Experience, People, Place

I was watching a basketball game, the other day, and two players (Lebron James and Kyle Kuzma) from the visiting team were playing against two of their ex-teammates (Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love) on the court the former used to call Home. I caught the game after it had tipped off, but a valuable lesson I learned came up at the end of the game. The home team lost to their guests, and Lebron and Kyle went over to their opponents’ side of the court, to say hello to their former colleagues. They exchanged hugs, giggled a little, and even had a brief chat, before hitting their respective locker rooms. I was watching the game on my phone (Fairly decent screen size, so don’t judge!), and I made a screenshot of that moment, where all four of them hugged each other. Instantly, I looked beyond the jerseys they had on, I forgot whose court they were playing on, I forgot which teams they belonged to, and all I could feel was the bond they shared. It spoke volumes of the experiences they’ve had together, which had grown beyond the confines of the arena. It really had me pondering for a bit. Have I seen anything like that before? Of course. So, what made this one special? Well, it came at a time where I’ve questioned people’s loyalty the most.

These past couple of weeks, God has been teaching me a lot from my personal devotions with Him, my interactions with people, listening to podcasts and snippets from tons of sermons. The message was clear: Experience, People, Place. In that order.
“That’s a good word,” I said to myself, “but what does that even mean?”
At first I felt it was because I was hearing people attach so much value to their places of worship than the quality of word and their experiences from interacting with the people. Then I realized it was bigger than that. The structure was more mental than physical – the structures we inadvertently build or the ones people build for us.

At Every Sunday service, I watch people walk in, through the front door, to come experience something (Good music, Great Ambience/someone - JESUS), and when I do get to pray for them, my prayer is that they leave with a tangible experience of God’s love, either via their interactions with the people who welcome them to church, their encounter as they surrender all to Jesus in anticipation of a move, or a general sense of being at home, irrespective of what the building looks like.

Believing that every revealed word of God has written references in scriptures, I dug a little deeper into the Word, and a verse which somewhat encompasses the premise for our salvation struck a different Chord.

John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (NLT) .

God’s love for us was a decision He made, thousands of years ago. I mean, a very long time ago, He decided to love a rebellious people – people who would disregard authority; people who would rather harm than protect one another; people who would deprive each other of other
loved ones or material possessions; People who would compete against each other; people who would falsely accuse their neighbours and laugh them to scorn, when they suffer the consequences of their ignorance. God LOVED us. And He’s asking us to do the same. As the express image of Jesus, God requires us to do the same – “Decide to love people, before you meet them.” One question I ask myself, and I think you should do the same is: Is it more difficult to love the people who are already in your life with the same intensity you did before they hurt you, than it is to love people you are yet to meet, knowing they also have the tendency to bring you harm? Take your time to answer this question.

I get exhausted when I read 1 Cor 13:4-8, partly because I feel, just like some other people, I fall short on many levels:

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. 6Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed.

It’s a lot to take in, but if we do everything we do from a place of love, the world will literally be a much better place.

Two of several other verses that reference the extent of God’s love for us are Romans 5:8

“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” and John15:13 “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

I once worked as a customer service representative for a company, and like most companies, it was big on customer satisfaction. We were serving people from all works of life, from a modestly-built Two-storey building. Even though our customers were scattered across a radius of Ten - hundreds of miles, our job was to make them feel as though we were part of their home, having a face-to-face conversation with them, and ensuring we keep them as faithful and satisfied customers. It wasn’t an easy task, because as humans, our needs change, and so do our demands. We came across perceptive customers, and some rather difficult ones, but the goal of company remained the same – Keep the customer happy. Make them feel you love them. Most of our customers never visited our office or even met any of us, but they could tell a lot about the company we represented by their experience with us, over the phone. The building was insignificant to them. God wants us to tear down the walls that confine us, and let people experience Him through us.

As people who have experienced God’s love and who understand the gravity of the mercy he daily bestows on us, He is asking us to forgive ourselves, first, then Love unconditionally. He’s asking us to forgive as many times as it’s required, and be kind to one another. He’s asking us to pray for those who use us, not only because they need it, but because we need to rid our minds of the excess burden. This word was for me, after all. This singular revelation has healed my mind of a lot.
Where people expect you to be mad, you extend grace towards them. Where people expect you to act irrationally, you take a deep breath and respond in love. I learnt these things in a place of hurt and brokenness – in a place of mental combat. God guided my paths to a place where I felt his presence stronger than I ever did, in the midst of people whose love had no bounds. He helped me realize that I still have so much love to give, but I needed to be intentional about it, and decide beforehand.

I said all that to say this: God is asking us to prepare structures without walls, for people to come experience his love through us - The same love He caused us to experience in Him, through others.

As much as we want to make the exterior look very attractive, the bulk of the work is internal. The goal is to let our actions be so positively influencing that people would crave to know more about who we’ve been with (God) and where we gather to seek him. The goal is that people’s experiences with us should be the same, anywhere we go.

Let the first thing people notice about you be the love you radiate, then the company you keep, before the place you meet.

STRENGTH FOR THE WEAK

“Let the weak say I am strong”

It’s very possible to utter these words, every other minute, yet get weaker and weaker. Pretty ironic, yeah? Actually, not really. At times, I wonder if this is because of a lack of faith or simply the absence of the knowledge of our status in Him. On one hand, faith is a way of life, and it comes by hearing the ‘word’, so if we want to live by faith (which is God’s expectation for the righteous), our craving for the ‘word’ should be outrageously consistent. On the other hand, If God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, so why then do we need faith? I may be wrong, but that scripture sounds like “whether you like it or not, I have given you everything you need for life and godliness” But do we really have everything? Maybe we have everything at our disposal, but there are conditions for accessing them. That’s where faith comes in.

The truth is, having faith is not a choice we should ponder on, if it’s the basis of our existence. “The just shall live by faith, but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in Him.” Hebrews 10:38. Just like we need air to breath, food to eat and water to drink, we need faith to live. I dare say without faith…we are dead. Life would really be hopeless without faith.

I woke up this morning with a dire need for strength. The devil likes to see us drown in our downtime, wallow in pity and deteriorate into a condemned state. As a matter of fact, he derives utmost pleasure in it. But how long shall we continue to entertain him? How long shall we continue to let our flesh prevail?
There is strength in God’s word. There is strength to pick ‘yourself’ up, immediately after a fall, and there is strength to remain standing. Someone once said "Grace wasn’t given to us so we can constantly take advantage of it after we sin, but just in case we Sin." In other words, the fact that we have a lifeline at our disposal doesn’t mean we should abuse it and drain it into a drought. God is a God of the weak and also a God of the strong. If He can make you strong, He can keep you strong. He will.

I have come to understand that the principles that govern the earth and its resources were brought to existence by words, and only words can alter or activate them.
“Let the weak say I am strong.” Uttering those words repeatedly and truly believing them causes the mind to align its thoughts to the gravity and potency of its contents. “I have my shortcomings, but I am strong and I can overcome every one of them!” “I have a problem with being obedient, but I have the strength to prevail against disobedience!” “I have a problem with being sincere, but I have the courage to tell the truth and be free!” “I get very feeble and vulnerable to things that don’t edify my spirit, but I have the strength to feed my spirit and starve my flesh!” “I have a problem with doubt and fear, but I have the strength to be bold and courageous!” “I can do all things!!!”

Anytime you find yourself in any of the circumstances aforementioned (and more), take advantage of the strength that has been made available to you, and activate it with faith. Also, in confessing your possession of 'strength', don't deny where you are. Help usually comes to those who admit they need it, so don't miss out on an opportunity to be helped, by putting up an appearance of strength.

Seek for strength in weakness. And when you find it, guard it with your life.



Live by faith. Stay alive.

THE COMPLICATIONS OF A SIMPLE LIFE

This weekend crawled up on me with a range of ideas, a backlog of indecisions and one two many reasons not to be anxious. Words have been uttered with actions to validate them; deeds have gone on an unannounced journey, left astray by thoughts, but that’s not even the major hitch. The problem is the verdict is split between two onlookers – the one who sees fault in everything you do and the one who feels you shouldn’t even be attempting to do stuff on your own. Mannerisms of the former are quite clear – they make you feel inadequate and they are so good at condemning everything you do and fail to do. That actually leaves out NO good impression. The latter? Oh, the latter is everything the former is not. But do they actually exist?


A lot of our deeds are blamed on influences from the company we keep, the neighbourhood we grew up, and sometimes our inability to decipher good from evil, by merely taking a gaze. The truth is, most of the people who judge you do so on the basis of what they heard about you rather than what they know about you. One bad impression can sum up your entire life, and create a lifelong bitter testimony. But don’t be fooled. The one who doesn’t criticize you may have more against you than the one who frequently calls you out. I know the next question is “who then is the good guy? The one who sees and talks, or the one who sees and keeps shut?” There lies the complication. I leave you to your discretion.


The answers to every question cannot be answered by any. Some people tend to have answers to everything, even though half the time they are clueless. Sometimes it takes almost a lifetime to understand the seemingly simple things…or to come to terms with their reality.
I have come to understand that the answers to some of these questions lie in the acceptance of the situation, and the peace you find within. It doesn’t necessarily mean physically settling for the worst because you feel you don’t have what it takes to achieve the best. Besides, who really knows what’s best for you?


Aight, here’s me being logical. If we knew why everything happened, this knowledge will take away the fun of being human. Sincerely, many, if not all of us, like to be adventurous. As in, who wouldn’t want to learn something new, every other day? New ways on how to answer questions at interviews, how to fix our favourite delicacies, how to dress well, how to study effectively, how to fussily manage our time and resources… the list continues.
I mean, even those who are ridiculously wealthy still wake up everyday thinking of other ways to invest their time and money. Think of ‘knowing everything’ as not having room for ‘learning anything’; think of ‘knowing everything’ as a child who is born with speech and an accent from day one. Okay, that last illustration sounds scary already, cos we’re not used to seeing stuff like that, right? But I’m sure you get my drift. Growth, curiosity and the quest for knowledge are a few of the vital elements that make being human sensational.


People will say stuff about you that ain’t right, but keep moving; They will try to discourage you or devalue your exploits, but keep moving; You may have soaked up all these negativity, but you still have an opportunity to sanitize your mind, so the earlier you start, the better.
Don’t plan to fail, and don’t be scared to fail either. The former just paints you in all colours of folly, while the latter bares the courage in you to win… or at least give it a shot.
Don’t create limitations for yourself and disguise them as goals. If you can conceive it, then it is definitely attainable. The problem is you may end up chasing after what you don’t necessarily need (It's complicated. I know). Nothing brings much pleasure to naysayers than seeing you perish in ignorance.


Maybe the answers to certain questions have been kept away from us intentionally. It is now left to us to discern, and selectively accept the things we can’t change. Note the word ‘selectively’. We’ve been told to accept the things we can’t change, but it's easier said than accepted.
Above all, Trust God. God is faithful, even when we go through tests that seemingly exceed what we can handle. Whether you accept it or not, there are forces fighting against your progress in all ramifications of life. I battle with them, too.It's not God's desire that any perish, so cling to His thoughts towards you, but first, get rid of anything that disconnects you from Him.


As long as you are alive, there will always be a better day, and something new to look out for. Be anxious for nothing. In everything you do, put God first. Let Him guide your thoughts and actions. It really is the simplest way to survive all the complications of life.


Aight, close your eyes…take a few deep breaths…and wait for my next post.



Work hard. Pray harder. Trust God

TRADING ME FOR US

What would you do if you were given the ability to read minds or even transcribe facial expressions and thoughts into texts, then transferring them to your pc without physically typing them out? Okay, I don’t know what I would do, too, but I’d definitely be a bestselling author. Aight, this is just my way of saying there are a number of things I wish I could do, but I know I can’t sleep and wake up the following morning to see them all done. That’s life. If we could live on wishes, I guess no one will be wasting time on a 9 – 5. By the way, Good things don’t always come to those who wait; they sometimes wait for those who get up and seek them.

Every day has its challenges and demands. Some people decide to make others’ happiness their priority, while others never give up on attempting to ruin their neighbors’ day, and eliminating every chance of redemption. We all want to be thought of as some kind of influence or catalyst to someone’s growth, either for self-centered reasons or for the humble pleasure that accompanies exemplary references.

For me, the past year has been very adventurous, daring, experimental, and quite revealing. The question would perhaps be “What was revealed?” Well, trying to explain it all would be as ridiculous as sitting by the beach, in the dead of the night, and attempting to count every Star in sight. One thing I can exhaustively tell you is I don’t know the half of myself. I’m sure some of you would agree with me that it takes certain unplanned incidents to draw out some traits you never thought existed.

I have contended with ‘Me’ for a while now – What I like, what I want, what I would do to get what I want, and the extent I’m wiling to go to keep what I have or what I think I had.
I try hard to break away from the manmade and self-inflicted cultural idea that there are specific levels of feat that should characterize every phase of one’s life, every age bracket. Though I’m not in absolute denial that there should indeed be a level of achievement one would look back to, every now and then. It would be a sheer waste of time to defend the fact that the world would be a predictively boring place without individuality, challenges, disappointments, failures, trials, errors, and of course, the ‘could-have-beens’ and ‘would-have-beens’.
Spending more time in my own world and with God has given me insight into a wealth of eternal common sense. I’ve read a few books (Very few, I must say), but not a single one has provided such unequivocal guidelines to a fulfilled and peaceful life worth living.

God does NOT, and will NOT reveal everything to us. It is His glory to conceal things. To you and I, there’s some kind of grandeur that comes with unraveling hidden things.
God has placed us on a journey of self-discovery, with a map, a few tools, and instructions as we progress. He also gave us the Will to choose (This is probably the most dicey tool in the hands of any man). No one man knows how God operates within everyone, at every given point in time. Like T.D Jakes said, “God remains the same, but His methods change.” (Paraphrased). But there’s a Villain called ‘Me’, who happens to ‘know it all’ and thinks things are always meant to be perfect.
‘Me’ thinks highly of itself, sees the wrong in everyone, and never accepts any blame. ‘Me’ always has an excuse for everything – why things are the way they are, and what could have been done to avoid every unfortunate situation. ‘Me’ makes too much preparations for tomorrow, that it misses the opportunities of ‘today’. ‘Me’ bottles up its disappointments with a pointed nose and a frown, but ‘Us’? Oh, ‘Us’ calls you out, expresses its displeasure, but later hugs you with a Grin.

‘Me’ says “It’s my way or no way” but ‘Us’ says “Let’s try both ways and stick the one that works.”
As a slave to Fate, ‘Me’ thinks it’s ridiculous to have faith and be optimistic, yet realistic. ‘Me’ Says “but He’s got braces” and ‘US’ replies, “Have you seen your toes, lately?”
“Me’ Says “Look what s/he did to me”, but ‘Us’ Says, “Look what you did to your neighbour.” ‘Me’ says “I don’t like it when she pouts and hang her neck from her shoulder like it’s missing a knot, but ‘Us’ says, “Seriously? Have you seen the look on your face in all your photos?”

If I were to act religiously mysterious, I would say, before God formed His greatest creation (man), He said, “Let US create man in OUR own image and likeness…” Okay, that may not be the best biblical example, but the fact still remains that two heads are better than one…when their motives are selfless.

Before you do anything, put yourself in the shoes of others. How will your actions affect them? Don’t see it as giving them the power to dictate what you do or the pace at which you do them; you’re simply creating room for peace, whilst maintaining your sanity. If you want it to be all about you, be my guest…go create your own earth.

I used to feel good, living for ‘Me’. Now, I feel great…living for ‘Us’.

YOUR WORDS, YOUR BOND!

When we go to bed at night, we think about the activities of the day – the ones we engage ourselves in, willingly or unwillingly; we think about love; we think about guilt; we think about the people that walked into our lives and the handful that walked out; we think about our victories and our defeats; we think about those mountains that stood in our way early in the day (maybe from days before too); we try to use our minds to turn some things around – correct some or even wish we were never part of certain ordeals.


Life is not without its ups and downs, or highs and lows. It's never a crime to believe in something, neither is it absurd to trust someone unreservedly, without anticipating a glimpse of disappointment. Many promises have been broken; things we never thought would happen speedily come to pass before our very eyes, without prior notice...but we still dust ourselves up and keep moving.

We wish words alone were enough to authenticate people's intentions towards us...we wish the promises they make (made) to us can assuage our doubts and fears...we wish that every vow made could ignite love and sincere concern that will burn forever. We wish wishes could really bring the desires of our hearts to fruition. However, sometimes wish for the most absurd thing…very absurd. Well…


We live in an uncertain world. Most times we don’t even know who to trust, when to trust and why to trust. “What if those words, sweetly spoken, eventually turn out to be nothing but lies and deceit”?
Some people have pushed us to the point where we expect ANYTHING, so we are not caught unawares. Some have pushed us to the extent that we cushion the anticipated effects of disappointments with the conclusion that ANYBODY can disappoint. But…Can we ever be prepared for the worst? Can we ever accept it as ‘one of those things’, and move on?


As you set out each day, try your best to treat people the way you’d want to be treated. Say only what you mean, or hit the mute button. Admit to your wrongs and make amends as swiftly as possible, without placing more emphasis on justifying the reasons for your actions. Words cut deeper than the sharpest knife, so be cautious.


Someone out there is relying on you to say something sweet to them - something that will brighten their entire day; someone is expecting you to just be you; someone is expecting you to be responsible and faithful; someone is expecting you to say the truth, no matter how much it will hurt; someone is expecting you to say ‘I’m sorry’; someone is expecting you to keep your promise and cling to the vows you effortlessly made a while ago! If you must say it, then be ready to honour it.


Your words, your bond. Little wonder God honours His word more than His name.

H.A.L.T.T – Heal and Learn to Think

There’s so much going on on social networking sites, and in the media in general. Trust me, it feels like an entirely different world in itself, with tales that are either within rational expectation, too good to be true, or ridiculously void of common sense. We hear about very successful relationships and marriages, lasting from over a few weeks to decades, and of course, some that barely made it past the first date. Sometimes you can’t but wonder what the whole buzz is about. Well, let me give you a preview: Some can’t do without media attention (it’s contagious); some are just dramatic in nature; some rely on people to think for them, either by posting comments of praise or criticism; some are just addicted to breaking things – hearts, vows, promises and so on.

If you’ve been in a relationship before, you’d agree with me that there are some you wish never started, and others you wish never ended. Once in a while, I try to read a few blogs with captivating captions and i just feel some of the contents are unreal. One of such is a post i read recently about a dude who was going out with a lady, and at the same time promising another person marriage. That’s not all. He had a girlfriend who was providing shelter for him under her roof. After spending so much on this dude, and on the marriage, little did this lady know that she was signing up to become a ‘possession’ rather than a ‘partner’. Personal possessions are not always handled with care or respect, you know? A guy that would tell you “Now that you are my wife, you have to transfer all your properties to my name or make me a signatory to your account(s)” is up to no good. Dude, get a life!

This doesn’t mean ladies have the right to make certain demands too,simply because they now bear his last name and the title ‘wife’. Anyway, i don’t care if that story is true or not, but I don’t expect a responsible man to beat up a woman who refuses to make him a signatory to her account, or condone his quest to render her bankrupt. Scratch that, i don’t expect a responsible man to beat up a woman, however justified he feels his reasons are. Dude, have you lost your mind?Forgive me. I digress a lot.Like I stated earlier, if you’ve ever been in a relationship, there’s at least one person you wish you never made up your mind to date, and maybe one you wish never walked away. Speaking of the former, okay, you have certain regrets about your Ex and the time you spent thinking you were the power supply to his heart, not knowing that you were just one of many back up options? I sympathize with you, but don’t rid yourself of the fact that you can still be happy with someone who will make you his One and Only.

Some of you spend a ridiculous amount of time on social networking sites like twitter and facebook. It’s not a bad thing, not unless you tweet 200times a day, and 97.8% of your tweets are about how miserable you feel, how you’ll never trust guys again, how useless and uncaring you feel your Ex was, how lucky you are to have walked away from the relationship (though it’s a lie), or how he took advantage of your vulnerability. Like seriously?? And you expect that ‘tall, dark, six-packed and handsome’ dude on your timeline to ask you out? Hell no! Not every dude wants to be a potential Trending Topic on twitter, when the chips are down. Have you seen how they shred tweeps apart on that platform? Scary. A lot of dudes would rather not be with a lady who is quick to make her private life public every time she logs into the cyber world. I know some of you do it to gain attention, and you want people to share your grief and all that. STOP IT! It’s not cool.

Speaking of those who wish that dude never walked away, have you stopped to think about why things didn’t work out? Have you stopped to think about what YOU might have done wrong? About what you said and the gravity? Have you even learnt from the experience? I don’t think so. Instead you’ve become a stern believer of the doctrine that all guys are after the same thing – the insatiable desire to go all fleshy on you. Or, in your words “They just want to hit and run.” I think it’s high time you shoved that mentality down the drain. Come to think of it…maybe that’s your major problem….you think ‘for’ the guy, and so your every action is an attempt to resist the fear of what you believe he wants, and you never give him a benefit of the doubt. Here’s one secret: ‘Some guys want to be trusted as individuals’. I bet you didn’t know that.

During every healing process, there are reflections of the good times and the bad times you enjoyed, but unfortunately, a lot of people focus less on the good and allow the bad cloud their judgment. My honest advice: I don’t know how long it takes to heal (maybe it’s dependent on how deep the cut is/was), or how long you should stay single before hopping into another relationship. Sincerely, i don’t care, but one thing you must know is that scars from fresh wounds can still be bruised. You really need to give yourself time to heal, and even more time to think before you say ‘yes’ to the next request.Here are some things I feel you should think about: Don’t focus on how NOT to get things wrong in the next, but let your focus be on how to get things right.

After sufficient healing time, don’t force it, and don’t place yourself under pressure to jump into another one. If the previous one started out nice and sweet, there’s a high probability that the next will start off nicer and sweeter, but that’s not a guarantee that it will last longer. Come to terms with the fact that guys also deserve some special treatment, once in a while. I mean, we like it when you deliver pizza and ice cream to our doorsteps, or even invite us for a movie. It’s not an abomination for you to be the catalyst to a great time out.
In the words of Lady T’Mill “When developing a relationship, be willing to put as much into it, if not more than what you want out. Keep things fair”

Lest I forget, if you are one of those ladies who like to say “I’m hanging out with my b*****s, tonight” or “My friends are h**s, you’ve just gotta love ‘em” and you get mad when guys make those words your nickname, it’s a strong indication that you are oblivious of the gravity of your problem. You may not see anything wrong with it, especially if it’s part of your vocabs among your friends, but that’s really disgusting to hear. Respect yourselves, and maybe guys will stop disrespecting you.

PS: I’m not a relationship doctor….I’m just a guy who has a couple of ideas about how a few guys think.

meit

SKETCH IT; THEN MOLD IT!

When HE was tired of hearing me describe what I wanted, with additional features every other day, HE got fed up and said to me “Okay, I’ll give you all you need to bring that mental picture into life. Mold it and I’ll breathe life into it, but first, you have to sketch it.”

He gave me a pen, an eraser, a sheet of paper, clay and a bucket of water. “Finally, I had the power to create, right in my hands.” I thought to myself. YEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!!

I set to work, gathering materials for the perfect masterpiece ever created in the mind of man. Everything I ever thought about…all that I wished for…All my expectations – Good attitude, decent character, great potentials, flawless skin tone, wonderful facial features, untarnished eloquence, 100% truthful, average height, sound diet, and very long natural hair with an obvious halo, I put down on a white sheet of paper. It looked so good, but I felt something was still missing (actually, a lot), so I picked up the eraser and wiped off half of the sketch, and continued drawing. I tried to add the subject's choices into the sketch, but i ended up with my partial wishes. Hours went by, and I still wasn’t satisfied. Days, weeks, months, years passed by, and I hadn’t even started molding. Out of frustration, I used what was left of the eraser to wipe off the whole sketch, tore the sheet of paper, broke the pencil, scattered the clay all over the tiled floor, and threw the bucket of water out the window.

I went back to Him with tears rolling down my eyes. “I tried…I’m sorry…I thought I had the perfect picture in my head…I thought I knew it all” I said to him. “But I’m sure if you give me two more pencils, 3 erasers, a fresh sheet of paper, and more time, I can come up with the image in my….” “Shut up!!!” He interrupted. “You’ve spent almost a decade sketching. When are you going to start molding?” He asked, with a straight face.

“Be patient, son!” He continued. “Circumstances will alter your sketch; feelings will war against your intentions, and selfish expectations will break your wall of reasoning. What you thought was impeccable might just be a mirage…What you thought was perfect may not even exist. Trust me to bring the best your way. Be patient, son!” He concluded.

I woke up, picked a pen and a sheet of paper…and wrote “IT AIN’T OVER. I KNOW WHAT I WANT. I’M GONNA SKETCH IT, THEN MOLD IT!”

If you keep forcing him/her to fit into the sketch on your paper or to adapt to your selfish desires, you will end up creating a ‘puppet’ that will eventually malfunction, when ‘it’ can take no more.

If we all had the power to create who we would love to be with, the fun and adventure that comes with discovering our uniqueness will be buried in our quest to ‘paint the future’. What a boring life it would be!

He’s not perfect, but He could be better than the picture you have in your head. She’s not all that you expected, but she certainly could be the one you need to cure you from the illusion that there’s a perfect person out there.

You can sketch it, but molding it would be almost impossible.

Work. Pray. Be grateful

Living Outside a Secure Terrain - L.O.S.T

There’s a feeling of loneliness…a feeling of abandonment (even though you try to bury it under a smile) when you go through stuff and those you used to think love you more than enough to take a bullet for you, suddenly walk away leaving you to your fate. Suddenly they become too busy to even pick your calls or reply your texts. At that point, you feel taking your own life would be justified, after all, who cares? Well, I’m sure you don’t expect me to say, “Yep, get a very strong rope, wrap around your neck, tie it to a pole, and jump off a high rise”? Maybe you’ve never found yourself in such a situation, but you’ve had someone approach you, saying “I have absolutely nothing else to live for. All I have is gone.” All you have might be gone, but you’re still living.

There’s a feeling of rejection…an ardent feeling of guilt resident in your heart because of one thing you did yesterday or the day before, or an addiction you can’t seem to have control over. Each time you engage yourself in that act, you feel like the filthiest or the most irresponsible person ever. It might not be morally disturbing to the ears, because of the kind of world we live in…but somehow you feel you’re doing something wrong. This guilt has built a fence around you, with spikes along its edges. It has caged you in, debarring you from sharing your ordeal with anyone for a shot at liberation. Every night you lock yourself indoors, weeping and magnifying the pain inside. Does this feeling sound any familiar? Look around you. You might just be far from Home.

Early this year, if someone walked up to me to say, “I see you wandering down the forbidden road” I would have sworn by my own grave that it wouldn’t happen, even if all hell broke loose! That response would probably lie between pride, confidence, or ignorance of how vulnerable and helpless I can be without God’s guidance. I don’t know where I would be without Him. On a second thought, I know – I’d be lost in sin…too far to make my way back without bruises and torn limbs, that’s if I ever make it back.

The devil knew how difficult and practically impossible it was to lay hold of Job, whilst God’s hedge surrounded him and everything he owned. There are some things we shouldn’t even wish for. There are some people we shouldn’t even wish to be like, cos we have no idea of what they lost to gain what they have; we have no idea of what they consciously sacrificed to get to where they are.

Staying within the hedge God has created around us is vital to our survival. Outside God’s camp, there’s no guarantee that you’ll return unharmed, so why take the risk?

It’s not safe out there. The TIME is nigh. We have to be vigilant. God’s hands extend to the ends of the earth, but we can still wander away from under his covering.

Even though God permitted the devil to do everything he wanted to all that Job had, the loss still affected Job. The devil is still prowling like a roaring lion, seeking for whom to devour. A metre away from God’s camp and you’ll become a potential prey. Our protection is in the Lord.
Everything above may not be applicable to you. Glory to God. But you might have noticed that some people are missing from camp. Help them navigate their way back. We ARE our Brothers' keeper.

Three of Seven prayers: Lord, I sometimes wander away from your presence, advertently or inadvertently. It could be fun outside the camp, you know? But I’ve come to realize that no form of pleasure outside your presence is worth the risk of getting lost in the world. We want to be where you are…dwelling in your presence and surrounded by your glory. Lord, protect us and our families. May we not be carried away by the pleasures of the world, that we forget who we are and who we belong to. Amen.

Work. Pray. be Thankful

WHEN YOU DON'T HEAR A VOICE

"The soul that can speak through the eyes can also kiss with a gaze" - Gustavo Adolfo Becquer.
I'm not sure what really caught my attention in that quote, but whatever it was, I guess I kinda heard a voice that said 'I speak even when I'm silent'

I remember growing up...If you're discerning enough, you'll know that the look yo mama gave you yesterday that said "Get ur feet off the sofa" has a different meaning, today, like "How many times do I have to tell you to do the dishes after every meal?" Or "Do u realize that you are embarrassing me in front of our guest? Go to ur room, NOW" Oh my! Don't even try to picture the eye-contact and the look on that face. (I think I exaggerated a lil too much Lol) You just have to act like you heard a voice that instructed you to move, especially when you are convinced that what you're doing ain't right.

There's this feeling of relief/disappointment, when we don't hear God's audible voice at the time we really need Him to speak back to us. God doesn't always speak to us with an audible voice. If we have the mind of Christ (like we claim to) and the holy spirit to guide us, then we probably are more in line with His will than we think.

The fact that things might not be working out the way we'd love them to doesn't mean there's something we're not doing right. Well, you know urself better than I do.
Evaluating your life based on people's expectations from you can be detrimental to fulfilling God's actual plan for you. Be careful who you give access into the affairs of your life.

I've heard people say "God always speaks. We're the ones not hearing Him" Well, yes He does speak, but not always via the medium we expect; Not always with a still small voice or a voice that causes the earth to tremble.
Maybe the response you require is 'wotchu thinking, son? Don't do it!!" But instead, there's a conviction within that analyzes every possible outcome of your proposed action, and suddenly your mind is filled with unrest until to take a step. You'd actually be extremely foolish not to back off, simply because you didn't hear a voice.

We get to a certain stage in life, where we are the weighing scale of our actions; a stage where we actually know good from evil, but we still feel very adventurous, and decid to pick evil, hoping we'll have enough time to get a second shot.
Thank God for grace, but grace alone will not save us, so I guess it's time we started living right.

Two of Seven Prayers: Lord, we are not denying that we are ignorant of what is good and what is evil. Our flesh sometimes gets the better of us, and tend to cripple our ability to respond to the leading of ur spirit. Cast us not away from your presence, Lord, as we retrace our steps, and align ourselves back to the paths you originally created for us. Order our steps, daily, even when we don't Hear you speak. Amen

Work. Pray. Be Thankful!

A CHILD'S TOUCH

I haven't written in a while....I mean, i've been writing, but i haven't posted stuff in a while, cos i never get to finish registering my thoughts at once, for the past 7 months (It always gets to a point where it doesn't make thorough sense). I'm sure some of you feel that way, from time to time. i may be wrong. It's sometimes very easy to get distracted from what you used to do with so much passion and conviction, and at times, it could be very difficult to unlock yourself from those shackles of distractions that have entangled you and wrapped a thick dark clothing around your face, to mess up your vision. Have you ever felt so far away from Home, even though you never wandered away for more than a mile? Have you ever felt like you've slept for so long, even though you never shut your eyes for a second? Have you ever felt tolerated, even though there are more than enough people around you to hold hands with and have fun? Well, that defines how I feel sometimes. (No questions. lol).

Last night, i went to bed feeling a lil cold (not literally), but somehow i hit the 'snooze' button...eventually. I woke up this morning, my feelings lacking adequate definition. i knew I had to push myself to lighten up...I knew i had to give God nothing less than my best at the service, even though my relationship with him has been a bit..... I got dressed and hit the road. I kept replaying the song we learnt at the tuesday rehearsal "One Thing Remains" by Jesus Culture (This song has blessed me). The words that resounded in my head were "Even in the obvious face of defeat, believe" Okay. What next? What exactly was I supposed to believe in/on? I sought for clarity...

After selecting and rehearsing the songs for the day, i sat down to have a quick chat with a friend, and she said to me "God will never withhold any good thing from you" Huh??? Like, seriously?? As if that wasn't enough, the preacher spoke for over 45mins, making references to God's unfailing love. I learnt that God doesn't love us MORE for what we've done or what we do, neither does He love us LESS for what we've not done, or are yet to do. He just loves us. Period. He loves us in our strong moments, in our weakness, mess, inadequacies, shortcomings, and in any other situation we seem to have put ourselves in (or find/found ourselves in). The preacher's testimony of how he overcame betrayal and distrust with intentional and purposeful Love - the kinda love that was processed in heaven - knocked me off balance. That singular display of love attracted a word that quenched 14yrs of thirst. His testimony blew my mind. With tears almost rolling down, I gave in "I believe. Take the Wheel" At that point, I felt His love again.

May we not miss what God wants to do in our lives, all in the name of a Let's-be-realistic mindset. His timing may not align with your urgent and I-need-it-now-or-never needs, but He remains faithful. I don't think he will ever be sorry for not being on time, like we expect Him to. Jesus heard of Lazarus's ill health, but delayed for two days. Jesus did not only delay to make martha and her sister feel any different, he was about to teach the disciples, you and I, a new level of 'believing'. The Message bible puts it this way "Then Jesus became explicit: "Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn't there. You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let's go to him." John 11:14-15. He wasn't doing it for the spotlight, like some of us do today. Even martha didn't fully understand (I wouldn't have either). She believed that if Jesus asked the Father, her brother would be raised up, but in the resurrection, at the endtime "Master, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you." John 11:21-22. "I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time." she said. Sometimes He responds sooner than we expect, and other times he takes His time. He is God. He is never late. My prayer for us is that we'll always be ready, with our faith intact, no matter how long it takes for Him to respond.

God's love is as gentle as a Child's touch. It's purposeful. It's harmless. As i played the bass lines to the song, this morning, i recalled carrying a baby a few weeks back (Well, i love babies hehehe). As i held this Child close, she stared at me. Noisy room, loads of distractions, yet she kept her eyes locked on me. I wish i could understand why she couldn't get her eyes off me..It was a mystery. Even when people carried her, she kept turning her head until she could no longer see me in sight. Once again, i carried her, and I felt the attention again. i leaned closer and she stretched her hands to touch my face...Wow! What a feeling it was!!! I was just unnecessarily happy. A group of people watched me carry this child round the hall, and were actually convinced she was mine. lol (i wish!). Others asked what i did to the child to capture her attention.

There's no depth in any of these, neither is there a theological explanation or revelation, but on that stage, this morning, I felt God's unconditional love...the kind of love that cannot be fully comprehended...the kind of love that says "I don't care what you've been through, I don't care what others may think of you, I don't care how many times you drove a spear into my side, I don't care if you are tagged (by people who think they know better) as unholy, filthy and unworthy to stand before me, i don't care if you just messed up the other night" The kinda love that says "I still have my eyes on you" The kinda love that never judges or holds to heart hurts and disappointments...the kinda love that forgives when we ask.

There's nothing special we've done (or are doing) to attract God's optimum attention. He loved us from the inception and creation of the earth. That love hasn't changed...it never will. Don't miss what God is about to do, and has started doing in your life.

My prayer for us is that God will touch us in a way that we have never felt before. He will turn things around to favour us. Also have it in mind that He will never withhold any good thing from YOU. If it's good for you, He'll surely bring it your way...and if it' not, He can take it away, if you give Him the chance to. The question is "Are you willing to let go, and receive what He has for you? Selah.

Though we might not fully understand why, but He loves us anyway. NEVER forget this!!!! Work Hard. Pray Harder. Thank God

WHEN MY HEART TICKS

Every heart beat reminds me that I’m still alive for a reason. What I do after the thought twinkles either fuels my motivation towards the goal or militates against fulfilling it. Many people say life is unfair, and one can almost not make anything good out of it. Well, the ones that believe life is full of opportunities create a platform (internet) for such people to spread their pessimistic thoughts. A lot of people have been employed via the internet; some have been fired via emails, and even social networking sites (I don’t have any proof lol). Some people have made friends over the internet; others have truncated their relationships over the internet. People have been duped/scammed over the internet; some others have become rich just by clicking on links from the comfort of their homes.

A digression: Speaking of being duped or scammed, some months back, one dude was really upset with me for not falling for his buy-6PCs-for-$500 scam (From the US including shipping!) HAHAHA!!! Is it just me or is there a way people can determine how vulnerable (they think) you are by looking at your picture?

I wish some things didn’t happen; I wish other things happened. I understand some things that happen, when they happen. I don’t even understand why some things happened, happen or didn’t happen. Truth is, I really don’t care why some things happened, happen or didn’t happen. Some answers leave you with more questions. why then should i worry my little head? I sometimes wish my wishes could actually yield results – like wishing that someone would just wake up one day and be interested in my vision, and say “Hey, tiem…I’d like to invest in your dreams. I budgeted this money for something else, but I just feel you need it more than I do” hahaha! (Ignore that).

But sincerely, right now, I’m in the library trying to figure out how to complete this coursework, but I find myself typing this post, wishing that by a stroke of luck, it makes sense to someone….wishing that as you read it, you recall the reason why you’re still alive…wishing you’ll have faith that as the sun always shines after the storm, your next move will produce results better than yesterday’s. And, yeah, I also wish this course work can finish itself.
Er…just kidding! Have a blessed life. Remember, If you come off as a sad person, don’t blame me for staying away from you. In this case, opposite don’t attract. That’s just a scientific theory. If I’m a little happy, I want to be associated with happier people. The only reason you, as a happy person, should be hanging around unhappy people should be to help them find happiness. You shouldn't leave them more depressed than you met them. Sometimes we need to shut up, and listen. Share their pain, but help them get rid of it. Also, you can't have answers to everything. Make sure there's a clear distinction between suggestions/advice and/or universally proven methods (if there's anyhing like that...okay, there isn't!).

Okay, these are just random thoughts tiptoeing into my head, so pardon me for not articulating them under ‘headings’. You don’t really mind, do you? Lol

work hard. pray harder. Thank God

PS: true and lasting happiness comes from within...Everlasting joy comes from above, ONLY - from GOD. yep! i said it!

GOD FILLS TILL IT SPILLS

As you might have observed, most of my writings stem out of a personal encounter or experience, and the more I share/talk about them, the more conscious I am about the relevance and effects they've had in my life, and probably will have in yours as well. None of it is actually new to you. Maybe you just shoved them aside. Let's call it a ‘reminder’ to us - God is 'speakING' to you and I.
I sincerely hope it causes a change in your life, as it has already done in mine within the last few hours.

I got a text message yesterday reminding me of a bi-weekly meeting that was scheduled to hold in the church auditorium as against the usual 'in your area' meeting. As at the time I received the text, I was still in bed, undecided about how my day was going to start, let alone anticipating a desired ending. I was just there, thinking about so many things. I mean, don't we all just have that moment in our lives where we feel like doing absolutely nothing? We let our minds go on a misguided trip without our consent, and then it brings back so much unwanted castoffs that we find it difficult to ignore, handle or even filter them. (I'm sure you know what I mean).

My day eventually kicked off around noon, but it was a slow one. It was almost time for the meeting, but I totally forgot, cos I didn't even make up my mind to attend it, in the morning. I heard a knock on my door, and as I opened it, there stood my flatmate, asking me if I was going to church for the meeting. I reluctantly answered, cos I felt i could cover much of my academic work within those few hours I'd be in church. Some of us are yet to value the importance of 'fellowship' God will not equip you for yourself alone...He doesn't give us gifts/talents/skills/abilities just because he wants them to look good on us...he gives them to us so that we can be of benefit to others (You can call it iron sharpening iron).

I got dressed, and we both went to catch the bus. I can boldly say that the meeting caused a turn-around in my life. My eyes were opened to the power of sharing your testimony - telling your story. God has done so much for some of us, but it's not worth standing on the rooftop to share, simply because he's yet to do the ones we truly desire him to do. (That's an ungrateful heart right there) I heard people testify about God's goodness in their lives, and I was scared that I might have deprived someone of the benefits of sharing my testimony...I felt guilty cos I had categorized God's blessings into slightly small, small, slightly big, big and huge. (Some people actually specify the kinda testimony you can pick up the mic to share, but trust me, anything that was done NOT by your power, is a testimony). I heard some amazing testimonies about what God did in the lives of people, that evening. Not only did the testimonies blow my mind, the faith that the testifiers had in God, enough to trust him to move in their lives, was equally dumbfounding. This stirred up something within me.

This might not be new to some of you bible scholars, researchers or mystery-thirsty individuals, but I learnt that 'testimony' in hebrew, means 'to do again', and so I came to a conclusion that, we do not only share our testimonies to glorify/thank God for his goodness, or to encourage people to trust God more, but we share them because we want God to do more - to do again. We're simply saying "Lord, you provided a job and I'm grateful, but God, it isn't going to stop there, is it? Blow my mind again...I'm expectant...this can't be your best...I believe you have something bigger for me"

God has so many promises stored up for us, but we only access a few because we already have a whole lot of junk hanging on our shoulders, and we are not willing to let them go. I can imagine God asking "if you don't empty your bowl, how will I fill it up?" The psalmist said "you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, and my cup runneth OVER" Right there for all to see! It runs over because it wasn't meant for the cup alone - it wasn't meant to ONLY fill the cup. God's blessings CANNOT be contained - it exposes itself beyond limits.
He blesses us so we can have to give. When he gives us, he doesn't expect us to hold back, not from him, not from anyone. A songwriter said "Pressed down, shaken together, running OVER, is the favour of God" Yes! That's one thing we need to remember (luke 6:38)
When you think 'God', think 'big' Think 'beyond measures' Think 'No impossibility' Think 'Running over' Think 'more than I can/will ever contain'

Don't deprive God of the glory in that so-called little testimony of yours, don't deprive people of the benefits of that 'slightly small' testimony of yours, and the encouragement they can garner from it, Don't hold back God's blessings - don't try to contain it, it was meant to spill. It can burst within you if you try to contain it, and I'm not guaranteeing that it won't hurt you.

What was once a blessing to you can end up killing you! (Ask saul) It’s really not about us. ALWAYS give glory to whom it’s due!

Just an illustration: Speaking of offering, the bible says “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10)
"Bring your tithes and offerings (I ain't preaching) into my store house, and I’ll bless you beyond what you can handle...beyond what you can contain" (paraphrased).

"You feel it when God fills you; when it spills, then the world sees it. God's blessings CANNOT be contained..." tiemTHINKS

Don't try to hide it. Let it flow. It was meant to spill! Tell your story. Share it. It will stir up something in someone else. No matter how paltry you think it may sound, It will provoke SOMEONE to trust God more...Above all, when you share it you're telling God "please, do it again, but this time around...bigger"!!!

Share the little one you have....there's more to come....


Work hard. Pray harder. Thank God!

THE TIDES DON’T DICTATE MY DIRECTION

Hmmm…I really don’t know how or where to start this post from, but I hope I end up with something meaningful at the end.

Once upon a time, I got admission in the university to study a course I wasn’t really interested in, because the whole high (secondary) school experience of the subject was nothing close to interesting…all thanks to my teacher, who made it quite unbearable. I’ll spare you the rest of that gist - I’m sure I dwelt a little on it in one of my previous posts.

Take a ride across my high school days, and then hop a little over my almost-7yrs in college (university). I got a Bachelor’s degree in Geography. I remember telling a very good friend of mine that I was going to give my certificate to my parents, and enroll for another first degree programme. She thought the idea sounded really absurd. (After spending so many years in the university) I wanted to start college all over…you know…I wanted to pursue my dreams…to do something I would be able to focus my time and energy on with all pleasure.

I started out on a quest to reverse and take another route. Words came from right and left “Why don’t you just pursue a second degree (Master’s) in a field you’ll feel more comfortable with, instead of having to start all over again.” I thought about it for a while. And so I made up my mind to move on, but because of the series of strike actions that truncated academic sessions during my days in the university back in my country, I decided to prod my plans over the seas. I applied to several institutions, but because of my background in Geography, I found it difficult to get admission in what I really wanted to study. Some other constraints set in, so I had to settle for something pretty close and related to my choice. Okay. The field of study was established. What next? The means! As God would have it, that was also settled. Praise God!!!

During this period of searching, doubting, swapping preferences, battling with pessimistic suggestions and considering so-called ‘realistic’ options, I learnt a lot. God taught me things I may never have learned within the four walls of any institution at home or abroad. I learnt to trust Him…I learnt to listen even when He wasn’t speaking. Several times I got discouraged and felt like living the next day as it came. Most times when we have our minds all made up concerning a matter, the only voice we hear is ours. Then we patch our confidence up by saying “we have the mind of Christ” and “the steps of the righteous are ordered” so we skip the part of ‘Time and chance happens to all’. Those are very true statements. Believe me. But on the race track, do you know what happens when you take-off before the whistle? Yep! You might get disqualified after several warnings. On many occasions I capitalized on the fact that God’s had no evil intentions towards me, so I could as well get on with the plans I had in mind, but God made a mess of my discretion. (I pray you don’t get to a point where people will ask you ‘where’s that God you brag about?’). Over confidence gradually became ‘well, if it’s God’s will, so be it. If not, so be it’ and ‘God’s time is the best’. Lol.

Everything finally panned out, and there was no logical explanation for it. The encounters with certain people (My ‘Jan buddy’ you know yourself), the words of encouragement and assurance (from my family and friends dear to my heart), God’s perfect timing…and loads of other unforeseen moves made it obvious that it’s really not by power nor by might. I came to realize that God wanted to take every iota of the glory to Himself. Beyond my calculative plans, beyond the time stamps I had placed on my to-do and to-achieve list (if there’s anything like that), beyond the activity, God’s plans prevailed.

Fast forward……

I had a limited time to say my goodbyes, which I eventually did with mixed feelings. First, it was “What you’ve been waiting on God for has finally come to manifestation” and the other was “So you’re going to leave the people you’ve known all your life for such a long time”. The only consolation was that my leaving for a while was for a good cause (academically), and that God would make me a useful vessel in His hands home and abroad...

I crossed mountains and seas to a distant land, thousands of miles away from the place I used to (and still) call home. The first question I asked myself when we touched ground was ‘What in God’s name are you doing here?’ the answer wasn’t forthcoming, so I just dashed along with people that looked like they were in a hurry to get somewhere. I starting wishing I made the wrong decision…I wished I could shut my eyes and wake up the next morning in my room back in Nigeria. I wished for so many things to happen in a few minutes, but that was the best I could do…wish! Reality was staring at me, boldly.

On my second night in this strange land, I went out in search of accommodation with two new friends, under the rain. I could hardly feel my hands and feet, cos It was really cold that evening – not the kinda weather I’ve been used to. It was about 5 degrees (Oh, how I miss naija’s 34-38 degrees). I was this close to getting knocked off my feet by an oncoming vehicle when my friends hollered at me. I rushed back to a safe spot as the driver hit the brakes swiftly and the tyres screeched on the wet tarred road. All other vehicles came to a complete halt. Dude gazed at me for a second and zoomed off. Blood started rushing through my veins as I thought about the incidence. Early that day, I was complaining about how everybody on this side of the world drives too fast, even on narrow roads. I gave thanks to God, but asked Him a few questions at the same time…’you didn’t bring me here to get me killed, right? This wasn’t what you had in my mind when you led me out of Africa, was it? (Sounds like what the Israelites were asking Moses after leading them out of Egypt, right?) lol. The more I think about that night and how God saved me, the more I give Him praise for His faithfulness. This note is getting too long.

Things aren’t as bad or as difficult as people paint them to be. God’s blessings are not accompanied by sorrow. If it doesn’t turn out good at the end, then we probably didn’t keep to our part of the deal with Him.

Have you asked Him for stuff lately? Has He spoken? Maybe His answer doesn't sound like what you expect, so you think He hasn't spoken. maybe He's saying 'Go ahead and gain possession of the land' What other confirmation do you need? A few more witnesses to affirm it; or you want lightning to strike a particular surface thrice or you want the clouds to sneeze at midnight as a sign that God has got everything under control. God still listens. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. He wants what’s best for you and me. But the question is 'Are we moving in the direction He wants us to move in?'

One advice I took along with me…and that I intend to keep fastened to my heart
(even more than my entry clearance) is “Remember the son of whom you are and let your confessions remain the same.” The weather will change, the temperature will rise and drop; the system may be poles apart, but never allow the tides determine your direction. People will say ‘This is the way it’s done here’ or ‘It’s a different world out here. Well, it sure is! But that doesn’t change a thing. God’s words stand. God’s commandments remain the same. It may not be easy, especially when you have to be on your toes (no longer in your comfort zone), where the challenges have thorns and the alternatives are not very friendly. But if we draw near to God He will draw near to us. He’ll always be there to strengthen and comfort us…when we need Him…when we call on Him.

I draw strength from His word, because physically I’m helpless and mentally I’m unstable.

Lord, let my navigation be determined by you…and you alone. Amen.

God help us!

Work hard. Pray harder. Thank God.

THE FRAGRANCE OF FAITH

Something you can choose to ignore: You don’t always have to agree to what I say or what anyone else says. And you don’t always have to fault peoples’ actions or school of thought. Just ask God for a discerning spirit, that you may be able to create a dichotomy between the truth and fallacies. Also, the fact that it’s logical doesn’t mean you should adopt it. Be conscious of what you take in. It can build you…or destroy you. “The entrance of God’s word gives light and understanding to the simple” Psalm 119:130 Selah

The FRAGRANCE OF FAITH: I wrote this title down somewhere on a piece of paper, but i didn't set my eyes on it until this afternoon. As coincidental as it might sound, I was about to take a nap when I saw the paper just beside my pillow. lol i decided to make this topic my focus for tonight.
Just this evening, when the power supply was restored, i decided to check youtube for Visa d. kline's videos, cos i remembered seeing a link on her bio on twitter. Meanwhile, If you're on twitter, please follow this great vessel of God @visadklline If you're not on twitter, you need to sign up for an account. There are a lot of Great people God is using to spread the word. People sign up on social networking sites for various reasons, but I can boldly confess my addiction to twitter because of the wonderful people I’ve been opportune to connect with. I’ll be making a few recommendations at the end of this post. You really don’t have to follow them if you don’t want to, but I assure you, it will be a worthwhile experience. God can use anybody to slip a word through to bless. No one man knows it all. You can learn from your friends, your so-called enemies and even from strangers. God bless you as you become more conscious of the truth, irrespective of the vessel. But let’s be prayerful…and wise.

I looked up the meaning of the word ‘faith’, and according to the dictionary, Faith is reliance, loyalty, or complete trust in God or someone else. The bible says “faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.” Matthew 9:2 reads “Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus SAW their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven” My emphasis is actually on ‘Jesus SAW their faith’ Now this makes me wonder ‘faith’ actually reflects in our actions. It becomes ‘alive’ when it is backed with ‘action’. My pastor once said “If we as church workers are expecting numerical growth, we have to first build a capacity in us to be able to handle them” in other words, step up your work with God. Build yourselves in the word. Spend more time studying and meditating on God’s word. Your dispositions and actions will certainly show if you’re ready for the multitude you’re expecting. “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” James 2:17.
A student whose dream is to become a doctor, is trusting God for an admission into the university to study medicine, yet he’s finding it difficult to read medical articles and materials. Gathering materials and building knowledge about the medical field seems not to be a priority now, right? That’s just great! You cannot be ‘the first and not the last’ without getting on the race track. It’s not just about positive confessions. Think about it.

I’ve been in situations where people said I couldn’t do stuff; someone recently said to me ‘This chosen career of yours can’t feed a family’ and so many other pessimistic views from people I least expected them from. Though some of these words discouraged me and even made me relent in my pursuit of what I made up my mind to do (as some point), on the other hand, I asked myself 'whose report should I believe?' As a Geography major student, I’ve always had interest in IT, music and entertainment in general. Stabbing classes for concerts, choir rehearsals and bible study meetings, I just knew that I was doing something right. God has been molding me for this moment. Hearkening to what people felt I should be doing would have ruined God’s plan for me. I’ve picked up courage and willpower in the midst of it all; I’ve gotten to know God more. I’ve come to realize that living out God’s plan for me is the best thing that can ever happen to me. So call me whatever you like, think of me as whatever crosses your mind…”His report says something entirely different. And I choose to believe His report.” We all need to consciously CHOOSE to believe His report concerning us. If He said you were made in His image and His likeness, who is man to say otherwise?

After seeing the video below, I am too certain that ‘Faith dictates everything’ God bless you, Visa Klline. The title is “FAITH DICTATES FASHION”





Say no to inferiority complex. Someone needs to holler out “I might not meet your specification, but God created me nothing less than perfect.” Someone needs to brighten up. Work hard. Pray harder. Thank God.
One of my favourite hymns is TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS. It’s just too inspiring. Ask God for grace to trust him more. The situation looks ugly, but you’ve got to trust Him for a way out…You’ve got to have faith in Him. I must confess, it’s not very easy to hold on when there’s not even a sign of a breakthrough in sight. Rely on faith to give you an evidence of the things you can’t see but expect to receive.

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Let your faith in God be your driving force. Let it dictate your pace. Faith is the evidence of things that are not seen. I might not be there yet, but I certain have a glimpse of where I’m going, so I’m already taking a few steps in that direction. I’m so excited about it. I can perceive it.
The fragrance of faith is so strong…it’s an evidence of supremacy over the obvious. Speak. Act. Believe

Follow these wonderful people on twitter @visadklline @thewriteperson @itskevinbond @pastorYPJ @aaronlinzy @pastorJKA @Drmikemurdock @onewordgospel @Keetwit @alconley @edeweysmith @hartramsey @lssimpact
More in my next post. God bless us all!

Work hard. Pray harder. Thank God.

KEEP ME FROM FALLING

“To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” Jude 1:24

Note: Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my thoughts, as often as I post them. Most of them are personal admonitions, rebuke, corrections and instructions to me. I share them with you all, because I believe some of you might be going through the same challenges, and need the encouragement I garner from my posts. Your comments and encouragement have helped me a lot. The apostles of old foretold “In the last times, there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. These are men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the spirit.” Jude 1:18-19.
They also urged us to build our most holy faith and pray in the Holy spirit. As we all continue in this journey to eternal life, may we be found faultless when Christ returns. Amen.

Lord, I want to thank you for my life, my friends, colleagues, family, and the world at large. I can’t deny the fact that you’ve been faithful to your word. You’ve kept to your part of the agreement that was signed from creation.
Even though it may not be wrong, but I’m tempted to say “we fall down but get up, for a saint is just a sinner that fell but got up.” I’m tempted to say “I’m not good enough, but you still love me” I’m not trying to brag, but I’m sure if I wasn’t good enough to be used by you, you won’t have considered me. At least, I’m not 100% useless.
There was something you saw in Saul before you chose Him as king over your chosen nation. There was also a little skill you saw in David before you used Him to defeat Goliath. I’m not sure what you saw in me, but I’m sure it was good enough for you to use. Your word said you created me and lavished me with knowledge and understanding. Thank you, Lord. I’m tired of publicly declaring my imperfection just to admit to the fact that I'm human and prone to sin. I certainly am not saying I’m perfect.

When we do succeed at something, and come out to testify of HIs goodness, we register every attempt of the devil to militate against ‘our’ skills and to make a folly of ‘our’ wisdom, then finally say “But I thank God that I finally got the Job or I’m healed.”
My question is: Must we always share our trials and challenges for several minutes and then end our testimonies with a few seconds of praise to God for breakthrough? Will it be a crime for me to stand and testify that “I found myself in situations where I could have easily compromised my faith, but the spirit of God stopped me from giving into the desires of the flesh in, and therefore I just want to thank Him”and then take a walk?

I’m not a fan of empty positive confessions, so I really think if we believe that when we fall, God is able to pick us up, then we should also believe that He is able to keep us from falling in the first place. Or do we intentionally skip that part of the scriptures? (Not judging)

Is God just a mender of broken hearts and not a sustainer of unbroken hearts? Is God just a healer and not a giver of divine health?

I really wish our prayer requests can change from “Lord, I have fallen again, please, restore me” to “Lord, I know times are hard and my environment is capable of making me fall, but please keep me from falling” or from “Lord, I just lied again, please forgive me. I know your grace is sufficient for me” to “Lord, let not the truth be far from my lips.” Or maybe your petition is “Lord, you know I was just following what that preacher told me. I didn’t know he was preaching a false doctrine, please forgive me.” when you could have easily prayed “Lord, help me to discern the truth from false messages carried around by prophets of doom.”

I’ve heard ‘Christians’ say “You’re young, so enjoy yourself now” or “Just do it this one time” Can we as Christians really stop giving the devil the opportunity of taking the glory for a minute? I mean, for every time we lie or commit any other sin, we give the devil an occasion to take some credit for productivity. But for every time we are confronted with compromising situations where we can easily tell a lie or defend one just to gain favour, and yet we don’t give in, he hits his head against the wall in bitterness, because of another failed attempt at gaining another disciple. Now this shows that the Word of God we read every day is actually effective in our lives. Moses said “Lord, if you will not go with us, don’t send us. How will we be distinguished from the rest, if your presence does not go with us?” We’d be like every other person that reads the bible like it’s a novel.

As much as it sounds unrealistic (but possible), is it not possible you and I to chase after holiness every minute? Isn’t it possible for us to be blameless? Must we always take advantage of the merciful side of God and not access his through-Christ-I-can-do-all-things side? Aren’t we tired of approaching the throne of mercy for forgiveness over things that we can discipline ourselves to get rid of; addictions that we can quit with faith in God. This is exactly why Paul said “shall we continue to sin that grace might abound? God forbid.”

How many of us can beat our chest and say “Well, you can toss me behind bars for all I care, I’m not bearing false witness against that dude” or “you can cut my stipend, I will NOT carry out your evil desires”? How many of us can stand in front of our bosses and say “Sir, I’d rather lose my job than to forge any document”? The truth is, not many of us can. As a matter of fact, we look at God’s grace as a get-out-of-jail-free card, so if we can just tell this ‘little white’ lie, we can pray to God to set us free from the clutches of the father of lies (Satan) at any point in time. From a ‘white lie’ we advance to a ‘blue’ one, then a ‘black’ one. Sooner or later, the truth becomes far from our lips.

I’ve discovered that the reason you and I fall (when we do) is because we’ve got free will; we have a choice, but we pick the wrong one.
I've done some really ugly stuff in d past, and sometimes when I think about them, the devil tries to coat me with guilt. But I thank God for another chance. I'm not about to blow it again.

After our daily morning devotion, can we just say “Lord, it is obvious that the end is nigh and all the evil things you spoke about is already in existence; people are compromising just to get by, but Lord, please do not let me fall victim of such evil in you sight. Please, show me favour, and let me see your hand in everything I do today. When people say there’s a casting down, I believe there’s a lifting up. I pray with thanksgiving”? Just like Micah Stampley wrote in His song ‘Take my life’ we can also add “Holiness is what I long for; Holiness is what I need; Holiness is what you want for me; therefore, lord, help me in my quest for holiness and righteousness.”

Finally, just say this short prayer with me:

Lord, create in me a clean heart…purify me…So I may worship you, daily. I desire to be blameless every day. Help me to resist sin, irrespective of the circumstance I find myself. Let me continually experience the joy of salvation which I experienced when you cut the shackles off my feet and delivered me from the chains of that ugly dude. I no longer want to struggle with sin. I believe, with you, it’s possible for me to stay on my feet, and not tossed around by every wave of doctrine and temptation. Therefore…please, keep me from falling! Thank you, Lord.

If we believe that ALL things are possible, this shouldn’t be an exception, right? Let’s be focused. Let’s boast in the Lord and declare that “we are not like the rest of them.”

May God help us!

“To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” Jude 1:24-25


Work hard. Pray harder. Thank God

GRACE, not hinged on works

“And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” Romans 11:6

A short prayer:
“Lord, I thank you for your grace that is not hinged on my works, lest I should blow my own horn; lest I should boast that I’m the most skillful; less I should show off my eloquence or ability to win debates; lest I should brag about my knowledge of your word more than my peers or that I should say “Ye, I’m a perfect being.” I’m far from perfection, though I do not underestimate the power that your spirit in me possesses. A workman has every right to demand for his wages at the end of the day, but what can a man do to obtain your grace? “By strength shall no man prevail.” Lord, teach me your ways that I may experience your grace even in my imperfect state. My faith is little, but strong enough to move mountains. I believe, and then I doubt, help my unbelief. As you search my heart, you’ll come across that part of me that sincerely yearns for you and appreciates you; a part of me that wants to live a righteous life. In humble adoration, I say, Lord, I decrease that you might increase in Me. Thank you for your grace…even when I don’t merit it”

In case you forgot, it’s meant to be a prayer, so read it again. Now make it a word of prayer…….

Grace is an unmerited favour. It is freely given. Taking it from the point of salvation, “Once, you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds, because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – IF you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.” Col 1:21-23b. A lot of us believe that there’s nothing we did/do to attract God’s grace. True. But there’s something we need to do to make His grace remain functional in our lives – we need to have Faith! The Christian walk is by faith. Our ability to make promises like “I’ll see you next week” not knowing if we’ll live to see the following week, is also by faith. Your being alive today…my being alive today…is because of God’s permissive will…it’s because of His grace.

When God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham approached God saying “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Will you treat the righteous and the wicked alike? What If there are ten righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare it for the sake of the ten righteous people in it?” God replied “If I find ten righteous people in the city, I will not destroy it” (The scriptures have been given to us to learn from - for correction, for rebuke and instruction in righteousness). Abraham stood as a mediator between God and the people of Sodom. But despite Abraham’s plea, not one righteous man was found in that city. God was willing to have mercy upon them, but they weren’t ready to turn away from their wicked ways.

Aren’t we just glad that Christ came?

In our case, the mediator between us and God is Jesus. God looked upon the innocent blood of His son and redeemed us. I can imagine Jesus saying to God “I went to die for those people. Father, look upon my blood that was shed and do not wipe them away. Okay, just let the gospel of salvation at least get to the uttermost parts of the earth. Let more people surrender their lives. Please, daddy!”

And so God is constantly overlooking our shortcomings and the sins we commit on a daily basis, because of His son. He has made his grace and His mercy available to us, because of His son. Now Paul speaking said “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid” You and I have found mercy and grace in the sight of God, despite our inadequacies, our disobedience and unbelief. Are we really going to throw all that away and continue to glory in ourselves and our abilities to survive without Him – taking His grace for granted?

Thank God for those who are so committed to working in His vineyard; thank God for those who pay their tithes regularly; thank God for those who feed the poor and forgive their debtors of their debts. But all these are not enough to purchase God’s grace, even if it were for sale. So don’t come here saying “After all the tithes I paid; and my donations to Church projects and community development projects?” What do you do after dropping that tithe? What do you do after spending several hours at cell meetings and bible studies?
Now we are going somewhere.

If it is really by works, then we would not all be equal before God. Jesus tells a parable of two men praying – a Pharisee and a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself. ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evil doers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14.

If we will not give God glory for everything, He will take it anyways. He said if we will not praise Him, He’s going to raise stones in our place. Nothing we do is by our power. We don’t prosper because we work hard, if it were, one day we’ll run out of supply; inflation and recession will swallow us up. But if our sufficiency is in Him, will He not provide more than our storehouses can contain?

“If, in fact Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about – but not before God.” Romans 4:2. “

“Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.” Romans 4:4. Is God obligated to grant us grace? Nope!

Now go back to the top of this post, and take the prayer again.

Let’s acknowledge God in all we do; let’s acknowledge Him for His grace that pardons…His grace that is not hinged on our works.

TAKING THE BULLETS

I was watching a movie earlier today. I'm sorry, but I can't remember the title. X_X

I’ll try to tell the story as precise as possible, cos I was multitasking while watching it – babysitting, taking notes, talking and texting on the phone *Big grin*

There was this young widow (patty), who had two kids and was seriously in need of a job. She got an offer from frank - a guy she barely knew - to run an Italian restaurant (though she had no previous experience). She needed the money badly.

She did very well in starting off the business and even running the new club. Long story short, frank’s boss, the real owner of the bar n club, wanted patty to do something much more tasking and risky – transporting money made from illegal biz across the border. You know what they say “Nobody walks out on the BIG guy!” She agreed to try it once, before concluding if she was going to continue. After their meeting that day in her house, she walked up to her mother and told her to take care of her two sons. The mum obviously knew what she was getting herself into. She said “If I were you, I’d take the bullets.”

Six years later, after crossing borders with $500,000 (50 times, successfully), she became very wealthy. (Who wouldn’t want that kind of job? Just driving across borders and making some cool cash).
While throwing a party for her eldest son, on his confirmation, the son was trying to take a picture with his uncle and stole his uncle’s cufflinks in the process. He rode out on his bike in a bid to go sell it and make him some quick cash. Unfortunately for him, he discovered a dead body at the spot where he was supposed to trade the stolen item. The cops drove by and picked him up. When his mother went to bail him, she tossed him into the car and asked him “did you steal your uncle’s cuffs?” to which he replied “Do you steal?” hmmm….

Things got very ugly. Some people got arrested. Some got beat up. Some got killed. She was already neck-deep into it. Her life and the lives of her kids were already in danger. Frank wanted to kill her. The next move was to secure the lives of her kids and her mum. She made mistakes over the years, and she was trying to erase them in a jiffy.

Finally, she struck a deal with the boss, and he let her break out of the clique and also spared frank’s life. In return, frank spared hers. She was lucky, right? Making all that money, dining with drug lords and doing all sorts, yet her life was spared. Some others had to die.

This sounds like something you’ve heard before. It happens all around us. Many people do ugly stuff and don’t get caught. Some commit atrocities but are discharged and acquitted in court. Some take innocent lives and destroy properties, yet walk the streets untouched.

I’m sure we all know that everything we heap up here on earth will be left behind when all is said and done – when death comes knocking at the door? No cars, properties, spouse, kids, houses, gadgets…name it…will be taken away! What you have or had wouldn’t matter anymore. It’s how well you lived your life that will matter.

In one of my previous posts, OUR TEMPORARY HOME, remember I said “You might be complaining that the place you call your shelter is demeaning. The room is too small to contain you and your family. Your friends change their wardrobes every summer, but you can’t boast of a new pair of suit in the last 2years. Your parents can’t afford to send you to high school so you resulted to petty trading.”? Yeah. Some of us don’t have it all.

Truth be told, no matter how hard some of us start working now, there are many others that have gone light years ahead of us in terms of doing business, research, achievements, global change, scientific stuff and so on.

Life and living is not just about competition. What would you be remembered for? What will people say about you when you’re gone? Most importantly, what will God say to you? “Welcome, oh faithful servant. You didn’t take any man’s spoils; you were contented with what you had; even though you weren’t as wealthy as King Solomon, you were a man of integrity; even though you weren’t as popular as Martin Luther King, you still affected the lives of people around you; you hearkened diligently to my words.”?

Just before the end of the movie, I remembered what patty’s mum said to her six years earlier “If I were you, I’d take the bullets.” I would stay away from all the drama, and raise my kids with a clean record; I want risk walking the streets in fear because I want to make some extra cash; I’d go out in search of another job; I won’t trade my integrity for a morsel of bread. From the way the movie ended, don't you think Patty would look at her mum and say "Mama, I'm glad I didn't take the bullets. I'm glad I did a bad things to get good results"?

The narrator at the end of the movie was patty’s elder son. In his last words, before the credit rolled, he said “When the devil shows up with a truck load of promises, to walk away is harder than you think”
It’s not easy, yes, but that’s why the Holy Spirit is there to guide us. That’s why we must be prayerful. That’s why we need to strengthen our relationship with God. That’s why we need to be focused and not get carried away with things that would deny us access into eternal life.

God is there to meet us at the point of our needs…not wants. The devil places options of what we 'want' before us. “I want to get rich” there are better ways of getting rich than falsifying figures and looting public funds. “I want to be in charge” there are better ways of getting into positions of authority than taking the lives of fellow competitors. Start by gaining people’s trust in all you do, maybe you'll win their votes. “I want to have the best results in college” there are better ways of excelling academically than indulging in examination malpractices. Start by reading any and everything you can lay ur hands on - anything related to your field of study.

Bottomline: Be truthful, even if it means starving for a little longer. Quit your job if it will make you compromise your faith and cause you to do evil in the sight of God. Stay away from so-called friends who make you indulge in stuff that don’t glorify God. You’re going to lose some, and you’re going to keep some. The most important thing is that you have a Christ by your side.

Patty got lucky, you may not! She wanted to make money by all means. On the long run, there will be repercussions. “He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.” Proverbs 28:8

Maybe there are no more bullets to be taken. You already indulged yourself. You’re already in that position you got via crooked means; you’ve spent all the money you looted; you’ve taking lives and properties; you’ve even lied to obtain favour. You can still get out. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. He is a merciful God. The bible says “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Proverbs 28:13. There's an opportunity to start doing things right again; To correct the wrongs that can be corrected and obtain mercy.

There’s nothing wrong with being rich and prosperous, but there’s EVERYTHING wrong with ill-gotten wealth. Jacob worked for laban for 20yrs. He didn't cheat him or steal from him, and God prospered him. "This is my situation: The heat consumed me in the day time and the cold had night, and sleep fled from my eyes" said jacob to laban. Gen 31:40

Take the bullets! It will hurt for a while. But to those who believe, God will come through for them. Amen.

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches; and lovin favour rather than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1


Work hard. Pray harder. Thank God

A SLING. A STONE. and MY GOD.

Many years ago, I was on my way to school with my mum and my younger ones. The dude collecting the fare was trying to get us off the bus, because he didn’t want my mum to carry my two lil sisters on her lap. My mum tried explaining to him saying “They are just lil kids, besides we’re not going to bother anyone” But the dude insisted that she must pay some extra cash, he even insulted her.

His doggedness got me really pissed that I grabbed him from behind and hit him with my frail right knee, just as he tried to force my mum outta the bus. He pushed me aside like he was trying to dust something off his shirt (C’mon! I was in high school. What did you expect? lol), but I got up and charged towards him again. People intervened immediately, faulting his actions. There I stood, feeling really cool with myself. As fragile as I was, I still had the strength to (at least) try to defend my mum… or I thought I did! Okay, let’s just say I did! *insert bbm cool smiley*.

I regard my folks so much, and I won’t appreciate anyone speaking ill of them, under any circumstance. I remember telling my friends back in school ‘If you must insult me, go nuts on me. It might not move me. But the moment you bring any of my folks into the matter, you’re in for something you won’t be able to handle’.
Kinda like reminds me of what David said when he heard Goliath bragging and threatening the armies of Israel. “And David spake unto the men that stood by him, saying, what shall be done to the man that killeth this philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised philistine, that he should defy the armies of the Living God?” 1 Sam17:26.

Maybe age was already telling on Saul, cos the bible recorded that He was dismayed and terrified along with the Israelites. A whole saul??
Let’s do a quick rewind to when Samuel wanted to anoint Saul as king. Saul was described as “a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people” 1 Sam 9:2. Oh yeah! He won battles, claimed spoils and smote armies, but God later rejected him because of disobedience. It’s amazing how God can lower a man of power and authority to a vulnerable prey. (Sorry for the diversion).

Goliath and the philistine army troubled the Israelites for 40 days – morning and evening. Goliath must have been feeling on top of the world – like a huge cat before susceptible rats. This Nine feet Nine Inches (9’ 9’’) dude (scientists would disagree with me on his exact height) brought fear upon Saul and his army. But to David, he was just like one of the bears or lions he had slain. After all, if he could save a sheep from the paw of a bear, how much more God’s army from the mercy of just one man.
David begged Saul to allow him shut Goliath’s mouth. He was upset that an ordinary man would speak ill of God’s people. He was infuriated that a mere mortal was threatening the children of the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Speaking of physical strength and dexterity on the battle ground, David couldn’t be compared to goliath. But God was with him. That made him even bigger. I’ll try not to bore you too much with that story, but David didn’t stand before Goliath with a sword or an armour. “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of the Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” 1 sam 18:45
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An interesting part of that story was that David didn’t even ascribe the glory to himself. He didn’t boast in his bodily abilities. Just before he slew Goliath, he said “And all this assembly (both the Israelites and the philistines) shall know that the Lord saveth not with the sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will give you into OUR hands.” 1 Sam 17:47. He wasn’t depending on his strength, nor his skill at swinging his sling, but He was depending on God to fight His battle. God did take the glory after it all.

Putting all these together, we have an obedient servant who trusted in the Lord as against his physical ability; An unskilled fighter standing before a well-trained soldier of war without a spear or shield but just a name – the name of the Lord; A one-man army who understood the greatness of the King of kings and the Mighty one in battle; a bear slayer who acknowledged that the battle was the Lord's and there wasn’t a slight chance of losing.

I don’t know how big that challenge is; I don’t know how long it has held you defenseless; I might not be able to tell in details how you can break that limitation or pull down that stronghold. But just like David did, put the WORD of God before you. Let God be your sword, spear and shield. Nothing/No one is greater than Him. 1 Sam 2:9 – “He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.”

All you need to do is to trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him…and He shall direct your paths. He’ll use that sling and stone in your hand to bring down any stronghold that threatens your peace. Is it sickness or lack; a tussle with your flesh? God is able to grant you victory.

Work Hard. Pray Harder. Thank God.