True Safety!

Safety

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong. Proverbs 18:10 AMP

This generation could be accused of blasphemy and it would not be wrong. We have taken the name of the Lord as a plaything. These days, when a person seeks to be believed or trusted, s/he is quick to swear using the name of the Lord. A salesman will swear that his scales or weights are honest, the woman using the measuring bowl will swear that a kilogram truly weighs a kilogram.

The belief in what has been said is not tied to the person but to the oath taken. We have forgotten the clear directives given by Jesus himself: do not swear by anything, but let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No. When a man has lost trust, he has lost a fundamental part of himself. When your words cannot be trusted, then you need to check again and be sure of your stand and place in God.

Two quick things: 1. The name of the Lord is the strong tower, not a magic wand. It is not a place for the unsure or the faint-hearted, who will still need to combine the name with something else. It is not a name you can invoke for selfish reasons; you have to come to God on his own terms, not yours. All God promises is that ANYONE who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. You just call. 2. The Righteous have permanent residence in the tower, because they have understood their own limitations and recognise God's limitless power. They have come to understand that it is only in God that a man is truly safe.

The economy is not smiling, the political space is not friendly, life generally can be brutish. In God, you are safe from evil. You are not immune to challenges or trials, but you are backed up by the greatest power and protection available. In God, you are safe, high above evil and strong. The safety and strength is not a function of your own ability but about your location and allocation. Run to God today. He does not promise you a life free from challenges, but he guarantees you safety, protection, strength and testimonies. His time of favour is here.

The Right Attitude

The Right Attitude

I THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God's service, Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3 AMP

Having the right attitude starts with understanding that life is not a competition with anyone. God has called each of us to run a race; he didn't call two of us together into one race, he called each one into his or her own race. Our paths may meet and we go along together for a while, but unless we are married, we are bound to part sometime in the future. Even a husband and wife have different races, different purposes but are united together by God to raise Godly offspring, enjoy companionship and find fulfilment in God.

Even while running the race, there is a right approach and a wrong approach. You could get your race and purpose right, but if you do not get the attitude right, you may end up all frustrated and eternally lost. When I begin to think my race is more important than the other person, when I think I am better than the other man, when I lose commitment due to external pressures, and give in to fear or unhealthy rivalry, when I compare my experiences with the other man and wish I was running his own race, then there is a problem.

The central theme here is: live a life worthy of the call you have received. If you have not received the call from God, go back to God. If you have heeded another person's call, retrace your steps back to God and find out his call. When you have now heeded God's call, spend your life living in line with the dictates of that call. God's rewards are not tied to activity, but to purpose. Find purpose, you will find a reason for living. His time of favour is here.

Doing Right Pays

Doing Right Pays!

Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. Proverbs 13:6 NIV

In this season and generation we have found ourselves, it appears as if it is more profitable to join the bandwagon to do evil. We are part of system that have systemically eroded values and rendered honesty impotent. We have looked at truth and called it unimportant. We have looked at honesty and called it impotent. We now measure success by standards different from what God has already established. We noe measure worth in monetary terms and not by the inner contents of a man's heart.

However we see it, one very clear thing is this: the fact that something is popular or generally acceptable does not make it right. The fact that the whole world has accepted it does not make it the truth backed up by God's word. There is a need to examine our hearts again and make sure we are on the right path. This is important because it is not the world's standards that will apply to us when judgment comes, but God's word. It is not popular opinion that will count when the decision of our eternity is being settled. God's standards as established by his word remain the one and only way to go. Every other thing will fall away with time.

When you do right, you may not always be right with people. When you dare to stand for truth, you will not be popular. However, God is interested in our living by his truth, and even if he appears slow, he always defends those who stand up for him. When you dare to do right, God dares to fight for you. The results may not be physically evident but the benefits are eternal and worth it. When evil repercussions from wickedness comes, you are protected because you have stood on the side of truth. Daniel's testimony was that nothing was found on him, except on the matter of his worship of God. The three Hebrew boys signed off their lives to God, saying they were willing and ready to die on the side of truth rather than compromise. God may not always come through the way we desire, but the fact that we are reading about Abel, Joseph, Stephen, Paul and others show that God will work out that which is best in the lives of those who are fully committed to him.

It does not matter how long you have prospered in iniquity and wickedness; the day of reckoning will come. It does not matter how hard things have been because you have dared to stand for truth; the day of reward will come. The choice is yours: judgment or reward. Your end is determined by the choices you make today. His time of favour is here.

Who/What are you waiting for?

Who/What are you waiting for?

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 KJV

As the year rolls on, it is important to take honest stock and know where we stand in the journey towards eternity. It is important to take stock of the experiences God has brought us through and the lessons he has taught us, so we can consider where we are now, what we need to be, where we need to be and who God wants us to be.

The world seems to be in a perpetual race towards a goal. The problem is that the goal is not defined and the target is not clear, so it is difficult to know when you have arrived at the target destination. The world teaches us haste without direction, wealth without accountability, wages without responsibility and bliss outside of God's blessings. The world has an invisible measure of success by which men are measured, and if you have not arrived in the eyes of the world, then the world will nor notice you. At least, that is what the world teaches. Man then keeps running, pursuing that invisible target, never sure when he has arrived and never sure when he can rest.

What does the Word teach?  The Word of God teaches patience and perseverance as parts of the fruit of the Spirit. The Word teaches man to wait for God instead of labouring in one's own strength; the Word teaches man that success is as defined by God, not man. The Word teaches man to seek for bliss in the blessings of God, not in the abundance of possessions. Unfortunately, because the world's systems are always loud and popular, these are the gauges by which we seek to measure ourselves.

Today, we need a different focus and direction. We need to change direction if we will get to the place God intends for us. We cannot continue in the wrong direction and expect that somehow, we will make it. No matter how far or fast you travel in the wrong direction, you are never going to get to the place of rest prepared by God. You are either with the Word or with the world. Because both are on different platforms and are guided by opposite standards, you cannot do both. You must make a choice.

What God offers are blessings the world may not reckon with now, but will seek out with money if possible. Haven't you see  rich men by the world's standards who cannot sleep?  Don't be deceived by high fences and muscle-flexing bodyguards; a fat bank account does not always equate to a good night sleep. It is not a crime to be rich too by the standards of the world, but let not what the world says be your life pursuit. What God offers are strength and vigour beyond our years. The world will run itself into the ground in pursuit of wealth, while God will graciously give it without stress to the one who has waited patiently for him. While the world measures success by the value of naira and kobo, God is already at work, blessing a man beyond what money can buy.

Wait on the Lord. He always comes good. God can spend 10 years preparing a man for the success ahead, and it is only when I cooperate with God that my manifestation will not bring about any molestation. When I allow God's process to work in my life, I will enjoy his promises. When I walk with him, he works out great things in me. When I walk with man, I can only go so far; when I walk with God, there are endless possibilities and amazing miracles ahead. His time of favour is here.

True Strength!

True Strength!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

The world teaches and promotes self - sufficiency. The world abhors weakness and dependence, and seems to reward anyone who is able to get to the top, irrespective of how the person gets there. It appears as if there is gain to be made in striving to make things happen by yourself, since nobody will do the same for you. We have taught to labour for ourselves and not expect manna to fall from heaven. All these things have some truths in them, but this does not give the full picture of what God has in store for us.

God wants to be involved in our daily lives. He wants to be consulted on every step we desire to take. He wants to give the strength we need to make it,  and he is the One who knows what is needed for the assignments that are ahead. We must therefore seek him if we are to achieve all that we have been created to achieve. We must depend totally on him if our lives are to have meaning and impact.

God's grace isn't selective but is available for anyone. It is however enjoyed by only those who realise their weaknesses and inadequacies and come seeking God's help for the tasks ahead. God's grace is an enabler, helping you to achieve all that you could never achieve in 3 lifetimes without God. His grace is sufficient for whatever the world seeks to throw at you. If Paul could have a thorn in his flesh, and could still achieve all that we read about him, then trust me: my life is not determined by my effort, but by the grace of God. I cannot predict the future or adequately control the present,  but I can only hold on to the one who is in full control of everything.

I must therefore move away from an entitlement mentality to a grace mentality. I must understand that everything I achieve was never about me in the first place; it is always about God showing his power, strength and grace in my life. May I never lose sight of this truth, as I set out to achieve all that God created me to. His time of favour is here.

Joy and Pain

Joy and Pain

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3 NIV

It is only in God that both joy and pain can comfortably exist side by side. It is only in God that we are encouraged to view pain as an avenue to rejoice. It is a bit difficult for the carnal man to understand in what way pain can lead a man to joy, but what God says here is instructive for us, as we seek to focus on those things that are important for our present and our eternity.

God does not seek to make us comfortable.  That is not his ultimate goal; His desire is that we be like him everyday, through all the things he allows in our lives. His ultimate desire is not that we amass possessions and wealth,  but that we impact lives through the lessons we learn from his school. If wealth comes, good, but with wealth fro God comes a plethora of lessons that will teach you the purpose and application of all that God gives you.

When trials, tribulations and hard times come, what do you focus on: the pain or the lessons?  When things don't go according to plan, how do you pick yourself up and apply yourself to the lessons God intends that you learn from them?  How can you see joy when all that others see is pain and suffering?  One thing is clear: it is a focus on God alone that will influence what you feel or think; it is a focus on God that will get you through the pain into the purpose. It is an understanding of who you belong to that will determine how you respond and how you grow into God’s ultimate goal for your life. Joseph never forgot whose he was : whether in the pit, in Potiphar's house, in the prison or in the palace, he carried along with him the presence of God everywhere he went. It then means that it is not really about what you go through but who you go with that really matters. Man can only support and assist you within their own means; a man can only lift you to the level and length of his arms. God has everlasting arms, able to sustain us all through this present life and still guarantee us eternity.

Today, rejoice that you are in God. No matter what your externals say, your internal is the determinant of your attitude and outlook. His time of favour is here 

Proof of Life

Day 310- Proof of Life

For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself to redeem everyone. That was the proof at the right time that God wants everyone to be saved, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 GNB