Are You on The Lord's Side?

A few days ago, I heard Dunsin Oyekan’s song: Who is on The LORD's side for the first time. My God, Mercy Chinwo can sing! One of the lines in the song asks the question- are you on the Lord’s side? This question got me thinking about Ex. 32:26. The context of the verse is the story of the gold calf which the Israelites asked Aaron to make, just because they didn’t know what had happened to Moses (Ex. 32:1). The same Israelites that promised to keep the covenant before Moses went up the mountain (Ex. 24:3).

But as we the bible tells us in Ex. 32, they didn’t. When Moses came down the mountain and saw the evil they had perpetrated, he had to ask - “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” (Ex. 32:26, NKJV). If you’re a fan of movies like Gladiators, you’d often hear the leader of the army issue a rallying cry. Instinctively every single soldier, regardless of their morale would answer the cry. This wasn’t the case for Moses! Out of twelve tribes, only one responded the sons of Levi. You can imagine Moses' shock/disappointment at that abysmal response. 

In today’s world, as in our anchor verse, we are surrounded by evil. Everywhere we turn, we are confronted by things that run counter to God’s kingdom. From alcoholism to drug addiction, idolatry, homosexualism, murders, fornication/adultery- you name it. But just as the sons of Levi were bold enough to answer the call, so should we. Meaning we should back our response with action. In Matt. 5:13 – 14, Jesus uses the analogies of salt and light to describe our responsibility and goes further in vs. 16 to challenge us to let our light shine wherever we are. 

So if your response to the question- are you on the Lord’s side? – is yes, then you know what you ought to do in today’s world. Shine your light, which is the light of God in you, “….that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16, NIV). They being those in the world stumbling around in the dark. If you are yet to be on the Lord’s side, I urge you to join Him. God’s side is the winning side (John 16:33), and best of all is that He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten son to die for your sin (John 3:16). All you have to do is answer the call (Rev. 3:20).

It’s Been Arranged

The beauty of the bible is that you can never get to the point of completely understanding it. You could know a verse off-hand, and then you read it one day and feel like this is the first time you’ve read it. I experienced this a few days back while reading the book of Jonah in my Walk Through the Bible devotional. As I read Jonah 1:17, it occurred to me that despite Jonah being disobedient, God had arranged the means to redirect him. 

This is also applicable to different aspects of our life. When we talk with people about a challenge they experienced or an obstacle they overcame, it’s commonplace to hear them say things like: “I didn’t know I could do it”; “it ended up being easier than I expected”. Why is that the case? Because God had already arranged things for you. All you had to do was take the step. A popular refrain we hear as Christians is that God doesn’t start what He can’t finish (Phil 1:6), which has been proven throughout history.

Before Jesus fed the five thousand, it seemed impossible to his disciples. Philip even declared that if they worked for months, they wouldn’t still have enough money to feed all the people (John 6:7, NLT). What makes it funny is that Jesus already knew what He was going to do but still proceeded to ask Philip (John 6:5 - 6, NLT): “5. Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6. He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.” God had already arranged for a young boy to come with the meal that would eventually be multiplied. What were the odds?

You may be going through a situation right now that seems overwhelming. I’m here to tell you that God has already arranged a way through it. I say through and not out because more often than not, you will have to go through the situation. Of course, there will be times He will take you out of it. He has promised not to give us more than we can handle (I Cor. 10:13). Meaning the way He makes is according to your level of faith (Rom. 12:3. NKJV). The children of Israel during their exodus from Egypt experienced both, and in each situation, God had already arranged a way for them. Even when they couldn’t see it!

In Ex. 14, they were faced with a choice: die at the hands of Pharoah or “drown” in the sea. What they didn’t know is that God had already arranged the winds that would divide the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21). But when they had matured a bit, He allowed them to walk in before parting the river (Joshua 3:13 – 15). In Ex. 13:17, God took them through another route because they were not ready for war. But when they had matured a bit, He told them to march on the city of Jericho (Joshua 4:13).

As we enter the final stretch of 2023, you may feel like it’s too late to pursue your goals or that you will never overcome the mountain. The beauty of being God’s child is that He will meet you at your level of faith and arrange a way for you (either out or through it). Just trust in Him and have faith, no matter how little (Heb. 11:6, Matt. 17:20). As you go into the new week, I charge you to look at whatever your challenge is and declare: ‘Who are you, O great mountain?” (Zech. 4:7, NKJV). God has already arranged things in your favor, step out in faith and watch God show out in your life!

Are you Learning?

Over the last few weeks, in my Walk through the Bible devotional, I have been reading the book of Ezekiel. If you’re like me, I’m just realising there’s more to the book of Ezekiel than the Valley of Dry Bones (Eze. 37). The devotional has systematically walked me through Ezekiel, and there have been times I had to put the Bible down because of how dark it felt. When I say dark, I’m referring to the prophecies God revealed to Ezekiel about the judgments He handed down. This wasn’t limited to the Israelites (Eze. 7, 11:1 - 13), but to other nations as well (Eze. 25, Eze. 35).

While reading these chapters, all I kept thinking was, why weren’t they learning? Surely, if they learnt their lesson, God would have mercy on them and stay His judgment. God is so merciful that Jonah intentionally disobeyed Him (Jonah 4:1 – 2). Jonah knew that if the people of Nineveh repented, God would have mercy on them; and that is exactly what happened (Jonah 3:10). The children of Israel were on numerous occasions recipients of God’s mercy, yet they somehow failed to learn. The books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations and Ezekiel detail the consequences of this failure to learn.

Then it hit me while I was in church why David is known as a man after God’s heart. Not just because he knew how to worship God but because David also learnt his lessons whenever he made a mistake. When David slept with Bathsheba and murdered her husband to keep the affair quiet, he learnt from the error of his way (II Sam. 12:13). We are fortunate to be living in what is commonly referred to as the dispensation of grace. A period in which we are not governed by laws (613 commandments- you can read it here), but by grace (John 3:16, Matt. 10:8).

1. What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit so that [God’s gift of] [a]grace may increase and overflow? 2. Certainly not! How can we, the very ones who died to sin, continue to live in it any longer?”- Rom. 6:1 - 2 (AMP)

In Rom. 5:20, Apostle Paul tells us that where there is sin, there is grace. But if you move on to the next chapter (see quote above), he goes on to caution us against living in sin because there is grace. As we mature as Christians, we are expected to learn from our mistakes/sins and strive to not repeat them (Heb. 5:13 – 14). In this new week, leading into a new month, I charge you to take some time to ask yourself: Am I learning from my mistakes? The beauty of this season we are in as Christians is that God is more than willing to step into the miry clay to help you, just ask Him (Heb. 4:16, Ps. 40:1 – 3).

 

Photo cred: iDisciple

Train up a Child

Growing up as a child in a single-parent home, my mum had to put in a lot of effort to ensure I grew up the right way. During the long-term holidays, she would take leave to spend time giving me lessons at night. I can’t forget her telling me on numerous occasions: “If I could open your head and put the book inside, I would”. Unfortunately, she couldn’t so she had to spend the time teaching me. This effort wasn’t just in the academic space but also in my spiritual life. 

She would take me to Sunday school, ensure I went to church- of course, as I got into my later teen years, that became harder. But she would make sure to ask me what I learnt in church, so even if I didn’t want to go, I went just so I could answer the question when it inevitably came. One of my fondest memories was attending Vacation Bible School (VBS), in one of those, I learnt about faith and all through that holiday I couldn’t stop telling my mum “have faith” lol. Looking back, I now understand why I write so much about faith and it has also helped me.

In Prov. 22:6 (NKJV), the Bible says: “Train up a child in the way he should go, [a]And when he is old he will not depart from it”. Joel Osteen, when talking about this verse said something that stuck with me- training them doesn’t mean they won’t deviate from the path, but eventually, they will find their way back to God; so don’t get discouraged when they do, keep praying and trusting God. As I got older and I got more independent, I certainly deviated from the path, but somehow the things my mum taught me stuck. Two of those things that have stuck with me from her training:

1.      Stay close to God and trust in Him (James 4:8, Jer. 29:12-14, Heb. 11:6)

2.      Be diligent in all you do (Prov. 22:29, Col. 3:23-24).

Glory to God, I found my way back to Him and these lessons helped me, even when I wasn’t the best of children to my mum. In typical motherly fashion, she kept praying for me, loving me, and training me (even when I wasn’t interested). If you are a parent or you have children that look up to you, train them. Don’t leave them to their ways like the world would have you do. When they are old, you will be glad you did. As for me, my mum is still training me, and in turn, I am also training my child. If you have a child that has missed their way, keep praying for them, and don’t give up (I Thess. 5:16-18)!

Photo cred: heartlight

Check Your Thoughts

My earliest memory of when I heard Phil. 4:8 was during my secondary school days. I was in either JS 1 or 2 when a school was invited to our and they sang it. 23 years later, I can still hear the tune in my head, along (unfortunately) with how we responded in derision to their choir ministration. If only I had heeded the words of the song back then.

Thoughts are so powerful that if left unchecked can go on a rampage, and as children of God, Paul admonished us to capture every thought and force it to submit to God (II Cor. 10:3-5). How often have we been hindered from taking a leap of faith because of fear? On numerous occasions, I have stopped in my tracks because I was afraid. I recall when I had the dream to pursue an MBA, the fear of not being able to fund it, made me not pursue it. Till I heard my pastor in The Waterbrook Church preach a message that then inspired me to shake off the chains of fear and do it afraid (shameless plug here of a similarly titled post). To God be the glory, not only did I pursue that MBA degree, but I also finished it with a distinction. Imagine if I had let my thought stop me.

Our thoughts can also lead us to sin. One too many times, people have fallen off the straight and narrow path because of an evil thought that initially seemed harmless. In II Sam. 11:2 (NKJV), the Bible says: “Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.” This singular thought led him to commit adultery and murder. That is how powerful a thought is! That thought also resulted in the death of his baby and his son, Absalom, sleeping with David’s concubines on the roof of the palace for the world to see (II Sam. 12:15-19; II Sam.16:22).

This is why Paul warns us to capture every thought and force it into the obedience of God. To help us check our thoughts, the Apostle Paul in Phil. 4:8 (AMP), gave us what we can see as a checklist to audit our thoughts on a continuous basis:

·        whatever is true;

·        whatever is honourable and worthy of respect;

·        whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word;

·        whatever is pure and wholesome;

·        whatever is lovely and brings peace;

·        whatever is admirable and of good repute;

·        if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [centre your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].

Every moment of your day, run through this checklist to confirm that your thoughts are in alignment with what God wants you to think. If you find that they aren’t, then immediately ask God for help in realigning them (Heb. 4:16). In this month of August, I charge you to ensure every single thought of yours is captured, audited, and submitted to the obedience of God. Then and only then will you be able to renew your mind and not be conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2).

P.S. Take some time to listen to the YouVersion devotional for August 9.

Pass the Test

While reading my Walk Through the Bible series for 20th June, I found myself reading a verse that stuck with me ever since I first read it. Almost immediately, this topic came to mind, only for me to realise that I had saved it as a draft post back in February 2022. Thank God for the opportunity to complete the post. 

“His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron, Until his word [to his cruel brothers] came true, until the word of the Lord tried and tested him.” 

Psalm 105:18-19 AMPC

When I first read Ps. 105:18, I was stunned by the AMPC version. “His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron…” I kept thinking to myself, how did Joseph’s soul enter into the iron. He must have gotten so resilient and pliable in God’s hand that his trials no longer fazed him. Vs. 19 says that this continued till he passed the test. It taught me to see my trials as a test and to always ask God for grace to pass the test. 

Throughout the course of life, we are faced with all forms of trials and tribulations. This is an inevitable aspect of life, as Jesus told us (John 16:33, NKJV), but as His children, remember that you are always fighting from a place of victory. No matter what your test is, be like Joseph, do not faint (Prov. 24:10, NKJV) and you will see God show out in your life. You even have a cheat code, God’s grace (Heb. 4:16, NKJV).

Ps. 105:20 – 22 (AMPC) tells us about Joseph’s reward for passing the test: “The king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the peoples, and let him go free. He made Joseph Lord of his house and ruler of all his substance, [Gen. 41:40.] To bind his princes at his pleasure and teach his elders wisdom.” Job is another person who experienced the reward for passing the test, and my oh my- what a test Job faced. In the course of a single day, Job lost it all (Job 1:13-22, NKJV), but God gave him double for his troubles (Job 42:10 – 17, NKJV). As we round up the first half of the year, I charge you to pass the test. When you do, you will see God show out in your life! I wish you a blessed second half of the year (Haggai 2:9, NKJV).

Photo cred: wikiHow

Deep Waters

While reading the YouVersion verse of the day for 30th May (Is.43:2), the phrase deep waters stuck to me, or more like hit me like a tornado. Life as I’m sure we have learnt has different seasons, some are sunny, without a cloud in the sky, while others look like the skies of London. Grey everywhere, without a drop of sunshine. Herein lies the beauty of the reassurance God gives us in Is. 43:2 (NLT): 

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; 

the flames will not consume you.

When I think of deep waters I remember back in 2017, there was a day it rained cats and dogs in Lagos. I made the error of thinking it wasn’t that bad till I had to pilot my tiny Skoda through the floods, the water level went as high as the bonnet of my car. Suddenly, the car started jerking, all I could think of was “God, please don’t switch off here”. Because if it did, not only would I have been stuck, the car would have likely been damaged beyond repair or to the tune of millions of naira. No jokes! Even worse was that this happened while I was in the season of difficulty.

In this season, I was unemployed, had run through my savings, and it seemed like there was no end in sight. The only thing that had stopped me from moving back to my mum’s house was ego, now that I look back at it. It was in this season I heard and learnt (from Pst. Nkoyo Rapu) what Paul meant in Phil. 4:12-13 (NKJV) when he said “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need”. Through it all, God was faithful. Not once did I drown in this season, God kept me afloat all through.

The children of Israel are another set of people that had lived out this verse. The Bible in Gen. 15:13 (NKJV) talked about the coming season they were to face, 400 years of slavery! When they finally gained their freedom, you’d think they would have it easy for at least some time. Nothing could be further from the truth. They had to cross the Red Sea (Ex. 14), the Jordan River (Joshua 3), and fight against so many enemies just to get to the promised land. But guess what, not once did God disappoint them. He was with them all through and pulled them through with His valiant right hand (Is. 59:1; Ps. 118:16, NLT).

You may be in the deep waters of life at this very moment. Perhaps you got a rejection letter, lost a loved one, or have been given a piece of disappointing news. I’m here to tell you that God is faithful (1 Cor. 1:9, AMPC) like He has promised in Is. 43:2, He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut 31:6-8). Just be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9). In one of my favourite animations, Finding Nemo, there is a line by Dory that resounded around the world: Just keep swimming. That is my charge to you. As you go through the deep waters of life, just keep swimming. God is with you always, till the end of time (Matt. 28:20, NLT).

Photo cred: Tijori Box

My Response Is Hallelujah

Happy birthday to Sage Onomsky! I thank God for adding another year to my life. Looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever done a birthday post. When I woke up, the only thing that was on my mind was “You have rescued my life” from Phil Thompson’s song- My Response. I heard it for what seems like the first time in church yesterday and it just stuck with me. I don’t know if anyone else does it, but when I hear a phenomenal song in church, I immediately search for it on Google. 

The song’s lyrics are simple but it got me thinking of the numerous times God rescued my life, some of them of my own making. But not once did God say: it’s good for you, I tried to warn you now go and suffer. Each time I ran to Him, He welcomed me back with open arms (Luke 15) on each occasion. Paul says that where there is sin, grace abounds (Rom. 5:20), but that does not mean we should continue to sin (Rom. 6:1-2).

This is something that took me a while to learn but on my birthday, all I can say to God is thank you for rescuing me. God is still in the business of grace, He hasn’t stopped rescuing anyone that needs it. As you step into the month of May, take advantage of the valiant right hand of God that does great and mighty things (Ps. 118:15-16, NIV). God loves you so much (John 3:16, Rom. 5:6-8) that He asked you to come boldly and ask for grace and mercy (Heb. 4:16). God is standing at the door of your heart, waiting for you to let Him in (Rev. 3:20). What is your response?

Photo Cred: YouVersion

End Well!

The Bible in Eccl. 7:8 (KJV) says “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof…”. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start well but to convey the importance of ending well. When you watch a race, especially if it’s a long-distance race while starting well is great, ending well is even better. It is a strategy that is regularly employed in relays.

Reading the chapters of the bible for 27th April (II Chr. 25 – 28) from my Step by Step book from Walk Through the Bible ministries, the focus was on the lives of Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, and Ahaz, they were the Kings of Judah; it struck me (and sadly if I may add) how Amaziah and Uzziah started well but ended badly. Of these four, Jotham was the only one who started and ended well.

In II Chr. 25:2 (NLT), it was said that “Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not wholeheartedly”. Sadly, by the end of his reign, he had turned away from God (II Chr. 25:14 & 27). The same was said of Uzziah, his son. He started out doing what was right in God’s sight (II Chr. 26:4) but as soon as he became established and powerful (II Chr. 26:16), he fell into sin just like his ancestor Rehoboam (II Chr. 12:1). Uzziah died a leper, while Amaziah was assassinated (II Chr. 25:27). Such dreadful endings.

Jotham was the only one to buck this trend. He started well and ended well (II Chr. 27), and it was said that he was powerful because he was “careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God” (II Chr. 27:6, NLT). When you start and end well, God will definitely prosper you. David went as far as saying that in his lifetime, he had never seen the righteous forsaken, nor their descendant begging for bread (Ps. 37:25). What a sweet and blessed assurance! 

As we go into the month of May, I want to encourage each of us to look at every aspect of our lives and ask God to help us end well. This includes our professional lives because this principle also applies in the workplace (Col. 3:23-24, Prov. 22:29). You may say there’s no point because you started badly, but trust me when I tell you that ending well makes all the difference. Ask Usain Bolt, he started poorly in the 2009 IAAF 100m men's race but ended so well that he set a men’s record in that race. Imagine if he had given up. My charge to you is don’t give up, you can still end well. Simply retrace your steps back to God, He is waiting for you with open arms (Luke 15, Rev. 3:20). May God help us to end well in Jesus' name. Amen!

The God of all Seasons

I recently got a book titled Step by Step from the Walk Through the Bible Ministries. It does exactly that, walking you through the bible in the form of a set of bible chapters for each day of the year preceded by a write-up that is divided into three sections: the big picture; the thinking step; and the action step. Since I just got it, I felt it best to start from the day I got it. This meant the book of Chronicles, 1st Chronicles to be precise.

While reading the chronicles of the Kings of Israel, I noticed a trend which was not just limited to David. This was that when times were tough or when they were just starting, they were faithful to God. But as soon they had established themselves or gained victory over the tough times, they lost their way and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. At the start of Solomon’s reign, it was said that he walked according to the instructions his father gave him and loved God (I Kings 3:3) but by the end of his reign, it was an entirely different matter:  “So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done” (I Kings 11:6, NIV). 

This resulted in his kingdom been divided (I Kings 11:31-33). When the throne passed to Rehoboam, his son, this trend that was in his family lineage continued. When he faced adversity, he followed the Law of the Lord, but as soon as the going was good, he abandoned them (II Chr. 12:1). This decision led to his kingdom been attacked by the Egyptians and the temple which Solomon had spent 20 years building with all sorts of precious stones (II Chr. 8:1) was ransacked. As they noted in my study book, you would think that Rehoboam would have learnt from his father.

Shortly after, I went on to read Hosea 10 and in Verse 1 (NLT), the bible says “…But the richer the people get, the more pagan altars they build…”. This got me thinking about how often people stay faithful to God when they are in the midst of despair or a struggle and how quickly they abandon God when they receive their breakthrough. God is meant to be the God of all seasons of our lives, not just the season of scarcity! I have found myself in this position on several occasions. When I needed a breakthrough, I knew how to pray and go for weekly services. Is it to fast? That wasn’t hard to do at all. But when the breakthrough came, excuses like “I’m busy at work” were not far from my lips.

Picking up from my bible book, one of the things that stood out to me as they dissected the story of Rehoboam was how the devil deceives people into thinking that now they have succeeded, they no longer need God. But that is far from the truth. Jesus told us as much, in John 15:5, He reminded us that He is the vine and we are the branches. Without Him, we can do nothing! But the devil likes to trick people into thinking otherwise, guess what, we are not ignorant (II Cor. 2:11). Do not buy into the lie of “self-made”, no one is self-made! Without God, we are absolutely nothing. The children of Israel and their many Kings learnt this the hard way, I also did, and I pray you won’t have to in Jesus’ name. As we go into a new week, I want you to remember that God is the God of all seasons. The season of scarcity, the season of plenty, and everything in between. In keeping with the action step of the day (23rd April), if you have forgotten that and are beginning to lean on your own strength or understanding, my charge to you is to stop immediately, humble yourself and retrace your steps to God (Prov. 3:5-6). He is merciful and more than ready to welcome you back with open arms (Luke 15).

Our God is Awesome

One of the benefits of the digital age is the ease of access platforms like YouTube provide. During my evening worship time with God, I remembered a song by Helen Baylor titled Awesome God. The first time I heard the song play was on the cassette player in my mum’s tiny Toyota. What struck me about the song were the mighty and frightful acts of God. The same God that poured out his judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19) is the same God that sent His son to die for our sins (John 3:16). Reflecting on this I thought I’d ask the AI encyclopaedia (google) for the definition of awesome. It means “causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear”.

This implies that God is not just about grace and provision, He is also a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24). As children of God, we must understand these aspects of God. The Bible gives us examples of people that have experienced His consuming fire and His grace. King David, the man after God’s own heart did. When Nathan rebuked David in II Sam. 12 (NIV), he told him about the judgment for his sins:

¹¹ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. ¹² You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” ¹³ Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. ¹⁴ But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

The awesomeness of God is shown by the fact that while He passed judgement on David, He also extended His mercy to him by sparing his life. Because David committed adultery and murder (II Sam. 11), not only did he lose his son, but his son Absalom also slept with his father’s concubines on the roof of the palace (II Sam. 16:22).

I’m not sharing this to make us afraid of God but for us to understand that our God is awesome and when we approach Him as the good father that He is (Is. 64:8, Luke 11:13 & 12:32), we should not forget to treat Him with reverence and fear (Ps. 112:1). That is one of the devices of the enemy, to make us get careless and forget ourselves by acting like God can be treated anyhow. David did and he paid dearly for it. Samson did, and he also paid dearly for it. Gal. 6:7-8 warns us that God cannot be mocked, and as His children, we must never forget that we will reap what we sow. God has provided us with His grace and mercy (Heb. 4:16, Ps. 136, Lam. 3:22-23, II Cor. 12:9) but we should never forget that He is also a consuming fire, and we must treat Him with reverence, admiration, and fear (Prov. 9:10). This is my charge to you. Our God is an awesome God!

Photo cred: Giles Creek Baptist Church

Dealing with Disappointment

In my home country, Nigeria, elections are ongoing to choose the next set of (servant) leaders that will oversee the country's governance for the next four years. For a lot of people, especially the youths, these elections were seen as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s history. However, as is the case with life, we do not always get what we want, which can result in disappointment. Considering how often we experience disappointment- some greater than others- how do we as children of God deal with disappointment? Not because disappointment is a sin but because our response to it is important.

While doing some research for this article, I stumbled upon one written in 2007 that made me realise that even in the bible, there were so many people that experienced disappointment. One such person was Elijah, the mighty prophet that appeared to Jesus on the mount (Matt. 17:3), the same one that won a great victory on Mount Carmel (I Kings 18:20-40) and ended the drought that had plagued Israel. For all his effort, he was rewarded by Jezebel with a death threat and all he could think of in the midst of his disappointment was for God to kill him (I Kings 19:2-4). Some disappointments in life are so great that all we want is to die.

David, the man after God’s heart (I Sam. 13:14, Acts 13:22), was another person that faced multiple disappointments. His life was one that had the highest of highs (the victory against Goliath, being anointed King) to the lowest of lows (Saul trying to kill him, his men wanting to stone him to death). Others like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah and Elizabeth waited for years for the fruit of the womb. Sarah even laughed when God told her she would have a child (Gen. 18:12-15) because she had gone way past the childbearing age and had completely given up.

When you are faced with disappointment, the best thing to do is to go into a mode of thanksgiving (I Thess. 5:18). Why? Because it is God’s will for you. When you give God thanks, you are displaying your faith and trust in God and showing the devil that he has no hold on you. No matter the disappointment, David always found a way to praise God. In Ps. 42, David kept talking about how discouraged he felt before deciding that he will praise God.

The act of giving thanks is so powerful that the devil tries to isolate you and keep you away from it. That was what happened to Elijah, he got so desperate that he was praying to God to kill him. Borrowing a line from Todd Galberth’s song: Fear is not my future, disappointment is not the end, neither is it your story. Every one of these people had an ending that was greater than their former (Rom. 8:28). Some of them (David, Sarah) were even named in the Heroes Hall of Faith (Heb. 11).

During the February Hallelujah Challenge, Pst. Nathaniel Bassey expatiated on what it meant to stand still. Standing still doesn’t mean not doing anything, it means praising God and warring in the spirit. The charge for you is that when you are dealing with disappointment, stand still! When you do so, you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you (II Chr. 20:17). I believe and declare that the enemy you see today (disappointment) you will never see again in Jesus’ name (Ex. 14:13-14).

Photo cred: YouVersion

My Soul, Why Are You Discouraged?

A few days ago, I found myself feeling down like a weight had been dropped on my shoulders and for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why. Then, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a verse by David, in which he asked himself why he felt sad and discouraged (Ps. 42:5 & 11; 43:5). The context behind this soliloquy of his was that he was going through a tough time, to the point that his tears had become his food (Ps. 42:3). We have all been through tough times. The current affairs don’t make them any easier.

When we turn on the news, we get swamped with so much bad news that makes our tough seasons even more challenging. In recent times, we have gone from Covid to the Ukraine Crisis, from runaway inflation to recession, and as if a global recession wasn’t bad enough, there have been 120,000 layoffs in the tech industry. If you are based in my home country (Nigeria), you’ll also be dealing with fuel scarcity and a government policy that has led to cash scarcity and the collapse of online banking systems.

You get the point, the times are gloomy. Earlier, I said I couldn’t understand why I was down, and neither did David. This doesn’t mean we don’t know the source of our sadness, we just don’t understand it. But what I love about David, and I’m grateful to the Holy Spirit for directing me to Ps. 42:11 and 43:5, is that even if we don’t understand why, David told himself that he would hope in God and wait expectantly. The Amp. Version says “Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him. The help of my countenance and my God.” This is the same David that had on several occasions lamented his circumstances and the mockery he was facing.

When we find ourselves feeling discouraged, instead of wallowing in it as I did for 3 days ish, we should do as David did and place our hope in God, and wait expectantly for Him; God has never disappointed and will surely not start today (Is. 55:11 & 40:8; Matt. 24:35). Num. 23:19 reminds us that God does not lie, change His mind, or fail to fulfil what He said He would do. What a beautiful reassurance! So I did as David did, I put my hope in God, jumped on YouTube and pulled out songs that helped me praise God. One song, I can never get tired of is Psalm 34 by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, such an amazing and reassuring song. Another is Yes I Will by Vertical Worship which I had on repeat when my wife and I were faced with the probability that our baby may be born prematurely. God did it!, He was born full term. Yes and Amen by Housefires was another song I leaned on, I discovered it when I was going through the wilderness of unemployment.

I said we tend not to understand why we feel discouraged because we can vividly remember the times God came through for us, yet the cares of the world still affect us like the seed that fell among the thorns (Mark 4:18-19). Whenever we feel down, remember what David said in Ps. 42:11, and strengthen yourself in the Lord your God (I Sam. 30:6). May we be like the seeds that fell on good soil in Jesus' name (Mark 4:20)! Remember the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10)! 

Grace Is On Our Side

Hello guys, can you believe we are almost at the end of January? The same January that tended to feel like it had anywhere between 6 to 9 months squeezed into it lol. Looking back on our first post of the year, which in retrospect doesn’t seem like the ideal theme (battle) to start with but is what was laid in my spirit, I found myself reading a devotional on my YouVersion bible app. The last day of the devotional reminded me of a conversation I had with my best friend. The crux of the conversation was about how it felt like there were no more battles to fight.

Fortunately, I was able to remind them about how it is one of the devices of the devil to weaken Christians, as we touched on in our last post. As the bible says in II Cor. 2:11 (NLT), “we are familiar with his evil schemes”, and this is one of them. The devotional reminds us that grace is on our side, and it is sufficient (II. Cor. 12:9)! So, I present the devotional for that day to you in full below, you can also access it here- Yes I will, a devotional by Vertical Worship.

 

Are You Battle Ready?

Happy new year guys! God has seen us into a new year, I pray that you will experience God’s goodness in 2023 in Jesus’ name. 2022 was quite the year, and for many of us, it was the first Christmas we were able to go out with friends and family. Isn’t that great? 2023 will surely be greater in Jesus’ name.

As children of God, we learn the importance of praying; a common acronym we hear is PUSH- pray until something happens. But I recently found myself soliloquizing not too long ago about what we do next when that something we prayed for has happened. We often hear about how adversity draws people closer to God, and I’m one of such. Back in my teenage years going into my twenties (I’m still in my twenties! 😊), I had a grand plan to enjoy all life had to offer before getting serious with God sometime in my forties. It didn’t take long for the folly of my plans to be revealed as I learnt in my early 20’s the meaning of adversity and had to run to God (Prov. 18:10). Thankfully, God is a merciful God who is more than willing to welcome everyone, even if it’s because they’re in trouble (Ps. 46:1, Heb. 4:16, Matt. 11:28-29).

Hence, I found myself asking myself this question: what happens when ‘the something’ we have prayed and fasted for finally happens? I realised that there would be a temptation to relax and, in some cases, revert to our old ways of life. Which is exactly what the devil wants, for us to be relaxed. The Bible tells us about the story of Samson, one of the strongest men to ever live until he relaxed. In Judges 16, we are told of how he lost it all and eventually died. Another example can be seen in the story of David and how the moment he relaxed cost him so much (II Sam. 12:11-12).

Now, you may be thinking I’m saying we are not allowed to rest; you will be mistaken. What I’m referring to is the point where we as Christians fall for the trap of the devil by no longer being battle ready. To be battle ready entails us regularly praying, fasting, spending time in God’s presence and never losing sight of the ultimate goal. I Peter 5:8 (NKJV) tells us to be vigilant for one simple reason: our adversary, the devil, walks around seeking whom to devour. Eph. 6:10-18 admonishes us on the importance of being battle ready by advising us to put on the whole armour of God, as this is the only way we can stand against the enemy’s plans. If you remember the story of Troy (or watched the movie), it was when the Trojans relaxed that the Greeks were able to penetrate their city walls and defeat them!

The cost of relaxing is too great for any of God’s children to relax. Paul understood this importance and made sure to warn the Ephesians (Acts. 20:29-31). David and Samson learnt this the hard way. So just as I am asking myself, I’m also asking you: are you battle ready? This is the only way to not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy (II Cor. 2:11 (NKJV))! For 2023, I leave you with this charge from I Cor. 16:13 (NIV): Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. It is only when we do this that the enemy will not be able to take advantage of us. Have a blessed and prosperous 2023 in Jesus’ name.

P.S Enjoy one of my favourite hymns: Onward Christian Soldiers!