? Maybe you’ve asked similar questions. I pray, I fast, I seek Him so if God sees me, why am I still without a job? Dear Gideon, dear weary heart God is with you! He has not abandoned you.

Gideon speaks of abandonment. And don’t we feel like that too sometimes? “God has abandoned me.” Or, “God is blessing others, not me. Maybe He has favorites.” I once read a comment from a guy on Instagram who said, “I don’t pray anymore because I feel like God has His favorites.” But you know that’s a lie, right? Scripture tells us that God shows no favoritism (Romans 2:11).

What really happened in that situation is that he grew weary. He took his eyes off God and fixed them on his circumstances. And in doing so, he felt abandoned. Gideon had the same struggle: If the Lord delivered Israel from Pharaoh, then why are we still oppressed by the Midianites?

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
‭‭Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s amazing ! Gideon had strength he never even knew about. He was waiting for God to do a miracle, but God’s response was, The miracle is in you. The key to unlocking breakthrough was already within him. Deliverance was coming, but it was coming through him! We often think we have no strength, but it’s there. Maybe only 30%, maybe 50%, but it’s there. And here’s the truth, Gideon not only is God with you, but He has also equipped you with strength!

Stop entertaining the thought that the Lord has abandoned you. I’ve heard people who are grieving say, God does not exist. Grief is heavy, and losing a loved one is incredibly painful. But no matter how deep the pain, we must never allow any situation to convince us that God is not with us.

While I was praying at the Singles Meet Wives event, God gave me a word. He said, EMMANUEL.

And I want to say this to you, the one asking, “If God is truly Sovereign , then why has all this happened?”

EMMANUEL.

God is with you. Even in the questions, even in the pain, even in the waiting, He is with you.

Blessed Assurance, Emmanuel.

How are you?

This morning, I spoke with a lady who runs an orphanage, and as we talked, she began sharing about the people she works with and how she wished they could receive counseling. She didn’t even mention herself. I could hear and feel her heart through the phone, and I thought wow, she must be living such a fulfilling life. The world often makes it seem like selfishness leads to fulfillment, but that’s far from the truth. It was truly inspiring to hear about someone who gives so much of themselves for others. I’ve come to realise that the joy we long for is often found in serving God and His people.

Who did you serve this week , God ? People? If your focus was only on yourself, then you acted selfishly. Every day is an opportunity to be a light in someone’s life. You are the light of the world, yet why is that light only serving you?

With that in mind, take a moment to reflect: What can you do right now to make the world a better place? Let’s start with where you are , what can you do today?

And if your first thought is, “But no one will pay me for it,” consider this: How much did you pay for the heartbeats you’ve been given today? For yesterday? For the years you’ve lived? Even those in the hospital pay the doctors, not God. Let that sink in. Reflect on it.

With that in mind, I invite you to partner with me in supporting this orphanage by helping to purchase the following essential items. You can simply pick up one or two things at the grocery store or order online and have them couriered to me.

Additionally, I will be visiting the orphanage fortnightly to provide free counseling services. As you can imagine, this will require a great deal of preparation and resources. If you’d like to support this mission financially, please reach out to me. The funds will go toward creating charts, workbooks, and other materials to support their emotional and spiritual well-being. May God bless you as you serve!

Please refer to the list above.
For financial partnership with me please contact me on 📧 yieldedcwcenter@gmail.com | 📞 +27845877944.

🩷🌸Have a great weekend! I love you! 🌸🩷

It’s Worship Wednesday! Are you excited?

I love Worship Wednesdays because all I have to do is share my playlist with you , no long writing, just pure worship. This day is special because it’s about connecting with God personally, according to our hunger and desire for Him.

Many people struggle to worship outside of “group worship” whether in church or with friends. But when we’re alone, cultivating a life of worship can be challenging. This struggle affects our relationship with God because worship is one of the ways we truly come to know Him. Do you find yourself bored during worship but excited when it’s time to pray? If so, there’s something off in your walk with God. Worship isn’t just a moment; it’s a lifestyle.

How do you start?

You start by asking the Holy Spirit to teach you how to worship. Worship isn’t just about singing, it’s about surrender, intimacy, and a heart that seeks God. I am a music minister, and although I’ve been singing for many years, every time I’m about to minister, I always pray, “Holy Spirit, teach me how to sing.” I do this every single time because no matter how much experience I have, I recognize that true worship comes from Him.

What we cannot do, or what we lack the capacity to do at its very best, we must always ask for help. Here are some worship songs to help you draw closer to God today. See you tomorrow for our Special Edition Thursday!