Don't be a quitter.

I have found myself confused about His ways at times. I pray seriously about a situation but don't get any result at the time. Sometimes, the threat is ongoing and you just want a way of escape.

Have you prayed about a situation or believed Gods word concerning a trial you are facing and you find that it didn't work?

Well I have news for you. God's word is true and works, just not in the way and time you expect.

It is a hard truth. My husband and I were discussing this one night and God said to us, ' you are at my mercy.'

You ask God for financial breakthrough because you have been unable to get money to pay your school fees or your rent. You say the word, you act out your fath with actions such as sowing seeds, paying your tithes and doing more in your job or business, yet no increase and then you are forced out of school or given a quit notice.

At that point, you begin to wonder why God didn't intervene when you needed him to and if his word is really true,

When you get to that point, know that the devil intends for you to disbelieve God.

If there's anything I have learnt over the last few years of my life, is that God is understood backward, but we have to follow Him forward. He is understood in retrospect, but only when you have taken the step of faith to believe and follow His lead will you discover the answers to some of the questions you have been asking.

It is really a trial of your faith, but do you know that you only need to be more patient and trust God that He has a better plan for you concerning the challenges you face? It is not immediately apparent at that time, but you have got to remember what He has done for you in the past and know that His word is true, regardless of what you are facing at that time.

You are almost there...your breakthrough is just around the corner, don't give up yet.

In judges 20, the children of Israel wanted to go to battle with the children of benjamin. They went out to seek God and ask if they should go out to battle or not. God said they should go. They went and were defeated. They ran back to God and enquired of Him and He said,  "Go", and they went and were defeated. They yet again went back to God. And He said He would deliver the children of Benjamin to them. And after a hard battle, they won. Why didn't the children of Israel give up? They went back to God after a defeat. 

We must never give up. God will come through admist tears....but He will.

He may delay but He will come through.

Tarry on. Don't give up on that dream. Deliverance is on the way.

God of a second chance

God of a second chance

As I read the story of Samson, I wondered, did God plan for it all to end the way it did?

I got an answer. The Lord does not look for the downfall of His people.

Judges 16

Samson was a man of destiny, born for a special purpose. No other purpose than to bring down the philistines who bitterly oppressed the Israelites for a long time. God heard their cry and raised a man specially for that purpose, but there were rules.

Samson was not to drink strong wine or cut his locks as a sign of his covenant with God.

The moment he contravened, God left Him. Judges 16

Samson like every other person had a weakness. He loved beautiful philistine women. And He foolishly toldDelilah the source of his strength even when she had tried several times to kill him.

I wonder why Samson told her when he knew what the consequences would be. Well,I guess that was why she was his weakness and the lords of the philistines knew that she would be their ticket to getting Samson finally.

Samson's glory was lost, he was captured and his eyes plucked out and he was held as a prisoner by the philistines. They mocked him, threw parties in celebration of their victory, that they had finally captured the man who troubled and killed so many of their people. 

The Israelites may have thought that it was over and their hope of defeating the philistines was dashed. Their judge, Samson was blind and now in prison. He had no strength, it was all gone, the Lord had left him. He broke his covenant with God the day he allowed a razor on his locks.

Samson paid for his sins and weakness. Every action has consequences. Whenever you want to do anything, remember, there is a consequence to it.

The Lord is faithful, even when we are unfaithful. everyone thought all hope was lost.

Samson prayed one last prayer when the opportunity came to bring down the philistines. And God answered. Yes! God remained faithful to Samson.

He gave him a second chance to fulfill his purpose.

 God is a God of second chances. It doesnt matter what you have done, He will give you another chance if you repent and come back to Him.

He is a merciful God, a God of Covenant, a God of purpose, he can take your mistake and turn a bad situation to good. He turned Samson's bad situation for good.

He gave Samson strength for the last time to bring down the building that housed the thousands of philistines and the Lords of the philistines. He made sure Samson fulfilled his purpose regardless of what happened in the past. Samson killed more philistines in his death than when he was alive. His end was greater that his beginning, despite what the enemy thought he had done.

God is a God of wonders. Only trust in Him and forget your past and watch Him turn things around in your life for good. Trust in the Lord with All your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct your path. Proverbs 3:5

It's never too late with God. It's never so bad that it cannot be salvaged. God can bring you out of your mess and into his purpose. Don't worry or despair, have faith in Him.

And if you don't know Jesus and you don't have a relationship with Him, you can give yourself to Him right this moment. It doesn't matter what you have done.

Say this prayer aloud: heavenly father, I come to you this moment, just as I am, I know tha I am a sinner and I have fallen short of your glory. I believe that you sen your only son Jesus to die for my sins and he was resurrected. I ask Jesus to come into my life and be my lord and savior. Forgive me of my sins and wash with your blood. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name, amen

Be honest, He understands

There are times when God demands something from us, and He knows we don't have enough faith, He understands.

Yes, without faith, it is impossible to please God. But there are so many Christians who are not honest with God and with themselves.

When situations arise that test our faith, we must look inwardly and be honest about what our level of faith is. 

You cannot simply talk your way into faith only.

What is that situation that you are facing? What is being demanded of you? Talk to the Lord and be completely honest to Him about it.

You see,when Gideon was to lead the battle against the midianites, he wasn't so confident. He didn't have great faith.

When he gathered his army, God told him that they were too many, and that  He doesn't want Israel to think that they won the war by their strength and numbers. He reduced the army to 300 men and told Gideon that he shouldn't worry, that He will deliver the midianites to them.  Judges 7:9

But the Lord knew that Gideon was afraid despite what He had told Him.

So God told him that if he was afraid, he should go down with his servant, Phurah and hear for himself and be strengthened. Judges7:11

God didn't rebuke him for being afraid, He knew Gideon. He understood and wanted to help his faith.

He knew that if it would take Gideon going down to hear a man give an account of a dream he had where the sword of Gideon smote the midianites, for Gideon's faith to be strengthened that He would do it.

Sometimes we find ourselves in that same situation, where God speaks to us concerning a matter and we still have little doubts and fear. Know that the Lord can help your unbelief. 

Talk to him today about that fear.

Let Him help your faith. Like the father of the child who Jesus delivered in Mark 9:20-27, Say to Him, "Lord, I believe, Please help my unbelief."

He will help you. He will rescue you from the fear that prevents you from walking in line with His purpose for your life..

Don't be afraid to cry out

There are certain situations that we encounter that greatly test our faith. One thing I have come to realize is that you will go on in that situation, but until you cry out to God for help when you have reached your breaking point, nothing may be done about it. 
Never be afraid or feel ashamed to cry out to God in times of trouble.

You may have sinned against God and are now facing the consequences. You may just be going through a tough time in your relationship, or job. Do not be too proud to cry out to God for help. Sometimes, it is a trial that we need, to turn back to God.

You may have brought the trouble upon yourself through disobedience like the Israelites. Judges 6:1

The Israelites began polluting themselves after the death of Joshua. They began to serve other gods.

They also didn't drive out all the inhabitants of the promise land like the Lord had asked them to do. They instead went into a treaty with some of them. Well, that made God decide to give the inhabitants of the land an upper hand against the Israelites, just to prove them, to know whether they would keep the Lord's commandments and turn back to Him. Judges 6:1-7. 

They were under severe oppression from the Midianites and when they could no longer bear the anguish, they cried out to God to save them. God did not step in until they called out to Him, because He brought the oppression on them as punishment for forsaking Him and serving strange gods.

The pain from the trials bring us back to God in repentance.

Those times, it would seem as though God is silent. He is in a way. He allowed it. He knows our hearts and knows our threshold. He wants us to willingly come, and He will do whatever it takes to show us that we cant do without Him and that we have erred. He knows that you won't be able to bear the heat much longer and you would realize your follly and turn back to Him. The situation will last for as long  as we have not learnt the lesson it is meant to teach us.

Thank God that we can go to the throne of grace even when we are neck deep in sin. Hebrews 4:16. Thank God that veil to the holy of hollies was torn by Jesus that we may have access to the Father.

May we learn our lessons on time and may we go boldly to the throne of grace to obtain help in times of need.

May we never be to big or too hardened to run to God when we have erred.

Friends, the Lord is on our side. Never forget.

So you think you are smarter?

Many of us are like the children of Gad and Reuben. Numbers 32

You see, the men of Israel were sent to the land of Canaan to spy the land for 40 days and come back to Moses and the congregation of Israel with a report. They came back with a bad report, save Caleb and Joshua and because of that, God decided that they wouldn't see the promise land. Num 32:11. Now, the children of Gad and Reuben must have heard about the report that their fathers brought. They felt the land that God promised them was not good enough, that the inhabitants of the land were too mighty and powerful and would slay them.

Just earlier, the Israelites won a battle against the Midianites and they got a lot of cattle, sheep, and spoils of war.

So as they were journeying through the wilderness, they passed through the land of jazer and gilead.They saw that the land was a place for cattle so they decided to ask Moses if they could take the land for an inheritance and forget about going to Canaan. Numbers 32:1-5. They were ready to exchange that land they saw for the land that God had promised them for an inheritance.

Sometimes, we as Christians hear a lot of evil report about the Christian life. The older Christians may have somehow convinced us that the Christian life is not one to be desired. So we ask God for an exchange. Instead of me to sing gospel music and not make money,why don't I sing secular music?

Instead of me to pay my tithes,why don't I give it to charity?

Instead of me to marry this God fearing man who does not have so much money, why don't I marry that ritualistic with a lot of money. You even hear some women say it is better to cry in a Bentley than to be happy in a beetle. 

We begin a negotiation with the Lord.

We have our planB, because we don't trust that God's plan is the best. Who told you? Who deceived you? Who gave you an evil report? Whose report would you rather believe?

The children of  Gad and Reuben didn't trust God enough to believe that His thoughts and plans for them are of good and not of evil (Jeremiah 29:11).

No good thing will He withhold from  

His children. Psalm 84:11

Do not exchange your promise land for the land of Jazer and gilead.

Can a man offer you a brand new range rover jeep and you decline and rather ask for a picanto? 

Do not let anyone deceive about the promises and will of God.

Know that it is better, much better, far better than any plan that you can ever conceive.

What makes you think you have a better plan? Who told you?

For He is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all you can ever ask or think,according to the power that worketh within you. Ephesians 3:20 That is the magnitude of the God you serve.

Be not discouraged by the evil reporter. Remember the report of Joshua and Caleb.

Don't let anyone rob you of your inheritance in Christ. Num 32:9. Don't be deceived like Esau was when Jacob snatched his birthright from him all for a mere pot of pottage.

Esau was hungry and needed the food, but was it really worth it? Was his birthright so tiny in his eyes that he could not see its significance?

You may not understand what God is doing for you, but be rest assured that He is doing something grand. It is only understood in retrospect. 

We walk by faith and not by sight.

Stop walking by sight with God. You will never live a fulfilled life because a life of faith is what God wants for us.

Mediate on the promises of God and know that His plans are always better than anything we can imagine.

Stay blessed.

Law-abiding citizen

You must have found yourself reading the old testament and wondering about all the laws. You even said a silent prayer thanking God you were not born then. No one could have survived it. No one is that righteous, not even the Pope or the late Nelson Mandela. The main purpose of the law was to show us that we could not serve God with our own power and strength. Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags before him. Isaiah 64:6

Isaiah with all his righteousness, realized how dirty he was before God. Isaiah 6:1-5

Why did God need to show us that we couldn't do anything including serving and pleasing Him without His help? Because we initially tried to do without Him. We tried to do without a relationship with Him. We told Him in Exodus to tell us what to do and we would do it, that He should give us laws to follow and we would follow everyone of them (exodus 19:8). We didn't want a direct relationship with Him, we just wanted a mediator like Moses who would speak to Him on our behalf and we would do what He asked (exodus 19: 18-19

But when you break one law, you have  broken all the laws and are liable to die.

Nadab and abihu dropped dead immediately after their consecration. They lit strange fire that the Lord asked them not to (leviticus 10:1-2).You would have thought God would have had mercy. But they were already bound by the law.  They lived by the law and thus were bound by it.

In the beginning, God's initial and original plan for creation was revealed in genesis. Everything that existed before the law is not bound by the law.

Man could eat anything. When the law was introduced,  whole sets of instructions and rules to follow were given. 

Man couldnt cope and kept dying for breaking the law. God just wanted us to know that we were not capable without Him. We do not exist outside of Him.

We are saved by grace. The law was abolished when Jesus came and died on the cross as an atonement for our sins. John 1:17 Romans 6:14

Now that the law is no more, we Christians need to learn what God was trying to teach the Israelites. That we can't serve Him by trying to observe certain rules and regulations. That His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

That we should lean on Him totally. Let go and let God.

This is the dispensation of grace.

Yet it is not by power or by might but by His spirit that we can lean on Him.

I have asked the Lord to show me how to surrender. So many times, I have tried to be a Christian by too much human power and effort. The first thing to do is realize that without Him, you can do nothing. John 15:5

When you realize that, then you begin to depend on Him completely and walk in grace.

May we learn to surrender ourselves to His grace and let it work its perfect work in our lives. It is time to stop struggling and trying so hard to please God by obeying a set of rules. It is only possible to please God with faith, no matter how little.

Let us ask for grace to live right and be pleasing to Him. Amen.

You have everything you need

When God gives you a task, He is responsible for providing for it.

He gave Moses instructions on how to build the tabernacle of the congregation and how everything was going to be put in a particular place and order. He gave specific instructions (Exodus 30). Trust me, our God is not a vague God. He specifies what He wants you to do, but it's revealed during communion and fellowship with Him.

He didn't leave any room for Moses to take  certain Initiatives on his own.

The more initiatives you take with an assignment that God gives you, the more prone the assignment is to human error. He is the only one who gives an assignment and supplies all the answers.

He gave specifics about what the ark of testimony, tables and vessels, candlesticks, curtains and veils, altars of incense and burnt offerings, and laver and foots should look like, down to their measurement, everything was specified. I thought it would be up to Moses to go and conduct a talent hunt among the children of Israel to find the best goldsmith, best welder, best carpenter etc, but God had other plans. He had already chosen who He was going to use and had called them by name...Bezaleel and Aholiab. Exodus 31:2-6

He not only called them out, He had equipped them with His Spirit,with wisdom,understanding, knowledge and workmanship, basically everything they would need for the task ahead.

Has God given you a task? He will provide the people you need to make it happen as well as the materials needed.

There's nothing as unfortunate as having a divine mandate but bringing the wrong people on board, people who are not equipped for the work, who lack wisdom, understanding and knowledge, people who you need to continually convince about what God has asked you to do. 

Let God choose the people for you. He is the one who gave you the task in the first place. It is time to operate in divine grace. It is not about your ability, but God's capability.

What has the Lord mandated you to do? He has not left you all by yourself to go figure it out. You must go back to Him for direction every step of the way.

My prayer is that we can stay connected to the vine and that we can trust Him to provide. 

Let this be your goal in every divine assignment, that you stay connected to the vine.

It is well with you.