It's in You

Without sounding too dramatic, I recently experienced what can only be described as any car owner’s nightmare. Not being able to get into your car!  Worst of all in -6⁰c weather, my family was also stuck outside the car. What happened? Turns out the battery of my key fob died out with no warning. Well, it sort of warned me a few days before but I thought it was the cold weather that impacted it and when I got home and tried it again, (after keeping it at room temperature) it worked. Confirming my assumptions. Alas, that assumption and test were built on sandy ground (Matt. 7:24 – 27). Fast forward to the day of, and I’m stuck outside the car with my family. What was meant to be a fun ride through the Christmas lights drive-through took a very cold turn (pun intended).

While praying for the key fob to work, two things went through my mind when this happened: 1. This is why I didn’t buy a push-button start car back in 2015 (I know!!), that’s how the mind works lol; 2. I knew how to get the key out of the fob but never learnt how to open the car with the key. Mind you, I’ve been driving this car for over a year. After pulling the door handle wider than I had ever done before, I saw the keyhole. This led to the next problem, how to access it. I knew if I went online, I’d find an answer. To use my phone meant exposing my fingers to the cold (if you’re keeping count, this is problem number 3). But this was the least of my worries (at least till the cold got into my fingers lol). Fingers out, phone out, google open, I found a YouTube video from two years ago. Problem solved? Wrong! Now I needed something flat to pop out the panel covering the keyhole. Problem number 4: where to get something flat in the middle of a drive-through with no help in sight.

I flagged down the first car, and the occupants waved at me instead. Hello ooo, I’m not greeting you. Car number two, no luck. Then came car number three, initially they didn’t have any but as I defeatedly walked back to the car, the guy driving came out and asked if a nail file would work. Cue me excitedly taking it like a bag of gold and rushing back to try it, while the guy laughed at my response that I saw the solution on YouTube (in life you will have doubters, don’t let them distract you, stay focused on God, Prov. 3:5-6). With problems 2 and 4 solved, I moved on to problem 5, I had no idea how to start the car with a key. Back to YouTube I went, thankfully, the specialist also knew that he had to teach us how to start the car without a key. I followed his instructions and the car came on! Cue celebratory cheers in the car. Now I could solve problem 3 (or you forgot that all this while my fingers were exposed?) and warm my nearly frozen fingers.

As I processed this experience when we got home, I realized that all this while, I had something flat (a small card) on the keyholder and that God had given me the means to resolve the problem before it occurred. This got me thinking about all the times, we let our problems get the better of us instead of standing on God’s promises. In II Cor. 10:5 the bible tells us to take false imaginations captive, there’s a reason for that. In the midst of the problem, rather than running around saying “woe is me”, stand on the promises of God that are yes and amen (II Cor. 1:20) and declare over that circumstance.

This experience reminded me of how God prepares us for challenges long before they arise, just like He did for David and Joseph. When we think of David and Goliath, the skills he needed to defeat Goliath weren’t given to him that day. They were built over time when he faced the bear and the lion, all in preparation for that day (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Another example is Joseph, the slave who became Prime Minister! Gen. 50:20 tells us that what was meant for harm, God used it for Joseph’s good and when the time came to implement the strategies needed to save Egypt, the administrative skills were already in him.

In Phil. 4:19, Paul tells us that God will supply all our needs, so you can be sure that as your present help in times of need (Ps. 46:1), He had provided a way for you. In keeping with this Spirit of God providing a way out for me, I decided to rummage through my toolbox for spare batteries because the battery of my watch died out a few days ago. Guess what, a battery I bought almost a year ago for a different reason was exactly what I needed to fix my watch. God is indeed a present help! As you step into 2025, take a moment to reflect on what God has already placed within you. Face challenges with confidence, knowing that He has equipped you with all you need to overcome (II Pet. 1:3, Ps. 18:29). Declare His promises over your life and walk boldly into the future He’s prepared for you. God has already placed in you the tools, skills, and connections you’ll need to face life’s challenges. Just as David’s battle with Goliath wasn’t a surprise to God, your challenges are not surprises to Him either. I charge you to trust His timing and provision, for He’s a God who equips us in advance (Jer. 1:5, 29:11). Whatever you face in life, remember: it’s in you!

 

P.S. If you want to know why I didn’t want a push-button start car in 2015, it’s because I lived in one of the most flood-prone areas in Lagos.

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