To the letter....

Numbers 20:8, 10-12 AMP:
Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink. And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock and Moses said to them, Hear now, you rebels; must we bring you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

How did the 'meekest man on earth' get to lose his temper so badly that he disobeyed God at this critical juncture of the journey to the promised land? They were close to the destination but yet their hearts were far away from the leader and inspiration behind their journey. They had been murmuring long before they set out from Egypt and the murmuring continued long into their journey in the wilderness. Moses had been patient,always going back to God for comfort and assurance whenever the people murmured, and he interceded many times for the people when God was on the verge of destroying them. How did a man get from depending on God so much to taking a rash step so quickly?
Before we condemn, let us humbly examine ourselves. Are we not like Moses atimes, starting with God and then getting so familiar with him that we think we can 'safely predict' his next move? Don't we see ourselves as keeping some areas of our lives from God,thinking that he may not be interested in those little details of our lives? Do we see ourselves thinking that we can handle some issues by ourselves? Then we can see from Moses' perspective.
He had gone to God for advice, just as he had always done. He had heard God speak constantly so he didn't need an assurance to know that God was the One leading. He had been told what to do precisely, but in a short fit of anger, he arrogated to himself the power he could not wield: ' Shall we bring you water out of this rock?. With these words, Moses set Israel back 40 years and made him not to enter the Promised land.
As we run the race before us, let us be careful of our words and actions. Let us be mindful of our limitations and constantly go to God for his directives and instructions. The road ahead is full of obstacles and pitfalls, human beings aren't exactly what they claim to be, the friends you depend on may fail and disappoint you, your human nature will try and claim superior knowlege but God is the ultimate. He alone knows us through and through and he alone can bring us into our Promised land.
Self, human wisdom, human strength and intellect have no place in our lives when God is at work. We must work with him and walk with him as he leads us into our promised land. Rejoice, for his time of favour is at hand.

What Do You Hold?

Exodus 4:2 AMP:
And the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod.

Too many times, we desire to achieve great things for God. We dream of big things, great achievements and awesome breakthroughs. We see big things, we think big ideas and we envision big dreams. It is the small beginnings however, that are our biggest obstacles. We are so focused on the big picture that we ignore the tiny details. We are fixated on the whole that we ignore or forget the parts that lead to the whole.
Moses was a man who knew God had called him. However, his attempt at speeding up his peoples' deliverance fell flat and he had to run for his life. Here he was, in the wilderness for about 40 years, seemingly forgotten. Yet, God never forgets the tiny details.
Moses didn't see anything much to celebrate about himself but God, who sees the end of a man from his beginning, knows just how to bring his purpose to pass. All he needed was Moses' availability and the willingness to surrender all to God.
The same goes out to us too. It is what you havr now that God wants to start with. All he needs from you is your little, he will make it big. The widow of Zarephath, the boy with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, the wife of the prophet who died, all had little when the prophets came calling and demanding for that little. They could have looked outwards and honestly assessed the situation, claiming they didn't have enough but they gave their small and God made it big.
There is nothing given to God that is not adequately compensated. God owes no man anything and he will do all it takes to fulfill his promises.
That little is the starting point; give it to God as an investment and see him bless you beyond your wildest expectations.
Rejoice, for his time of favour is here

Walking With God

Galatians 6:7, 9 AMP:
Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.

I am not sure that there is anything else that can be added to the verses quoted above. It has become the norm for us as human beings to hide behind our 'humanness' to perpetrate evil. We tell ourselves that we are only human after all, and we go out of our way to act true to type, deceiving others and being deceived by others. We live for the now, forgetting that all our attempts at self-righteousness and justification hold no wster before the righteous and all-knowing God.
We must therefore settle this in our hearts, that all we do is a seed, something that will germinate and bear fruit. We have control over what kind of seed we will plant and we can therefore almost predict what the fruit will look like. Or what else can a life of lying and stealing produce? What else can deceit bring out? What can the unfruitful works of darkness lead to? All we do is an investment and all investments will yield returns at the appropriate time.
No wonder God is called the Righteous God. He cannott be bribed like earthly judges to change his rules and he cannot be deceived by our intentions and motives because he is the judge of all the thoughts and intents of all men's hearts. We can only deceive men like us, God already knows the reasons behind the roles we play long before we act them out.
We must therefore forget pretence and lay our lives bare before God. He has promised us his presence, power and pleasure if we hold on to Him and do what pleases Him. Genesis 8:22 AMP promises:
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
As we live our daily lives, let this be a guiding light: God sees all, knows all, understands all and will positively reward or punish ALL. Nothing is hidden before Him. 
Lay yourself bare before God today and let him have his way. His favour is here. Rejoice

God of all Seasons

Psalm 68:19-20 AMP:
Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! God is to us a God of deliverances and salvation; and to God the Lord belongs escape from death [setting us free].M

It is striking to note here the only and true source of all blessings. Over the years, as sophistication, knowledge, advancement in science and technology grew, man slowly developed a dependence on earthly assurances. We began to measure success by the things we could see. We pursued money so we could buy man's respect and praise, we equated monetary wealth with Godly favour and we began to push God little by little out of our 'busy' lives and pursuits. We now have expressions like 'a self-made man', 'the richest man in the world', amongst many others.
While not ignoring the facts or the figures around us, a careful examination of our hearts, intentions and pursuits is highly necessary here. Have we become so busy now that God cannot catch our attention? Are we so 'blessed' that we can conveniently ignore God while we bask in the wealth of what we already have? Do we become so used to having all we need that we have come to see it as an entitlement? Does God need to slow us down deliberately before we pause to hear what he has to say?
Another version of today's passage says: God is the One who DAILY loads us with benefits. God is always up to date, seeking to givd us just what each day requires. He doesn't give us stale goods, neither does he give us what we are not prepared for yet. He is a God for the now, doing his own good now, and blessing us for the now so that our tomorrow can be blessed still. If God gives us daily provision, do we need to fret about what tomorrow holds? Do we need to rob other people blind because of the fear of the unknown? Do we have to amass and build up possessions at the expense of the eternity of our souls?
Don't forget also: unto God belong the issues from death. He alone can save and deliver from death and he will only do this for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. As was highlighted yesterday, 
2 Chronicles 16:9 AMP:
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him."
He holds the key over death, he defeated death through the cross and it is as we live through the cross of Christ that the true life that God promises can be our daily experience. He wants to daily bless me, so I must seek Him daily. His gift of today is called the present. Open it up with his help and Grace and discover a limtless supply of abundant blessings.
Rejoice, for his season of favour is here.

God's Testimony

Genesis 18:17-19 NIV:
Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.  For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Passages like these make you wonder and marvel at the person and nature of God. We see him as the Almighty God, the One who can do mighty things and exploits. He calls and proves himself as the Mighty One in battle, yet he sits down with mortal man to discuss life issues. He's the One who holds the entire heavens and the earth, yet he holds in his everlasting arms the small man who needs comfort and grace. He's mighty, yet he's meek; he's awesome, yet he's approachable; his power cannot be obstructed yet his love too is limitless.
The verses here describe a peculiar scene: God is consulting his creation before he carries out any assignment or task on earth. It is almost as if God is saying: "I have given you the whole earth to have dominion over it so if you walk with me, I will consult you even before I do anything on the earth". That is an amazing thought. To imagine that the unquestionable God will stoop low to consult me, mere dust, before he does anything with his own handiwork, should make me humble, careful and diligent in my relationship with this God.
God could boast about Abraham that he would teach his children to fear the Lord. God could entrust secrets and plans into the hands of Abraham because Abraham was careful to nurture and nourish his relationship with God. He was called the friend of God.
The same God is seeking true worshippers still. He's looking for people he can entrust secrets to; people who will stand with Him, no matter their challenges and struggles, seeking to entrench the rule of God in their world.
An apt verse to end this is this:  2 Chronicles 16:9a NIV:
For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
God is still searching, are you available for use? Make yourself available, for his season of favour is here.

The True Judge

Psalm 139:23-24 MSG:
Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.

If there's anything that has defied explanation, it is human behaviour and interaction. Man has perfected the art of deceit, deception and devious behaviour, able to say one thing while meaning the very opposite, and preaching one practice while actually doing the very opposite. We have mastered the art of talking from both sides of the mouth, holding other people to standards that we cannot attain and beating down people we perceive as weak, forgetting that the habits we so easily see and criticise in others is a reflection of our own personal lives. Man was made to be like God, but he chose the lower version of the knowledge of good and evil, seeking to chart the course of his life outside of God. Is it a suprise then that man is what and where he is now- clueless, visionless, powerless, directionless and purposeless.
It is in this light that today's passage becomes important. You can never know the truth about yourself until you hold yourself up to the Truth himself.  As long as man is the standard, the measuring gauge or the determinant of what is important to us, we can never truly achieve our potential in God. No wonder the Psalmist asked God to do the searching of his heart. Man has become so sophisticated that we can deliberately do wrong and find somewhere in our seared consciences to justify the wrong. We can keep telling ourselves lies over and over again until it looks like the truth. But as long as we hold ourselves up to the truth of God's Word, we see ourselves as we really are, and we can ask God for His help. When we have reached a point in our Christian experience where it seems as if we can now make it on our own, we are headed for disaster and disappointment.
Like the Psalmist, we must seek God out and lay our hearts bare before him. Our hearts can lead us astray if it is not under the control and influence of its Creator. Let God do his perfect work in our hearts so that we can fully maximise his Spirit in us. Let him have his way, because his way is always the best for us.
Let me end here by asking: can you stand before men and declare the truth in the face of death? Can your heart be fully rested in God no matter what goes on around you? Get your stand in God right; his time of favour is here

Assumptions....

Judges 16:20 NIV:
Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.

Samson was a man chosen and anointed by God, even before he was born, to lead the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines. His parents had sought the Lord for a child and here he was, strong, mighty in power and gifted with strength and God's Spirit. There's just a few things God cannot do- go against the exercise of our own free will or force us to do his will. We must choose to do his will by our own free will.
Here was a man chosen by God to make a difference, who couldn't make a difference between right and wrong choices in marriage. Here was a man that was brought up in God, being taught about God and his expectations for his life, but who would keep secrets from his parents, while immediately telling heathen women the same secrets.
Here we see a man who only remembered God at the times of crises, living his life on physical terms only, trusting that just as it had worked for him in the past, it would work for him again. Unfortunately, God's power had left him and he was just like any ordinary man.
The lessons are numerous: there can never be unity between 2 opposites. As long as you are being inspired by different thoughts, attitudes or convictions, you can never agree. I must get my convictions grounded on the Word of God and let it be the guide, light and inspiration for my life. Anything else is counter-productive.
Secondly, there is a grave danger in assumptions. Samson was used to sleeping this night with a harlot and waking up the next morning to do exploits still. God's power was evident upon him but he took it for granted even till his eyes were gouged out. This race before us must be run with full consciousness of our fraility and need for total dependence on God. There can't be room for assumptions; the desire to run well and end well must be our topmost priority.
Watch your ways and your hearts. Let the past be a lesson to help guide the future but do not be limited or bound by the past. All achievements are aready past, today holds its own challenges and it is only God that can help to overcome and end well.
Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

Defender of Rights

Genesis 31:24 NIV:
Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

Passages like this one above constantly remind me of God and his unsearchable ways. We face battles daily, some of them seemingly unbearable. We think God must have forgotten about us or he doesn't want to help us. There are times the devil too will want to give us a guilty conscience, so we can keep looking inwards and outwards instead of looking upwards to God- the refuge and strength.
There is an eternal truth expoused in the verse above: nothing happens to us without his express permission. The intensity, degree, length, depth, height, width, scopee and details of all our experiences are only as God himself allows. Job's experience is also a case in point here. All he experienced was so carefully planned by God that in the end, Job himself could testify of the goodness of God.
That is how God does his things. He has total, absolute and complete control over all his creation and we can only trust His wisdom, timing and grace as we run the race he has set before us.
Walk with God today and always, for His time of favour is here.

Reality or Facts?....

Genesis 15:1-2 NIV:
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,  your very great reward. ”   But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord , what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

Abram's story here is a classic example of why nobody can trust God or hold on to God without God's help. We are faced with daily issues and it appears we may be overwhelmed. We know what God says and we can quote His Word but when hard facts face us, can we still hold on?
Abram had been promised a son long before this passage. He had held on for a while but it appeared he was getting a bit stiff waiting. His reply to God's word here shows that he was beginning to wonder just how the promised son would come. I know we call Abraham the father of faith now but many of us consider the journey to the hall of faith; we only appreciate his destination and seek to tap into the blessings. We are quick to skim through all the conditions for blessings and we quote the promises over and over to ourselves, forgetting that with God, there are no favourites; God gives us all the same grace to walk with Him in faith.
One further lesson I learn from the verses above is this: God is our reward, not the giver of reward alone. We come to God for what we can get from Him, forgetting that he is the basis of our existence and the only One that matters. He is our sure reward, the One who remains long after all the possessions, power, position and privileges have been long forgotten. He's the One who never forgets his promises, no matter the situation and the circumstance, or the length of the delay. Personally, I have learnt that God's best gifts are given after a season of pressure so you can better appreciate your own weaknesses and God's omnipotence.
What do you hold on to: cold, hard facts or what the world calls reality? Or have you found the secret to true reality, the one that God says he alone can make for you, if only you can trust Him? Fear is a torment and a limiting factor and it can disrupt all that God has for you. Fear will make you wonder if the principles you hold on to or the truths you espouse are worth it. Fear will make you 'try' other sources of poeer, peradventure, it will speed up God's ultimate purpose. Feed your fear and it will become insurmountable; feed your faith and your fear will starve to death. Let your reaction to life's realities be the same as Abraham's: he believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. The same awaits you. Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

Seeing from God's Perspective

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV:
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

God is interested in the mundane, tiny details of our lives. He has created us in his image so we could do the things he can do and bring to life the things he has deposited in us. Just as in creation when God called out everything we see out of nothing, so God is calling us to see Him in that same light as we live our daily lives.
We are sensual creatures: our senses are our most trusted components. We rely on them to make decisions and trust their judgements in most situations. We allow them determine the course of our lives, our priorities, our life pursuits and goals, and our future. However, God seems to be saying something else here: when you walk with or work for God, you have got to ignore those senses and what they seem to be saying. Because they are of the earth, they can only understand natural things. If you rely on them to make eternal decisions, you will be making a grave error of judgement.
Follow me: how do you explain hungry looking at free-food Daniel, yet they could not touch him? How do you explain passing 3 men through fire, yet there was no smell of fire on them after that experience? Or how does 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish feed over 5,000 people? Or consider how many mansions God has said he's preparing for those who endure to the end.
There's no adequate, rational explanation that the senses can give for these. God wants us to look beyond the limitations of the human nature and see what He alone can do. Faith in God is the focus; I must ignore what senses are saying and focus on what God is saying. God does not follow logic or common sense and I cannot walk with God by relying on my senses.
For as many as will believe, all things are possible to them. Faith begins with seeing the invisible, the impossible and the incredible. They remain impossible, invisible and incredible if pursued by the senses but they become achievable when pursued in faith. Faith takes your eyes, ears, mouth and others away from what the world calls reality to what Godd calls reality.
Keep your focus on God. If you are not focusing on God, how do you receive all he has on offer for you? It is the world that calls faith foolishness; the Word of God calls dependence on senses foolishness. Which one will you trust? The Word or the World?
Trust God today and act in faith by holding on to Him, no matter what. His time of favour is here.

A Call by Name

Exodus 31:2-3 NIV:
“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills.....

There is something peculiar about the inventor or producer of a product or service: there is a particular idea, thought or issue that birthed the idea and the product or service was made to realise that idea, thought or issue. If the product had an issue and needed re-tweaking or repair, it was taken back to the manufacturer or producer to repair or replace. Someone else could make a better product but whatever was made was the sole exclusive preserve of the maker. Same with God and his creation.
God made the entire universe, complex and unique as it is. He made man and equipped man with all that  he needed to fullfil God's purpose. Today's passage highlights some truths, the first of which is: God is a God of supreme knowledge. He knows us by name and life, and no detail about us escapes his attention. Secondly, all our gifts, talents, endowments and enablements are sourced and founded in and on Him. Outside of God, we are empty shells, not capable of anything good or useful. It is the breath of God in us that makes the distinction.
Why then do we boast like we could do anything on our own? Why do we act like we are the owners of our lives and destinies or that we can determine our own fate by our own hands?
Check the verses above again: no where is self or I mentioned. God does the personal calling by name, and he can single a man out from the midst of the thickest crowd. He also does the equipping and the enablement, so that no man can boast of anything outside of God.
If God can call out the stars of heaven by name, how much more would he know you and care about you, created in his own image and loved by Him?.
Rejoice, for his time of favour is here

The Book of Rememberance

Malachi 3:16-17 NIV:
Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.  “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.

In this season of stress and difficulties, it becomes important that we examine our ways, intentions and motives. There is a constant need for self-examination and appraisal. We need to constantly ask ourselves if we are living right or allowing the world's standards be the judge.
Today's passage highlights the need for us to be different. No matter the pressures and the compromises going on around us, God expects our hearts to be fully committed to him and dependent on him. God demands from us true, undivided and undistracted devotion. We get distracted easily, we forget that God understands all the tiny details of our lives, we try to do things in our strength and wisdom and try to make things happen by our power. But in the final analysis, it is what God does that remains forever. It is the person who God upholds that is free from destruction.
Check your support system: are you being upheld by a complex structure of human connections, political clout, or abundant possessions or are you totally dependent on the God who never forgets those who trust him and who will show himself strong in their lives, even as they trust him completely. God does not forget all we do for him. He knows all things and it is He who will do the uplifting, the blessing and the sparing on His own terms. Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

The Eternal Watch

Psalm 121:3-4 NIV:
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;  indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

If there's anything science has not been able to beat, explain, rationalise or reduce to explainable terms, it is the need for rest and sleep. Man has discovered coffee, chewing gum and other narcotics that keep you awake longer than usual,depriving you of sleep. However, as we all know, sleep must always be satisfied as the body will never fully recover without it. As soon as sleep comes, nothing else matters.  We are 'dead' to the world until we awake again.
Now picture the Almighty God himself, who says he neither slumbers nor sleep. He's not man who is tired and needs to sleep regularly but he's God Almighty, the same yesterday, today and forever. He's always relevant to every situation and circumstance and nothing catches him by suprise. Thieves succeed because they come mostly at night,  when we are most vulnerable-  tired, sleepy and weary. God is only touched with the feeling of our infirmity, he is not dictated to by them. They hold no power over him. He's therefore capable, qualified and competent enough to handle whatever life may throw at us. We are powerless, he's all-powerful. We are limited; he's the limitless God. We get tired easily and give up, he never gives up on us. We sleep when we have to, God cannot sleep because hiss nature abhors it. He already said in His Word that he's an ever-present help in trouble. This shows that anyday, anytime, any circumstance or any situation that calls for God's attention will meet him awake, alert and active to defend the cause of his children and those who have found refuge in Him.
Rejoice, for his time of favour is here

My Help

Isaiah 30:1-2 NIV:
“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord , “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;  who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.

Where do you seek help from: God or people? A lot of us have come to believe that we must help God by doing all we can to put ourselves in a favourable position to benefit. The problem with that thinking is that we begin to think for God, reasoning him out and trying to help him to our own advantage.
The passage underlines a fact: no one can help God achieve his purpose. We can only put ourselves in a position of availability, trusting Him to work out his purpose and plan as we trust His Wisdom, power and grace.
Egypt has no help to offer; the past has nothing to give. Look ahead, look to God. He alone has the answers to all of life's questions.
Trust him, his time of favour is here.

Be Still

Psalms 46:10 KJV:
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Isaiah 30:15 KJV:
For thus saith the Lord God , the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

There's so many fundamental issues that are wrong with the standards of the world when compared with the standards of the Word. The Word says: Humility comes before honour and Pride goes before a fall, but by the world's standards, the opposite is the case. Man pursues success according to the world's standards and principles, and then wonders why nothing seems to work well for him. We are busy fighting for earth's SCARCE resources, forgetting that heaven's resources are limitless and available for people who have made God their only resource.
The world's standards abhors standing still. You can't afford to be passive or inactive; you just must be doing something in the pursuit of your goals. Without belittling the importance of playing your own part, I think the fundamental truth has to do with the motives behind your actions and the focus of your strength and inspiration. Is God the motivation behind your pursuits or is there a need to be like other people? Is your heart at rest in God, even in the midst of the burning furnace called life? Are you quiet before God,trusting his timing, patience, wisdom and influence, even when everything around you is shouting: 'MOVE'?.
We must learn to rest in God by understanding one fact: your hustle and bustle in your own strength can only guarantee you stress, but a heart focused on God will enjoy peace and comfort even in the most distressing of circumstances. God is saying today: youur strength cannot guarantee you success. Depend on me as you work, focus on my grace and enablement, uphold my standards and see what I will do.
Rest in God today no matter what reality is saying to you. God's time of favour is here.

Ever-Present Presence 2

Psalms 91:1 KJV:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

There's something peculiar about this Nature v. Nurture argument. One dimension claims that some people are by nature the way they are and no amount nurture, re-orientation or attitudinal shift will change that nature. Of course, there are people on the other end of the divide also who believe in careful and purposeful nurturing to change some Nature-shortcomings.
What then do you say about God? What is his nature? Can he be nurtured into something different or convenient or is he a god who's permitted to constantly change his mind at his own convenience?
Today's passage highlights some very fundamental truths about God. First of all, God isn't God because of us; we are the ones who are what we are because of God. He remains the same through all ages, seasonss and circumstances and his standards have stood the test of time and circumstances. That is why he can be trusted and depended on. That's why a man can put his trust in God and be at rest for the rest of his life because he has found the safest place.
Note the conditions: the invitation to rest is open to HE who chooses to DWELL. Many of us go to God for emergencies and immediate attention. We don't bother too much with what God wants until what we want becomes the central issue. We come like visitors and strangers, rush in with our requests and demands and then rush out to continue our usual hustle and bustle of life. We choose to live alone, fight alone and struggle alone, fogetting that the inexhaustible resources of heaven have been made available for us. We can't afford to come to God like strangers or tenants, taking up space, no rights of possession or ownership or relationship. God craves that and he will reward as many as diligently seek him.
For as many that choose to abide therefore, God's promise is his constantly- abiding presence. His place of abode is a secret place, open to only those willing and diligent enough to search for it. Not all will find it, but for as many as will seek diligently, the rewards will be worth the search.
Seek God out today. He alone has the answers we seek and the solutions we desire. In Him alone are the riches and blessings God has promised and in Him alone are the blessings activated. Dwell in Him, don't just rent space or borrow resources. No demand on earth can dent the limitless resources of heaven; we are the ones who don't ask enough.
He's there for us as we journey through life. Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

Ever-Present Presence

Psalm 46:1-3 NIV:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,  though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

This has become one of my favourite Bible passages of all time. In a world that recognises effort and labour, it is humbling to note that help to succeed isn't from man or from labour, but from God himself.
We were brought up with the impression that you were only entitled to things you fought for. Nothing good was free so you had to pay a high price for it. Some sacrificed their family and relationships for the world's success while some sold their souls to darkness just for a few moments in the spotlight. Some went to extremes, taking a life to keep their own lives, being deceived into thinking that there was anything any man could do to elongate his life or improve it on his own. We had been brought up to know that 'Heaven only helps those who help themselves', a claim some people deceptively tell you is in the Bible. But from the little God has taught me, I have come to understand that even if anything is expected from me, it is my availability and total dependence on God and his power. If I come to God claiming human ability or strength, I am simply telling him that I can manage by myself. I tell God that I can do a few things on my own too. But if I come to him in my fraility and humanness, totally dependent on his enabling grace and power, I'm simply telling God that I'm weak and powerless on my own, and only His power can uphold and sustain me. That is true strength: an acknowledgement of your limitations and the readiness to trust the right source for strength.
Note that there's no offence emphasized here: its all about God first and his defence. It is only a man who has Godd as his defence and refuge that can face enemies without fear. Read with me again: God, not man, riches, possesions position, power or prestige, is our refuge and strength. He is an 'ever-present help'. Anytime, anyday, in any circumstance, he's the answer to all of life's questions, no matter how complex. He introduced himself to Moses as the I Am that I Am, and till now, ages after, God is still current and active, working to show himself strong in the lives of those who are fully trusting in Him.
It is only when God is your strength that you have nothing to fear. The fear of God in a man's heart leaves no room for any other kind of fear, but a heart that seeks after man's approval and has no fear of God has everything else to fear, even God. The Psalmist could declare that he had nothing to fear because he had made God his refuge. No matter the shaking and the tempest, a man who has God as his refuge will smile at the storm.
As you move out today, check your surroundings. Is God the only refuge you have or is  he another option? Does he hold all the cards in your life or are there other competitors demanding for your allegiance and devotion?
Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us worship God with reverence and with awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Rejoice as you totally depend on Him, his time of favour is here.

Problems.... Oppourtunities

John 2:3, 7 NIV:
When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water” ; so they filled them to the brim.

Everyday that God gives us comes with its peculiar situations and circumstances. We wake up everyday and discover that most of the things that worried us to sleep the night before have been replaced by newer ones. Challenges come, situations arise, difficulties show up on our life's journey but what makes the difference is our attitude and our ability to see these problems as oppourtunities for God to solve great mysteries through us.
There was no more wine in the wedding attended by Jesus. The mother knew the ability of her son and came to tell him of the dire situation. Jesus' response is instructive: even though it wasn't time for me to ask, I will do something. We all wait for perfect conditions to do 'great' things for God, forgetting that it is the little mundane things that bring glory to God. I don't have to wait for a lifetime opportunity to impact lives; I must find grace to do it on a daily basis as I pass through this life.
Jesus could have ignored his mother's request, afterall, it wasn't the right time, but in the real sense, there are no 'perfect' conditions for showing forth God's glory; it is seen and appreciated through the little acts and thoughts that we show to others as we reflect the living love of God to a dying world.
As we live our lives from day to day, we must see problems as oppourtunities and seek to glorify God in them. God usually does not keep us from trials; he takes us through them so we can appreciate his power and grace and bring glory to Him. Our strength cannot sustain us; our wisdom cannot last the distance; only the grace of God and his abiding presence and power can take us through the season of lack and disappointment into his season of abundance and breakthrough.
I must walk and work with God as he seeks to impact the world through His Word. See setbacks as oppourtunities for distinction; see the oppourtunity in every difficulty. Keep holding on, God isn't going to let you go. His purpose in pain will be manifested and his glory will be made known through the sufferings. Hold on, his time of favour is here.

Work now!

John 9:3-4 NIV

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.  As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

A sober thought: there are certain circumstances we will face in life that will defy understanding or reason. We may search for answers from our own storehouse of knowledge but nothing will adequately answer those questions. As stated above, why would a man, created by God, be born blind? What sin could he have committed, apart from the congenital sinful nature we all are born with, that could warrant such punishment? Jesus' answer is deep: nobody sinned, but his condition will lead to the glory of God being revealed. Sounds unfair, doesn't it?
But then, which of us can create a life or determine the destiny of any life? Which of us has been gifted with the power of determining precisely what or how God will be glorified through the things he has created? As long as we have His breath inside of us, we are his and he has the power to do what he pleases with us. There's a comfort in knowing that he has already said that he created us for his own pleasure and to bring him glory, so whichever way he chooses to glorify himself in our lives, we must let him work in our lives that which seems best to Him.
Ultimately, this blind man kept his appointment with the only genuine destiny-changer. He received his sight in a way that God was glorified and we still talk about him today as a mark of what God can do. The lesson is this: God knows and loves us very much and whatever he brings our way, it is for our eventual good.
We must therefore work and walk in his will everyday of our lives. Because we do not know the day of our own visitation, we must keep seeking his will and working within his commands and instructions. We must work while it is day. When night comes, work becomes impossible. Let us therefore do all we can to key into God's will, direction and purpose for our lives. As we seek out his will, God gives us his best. Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

Power in the Word

Matthew 13:23 NIV

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The parable of the sower here is a popular story and the lessons therein have been emphasized over time. A fresh look will do no harm but rather, a repitition will help remind us of what God expects from us in our daily walk of salvation.
Reading the entire parable of the sower is like watching 4 people who come to church on Sunday morning to hear the message from God. The sowing of the seed is the hearing on Sunday while the reaction and reception of the Word is the Monday to Ssturday practice of the things that had been heard. We all go to church on sundays, hear the same messages and are under the same ministration. Yet, we never get out of the service with the same blessings. A lot of things go into our hearing and reception that it is impossible to determine just how much of what we hear has made an impression or impact on us, but we cannot avoid or deny is the fruits our lives will show as a result of the words that we have heard.
4 people, 4 kinds of receptive hearts, 4 end- results. 1 hears the Word but there is no reception, no gain, no impact. Before the seed even finds soil of any kind, it has been stolen. No understanding, so no appreciation of what has been heard. No gain, because the heart has made no preparation at all to hear or understand. Don't we come to church atimes to show off latest acquisitions or additions? Don't we come atimes simply because it is Sunday and there's nothing better to do?
2 hears the same Word only receives it with more joy and excitement than much understanding. He knows what the Word says but because of trials and hard times, he just steps aside. Good times make us glad and grateful but it is the bad and hard times that reveal the quality of our convictions.
3 also receives the Word but there's a lot of competition for attention going on in his heart. While in church, he's thinking of the next business deal and the millions he will get. He definitely pays his tithes but he has n time for deep relationships. We atimes forget that it is only what God blesses that endures and anything we gather outside his help will only endure for a little while.
4 receives and understands and applies the Word to daily living. His life is a seed-generating and a fruit-bearing one. One note of warning though: even in surrender, there are varying degrees. Some of us have mastered the art of compartmental existence: we tell God how far he's in charge of some areas of our lives while we hold on to the others. How do I maximise God's grace if he's not in total control of my life, words, thoughts and actions? It is only a life in full control of God that can maximise the potential of the seed of God's Word.
Surrender all to God today and let his Word do his work. Our lives will be better and more fruitful and God will be celebrated through the fruits our lives produce.
Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

The Right Timing......

Ecclesiastes 11:4 NIV:
Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

Matthew 13:31-32 NIV:
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

I believe we all have an idea of what we want the future to look like. We live our lives today, hoping and praying that all the little steps we take daily will lead us to the ultimate fulfillment that we seek.
How then can we be sure that we are on the right track? How do we deal with our hearts' searching questions on the present realities that we face daily and the direction our lives are headed?
I believe that a few answers arise from the passages quoted above. Many of us live daily lives like there's no tomorrow while many others are so focused on tomorrow that they forget to be relevant today. We must find a balance between both extremes. We see people with a clear idea of what they want to do, but they are so fixated by what the next person is doing so well that they forget that life is an individual journey. Conditions must be perfect or they won't step out. Everything required for guaranteed success must be in place or it won't be worth starting. Like the passage above states, if you are waiting for perfect conditions, nothing will ever get started. If all we seek is convenience and comfort, then we have not yet understood the demands and requirements of the race set before us. The biggest and the best things that we see now had humble and unimaginative beginnings. The mustard seed at birth is one of the smallest seeds in seed history. If that was all there was to it, then nothing would have been said of it today. But inside that small seed lies the potential for greatness. All it had to do to realise its potential was to be planted just as it was. The result is one of the biggest trees in history also. If you don't apply yourself to the situations and circumstances that God brings your way, how do we grow and realise our potential?
All that God needs is our availability and responsiveness to his voice, leading and direction. He does not promise us answers to all questions; he only assures us of his constant presence and help as we work out his purpose for our lives with his help. He is the I Am that IS Am who is always there, no matter the age, time, circumstances or generation. Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

God's wall of fire

Job 1:8-11 NIV

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”  “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

As we run the race called life, there are daily experiences that will question the quality and depth of our convictions and beliefs. A lot of us wonder just how there can be a loving God in the face of all the disasters, diseases and deaths all around us. People ask how a loving God can permit the immorality, iniquity and unrighteousness all around us. If God is so good as he proclaims, and he is in charge as people claim he is, why is there so much evil around us?
Today's passage gives an insight into these agitations. If there's anyone here on earth who expects a free ride into eternity, such a person is open to deceit. If anyone thinks that Christianity is a sure escape route from the reality called life, that thought is rooted in error. God did not promise us earthly comfort and conveniences by the standards of this world; what he has promised us and which is evident from the passage above is his presence, power, protection and provision.
Picture the scenario with Job: an upright man, who shunned evil, did good, brought up his children to fear the Lord. You would expect that life will be sweet. But here is the devil, seeking to spoil that joy. Watch Satan's confession: "you have put a hedge around Job and all he has, and blessed the work of his hands". Believe this: a fervent, faithful Christian life does not shield you from trials and temptations and no amount of acquisitions and possessions can keep you out of the firing line of the devil. He will keep trying and tempting but God's sure Word is the standard. Even the devil knows those who are truly serving God and who have been blessed by him and he will try the quality of your convictions.
There is a joyful note in Job's experience: God gave the terms, conditions and limits of Satan's attempts to shake Job's faith. When we are tempted and we think we cannot cope anymore, God is working behind the scenes, supplying the strength to endure to the end. All of God's greatest vessels and instruments used to do exploits have been tested and approved by God through various trials and temptations. God always allows us to go through the fire so we can be purified like gold, better than we were in the past, and prepared for greater assignments.
Even the devil does not understand the depths of God's strength and enablement. He thought that if he could take all that Job had, Job would curse God. Are you serving God for what you can get or what you are expecting from him? A true child of God knows his father and he thrives first on the relationship and fellowship that knowledge brings before talking about the benefits to be derived from that relationship. Most of us have mastered the art of always asking for more, never really bothered about what God really wants from and for us.
Today, as we run the race, let us be conscious of the person, power and purpose of the God we claim to serve. Let us depend on his grace, strength, wisdom and direction to know how to live right and to endure temptations. God has put a hedge around his children and even the devil, as powerful as he claims, must take permission from God before he can go round that hedge. Relax in God, nothing catches him by suprise and nothing can break his plan and purpose for your life, not even the most powerful forces of this world. Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

God and his Plans 2

2 Kings 5:1-3 NIV

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.  Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

Today's quote highlights a fundamental human experience. Because of cynicism and bitter experiences in the past, we have learned how to predict God and his ways. We think we know him so well that we can predict his movements, actions and intentions. Then when he does something that is not plausible or 'reasonable' as he always does, we are at a loss as to how to process Him.
If Naaman was truly helped by the Lord in battle, how come he was still leprous? If indeed Israel served a living God, why would their enemies attack them at will and take them captives to serve others in strange lands? But the amazing thing about God and his plans is that with him, the good end is already pre-determined and all our experiences today will only align with that good end. If there was no war, Naaman may never had met the God of Israel. If Israel was not attacked, the little girl would not have had oppourtunity to introduce the God of Israel to Naaman. If Naaman had been too high-handed and harsh, the slave-girl wuld have had no reason to help. So many actions and intentions linked into one ultimate end- the fulfilment of God's plan and the glory that would be ascribed to Him through all the experiences.
Where then does the devil come in? For every plan God has, the enemy has a counter-plan. We have already established that our brains are both our greatest gifts and our most-limiting possession. We hear what God can do, and our brains goes into drive, trying to see how best we can help God bring his promises to pass. We strategise, consult, reason and seek counsel from mostly myopic people, trying to use the created thing to understand the Almighty creator. We feel we know better,and can do it better or bring it to pass faster than God himself. Naaman found himself here: 2 Kings 5:11-12 NIV:
But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
Afterall, he was a commander, used to ordering people around. Why was this different? Because God was about to do a new thing. When you have done your best and laid out the best plan possible, yet everything seems to be falling apart, relax in God. His plans are not for your review or approval, they simply require your faith and acceptance. After all the fury, obedience followed and healing occured. That is the path of true blessing from God. The world calls it stupid, the Word calls it waiting on God. The world terms it as  reasonable because it can be seen, felt, touched, tasted and heard; the Word calls it faith, even when none of the senses knows anything about it.
His plans are good. Faith is the processor and the key,his Word is the manual and we are the vessels to be used to bring his plans to fulfillment. His time of favour is here.

Your Priorities 2

Luke 12:15 KJV

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

It appears to me that there's a race going on in our subconscious mind as we journey through life. It is s race to be bigger, better, finer, richer, more powerful, more connected, more privileged or more liked than the next person. Life has become a race where the first to cross the line is the winner who takes all the prizes available and leaves nothing for whoever comes second. The world has defined success, not so much in words, but in its attitude, showmanship and unspoken standards. We then pursue this standard, not even sure whose standard it is, or the inspiration and experience behind the standard. Instead of loving people and using things, the race-mentality has led us into loving things and using people to get ahead. There is a need to re-examine our lives again and check the standard- who's calling the shots and inspiring the procedures and principles that govern our lives? Who's telling us what to do, what to pursue and who to love? What is the inspiration for your life's goals, purpose, pursuit and direction? Is it the ever-constant God or the ever-changing world's standards? Because the world has no fixed roots, there's no way of measuring up to its standards. It changes its own mind because its principles are not rooted in Truth. It knows no permanence because it is guided by the shifty ruler of the world. What was the standard in the 70s has become termed as old-school now, while in the next 20 years, these same old-school thoughts may be the standards the world will pursue then. Why,then, would you live your life by the dictates and the direction of such inconsistent, unsure and biased standards and principles?
The thought in the passage today is fundamental to our life's pursuits and purpose: life is not measured by its duration or acquisitions but by its donation back to life. How many of us can remember the most rich men that lived in the past century? How many of us can forget the Mary Slessors, the Mother Theresas, and the other people who lived their lives by pouring out their own lives into other people?
God's greatest treasures are not measured in currencies but in people and only as you invest in people's lives can you get an adequate return on your investment. As I build up lives, God builds mine also. If I spend my entire life amassing wealth, just how much can I be certain that I can buy a space in eternity no matter how much I have. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul? The rich young ruler had kept all the laws, yet felt empty and unfulfilled. Christ showed him how he could make impact and eternity by selling all he had. His reaction is so revealing: I would rather keep my possessions than follow Christ. His riches were more important than touching lives. Anything you own or hold that has more importance to you or has more value to you than a human life is the wrong pursuit or priority. Check your life again.
Someone once said: 'Never let a problem to be solved become more important than the people to be loved'. That's fundamental. His time of favour is here.

Location or Personality

Genesis 26:1, 12 NIV
Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him.

There's a fundamental and foundation problem that we seek to address with the passage quoted above. We were brought up with the erroneous view that we had to go to school, get good grades, get a good job and marry right so that we could take good care of our families. We had come to equate success with wealth, we had brought riches and respect to the same level of importance as pursuing purpose and destiny. Nobody thought too much about finding out God's will or direction or seeking out his purpose. We just assumed that if we could work hard, live well and be a success, then God would be glorifed somehow.
Without belittling the issues raised above, I believe that the passage quoted above raises a salient point: what is God's place in our decision making process and future plans? Does God really bother too much about the mundane and the ordinary? Today's scripture tells us that he does. By regular human standards, nobody stays in a land where there's famine. Reason and logic dictate that you seek out greener pastures if you want to survive. This is the problem with most of us. Our brains are our most prized possession and our most-limiting factor when it comes to what God can do. We hear about God and his works, and we begin to wonder whether he really can do all we hear he can do. We rationalise and logically process God with our limited human reasoning, and then take decisions based on 'reason'. We forget that God is too powerful to be reasonable, and his thoughts are way too advanced for modern science or logic to keep up.
How do you explain Peter walking on water or the feeding of over 5,000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. How do you explain how a jar of flour and a cruse of oil can flow non-stop for 3 and a half years until Elijah's famine was called off? Or as stated above, how do you 'reasonably' process a man who plants in famine and in the same year, reaps a hundredfold of what was planted? The reason is stated there and is the answer for all ages and seasons: because the Lord blessed him. When a man is blessed by God, qualifications, degrees, riches, wealth and positions don't count. God does not share glory so he will work out his will in a way that it will be obvious that only God could do the things we see. You can't fight the battles by yourself, you can't survive on your own, you can't win by your strength. A total dependence on God's ability and power is the way forward for our breakthrough and freedom.
Seek God out today. He alone has the means, resources, power, wisdom, strength, ability and capacity to bring about to pass all his good plans for us. All we need to do is to show up in faith, trusting that whatever he does or wherever he leads, resources have been miraculously made available for us to survive and thrive and be a blessing.
Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

Who is to be Feared?

Isaiah 51:7-8 NIV

“Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults.  For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.”

There is a fear that is common these days: it is the fear of all thingd unknown and uncertain. Whatever we have not seen, heard, touched or felt makes us fear. We fear our children going out in the streets lest they be knocked down, we fear to take risks today, fearing that it may not work out so good. We fear to completely trust God, tryjng hard to ensure that we balance our scales, trusting God for the convenient and the issues, but ensuring that we put structures in place to ensure that in case God doesn't come true, at least, all will not be lost. We have mastered the art of deception: telling God with our mouths that we trust him, but telling him with our lives and actions that we can take care of a few things without his help.
For as many that know and respect their limitations, and have come to understand the limitless and boundless power and wisdom of God, today's passage puts in clear terms, the need to properly and completely trust the wisdom and power of God.
One thing that must be settled is this: you have got to know God. Many of us are content with what others tell us about God. We rely on third-party experiences to determine our knowledge of God, we wait for people's opinions and comments before we can form a view about God. We must seek him and find him for ourselves. As we know more of God, the more he shows himself strong in our lives. Seek him out for yourself: you can only know someone only as much as you spend time with the person. Someone elsse can't tell you much about God because if he has limited knowledge too, he will only give you out of his limited knowledge. But when you seek out this God, he shows you deep and hidden things, so that you can have a healthy fear for Him and hold his name in awe.
Secondly, you must settle this in your heart: God and fear of man cannot reside in the same heart. If you live your life in the light of people's expectations, God can never be glorified in your life because carnal man's preferences are ALWAYS contrary to God's expectations. How, then, can both co-exist?. You must make a decision today: fear God and really be free, or fear man and live your entire life trying to earn the approval of mortal and inconsistent man.
The end indeed justifies the means. If the end of man is dust, and God's righteousness and salvation last through the ages, then the choice is clear. God is pre-eminent and eternal, man, at his best, is still trust. Fear God and fear nothing else; fear man, and you will have God and everything else to fear. His time of favour is here.

God's Prerogative 2

Isaiah 54:16-17 GNB

“I create the blacksmith, who builds a fire and forges weapons. I also create the soldier, who uses the weapons to kill.  But no weapon will be able to hurt you; you will have an answer for all who accuse you. I will defend my servants and give them victory.” The Lord has spoken.

It is difficult, atimes, to understand what God means with words like these in the passage before us today. It appears as if God is the source of evil or the creator of war and bringer of evil and death. God claims responsibility for the wisdom and ability to forge weapons given to the makers of these weapons and the creator of the soldier who also uses these same weapons to kill. But, really, does it just end there? Are we to fold our arms and be simple enough to admit whatever comes our way without finding out what is God's will, purpose and direction in all these?
In the same passage, we see the mighty hand of God pulling the strings of life and giving us a choice. God had an ultimate plan that man cooperated with the devil to scuttle, but because God's plans cannot be thwarted, God had already made plans for man's restoration.
There's a choice to be made however. Before us lies blessings and curses, war and peace, good and evil. Both situations surround us; both scenarios are possible because of man's choices in the garden of Eden. God allows both situations so we can fully comprehend the importance of our choices and fully appreciate his wisdom, power and patience.
The same God who gives wisdom to forgers of weapons of war also says to those who have made a choice to follow him: NO weapon formed against us shall prosper. I have come to understand that anything that has been created is under the total and complete control of the One who created and formed it, so if God is the wisdom behind the creation, he is also the wisdom behind its efficacy or otherwise. If he says that nothing can hurt me if I am his servant, then a choice must quickly be made: safety is sure only in God. Our heritage is in Christ, not in degrees, achievements, high fences, secure perimeters and hi-tech gadgets. They will fail someday, as some powerful countries and citizens have found out recently. Only in God are we truly safe, and only in Him are we truly vindicated against all accusations of the enemy. Rejoice, for his time of favour is here.

God's Prerogative

Psalm 109:28 NIV

While they curse, may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.

Life is a battlefield. When people share their bitter experiences, we usually respond with the well-worn phrase: 'Such is Life'. There's a cycle of ups and downs in life; joys and pain, disappointments and appointments. No one is exempt; it is not a matter of faith, it is more of a matter of growth. I just think God, in his infinite wisdom, allows us to truly grow and depend on him through our experiences. I have seen the best of Christians go through hell on earth with hearts of joy, and I have also seen a few who became discouraged and despondent and turned back into apostasy. What then is God trying to say?
I believe that while we are in this world, we will need to fight. A lot of people were told that in Christ, all struggles cease but the reality of the Christian faith is much deeper than that. Christ promised us a yoke that he also will help us carry. While the world seems to be a care-free journey to nowhere, we as Christians are expected to buckle down and endure all the experiences that will come our way. We are to bear the cross without sighing so that at the end of our journey on earth, we will wear the crown. As we live from day to day then, what is expected of us? Men abuse what they do not understand, and they will abuse us when we take a stand that looks 'foolish' in the light of the realities that surround us. When we stand for truth in the light of crass falsehood, people who don't understand the principles guiding our stand take offence. But there's something God assures in he passage above: he will bless, regardless of what people do or say. He is God, the One who's able to take clay and make the most fitting and extraordinary of vessels with it. No wonder then, that with all the persecution, abuse and oppression of followers of Christ, people keep believing and holding on. There must be something or someone powerful that sustains a faith in the face of opposition.
As we walk this walk and run this race, let us constantly remember that God is fully in charge of our lives and he alone can sustain what he has ordained. This faith is worth dying for because its rewards and blessings far outweigh its challenges and stresses. Hold on to God. His time of favour is here.