A Cheerful or Fearful Look?

I was chatting with a friend earlier today about making good use of every opportunity we have, particularly thriving under circumstances that are difficult and she mentioned she learnt something from the life of  Nehemiah in the bible. So I decided to study again the life of this great but subtle character. I came across some interesting truths that lifted my spirit and here I am, sharing it with you. This would be the first of about three posts I will be doing about him but let me start with this as we prepare for the Easter celebrations!

 Nehemiah 2: 1-In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him; I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

4 The king said to me, “What is it you want? “

Nehemiah had been serving the king for a couple of years. Let’s not forget that as at the time of this story, he was a slave in Babylon but he had a pretty good life. He was a slave, but lived in the king's palace as the cup bearer. A Jewish exile  in Persia and a eunuch which meant he didn't have children and most definitely didn't have a wife but despite all the odds working against him, He never put up a sad countenance.  One amazing thing about him was that he could testify about himself that “He was never sad in the presence of the king”. Never!  His happy countenance emanated from a happy heart.

Proverbs 15: 13 says -A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Since the king was not used to seeing him moody or with a sad countenance; he immediately knew something was wrong on this fateful day. Yes there are challenges in life but most times a lot of us wear these issues like powder or lipstick and it is so conspicuous. Some people never put on a lively countenance. Once they come around you, you immediately can sense what is going on in their minds and sometimes it could be contagious as you may suddenly start to feel sad yourself. The king said to Nehemiah and I paraphrase; "you are not sick, you are always a joyous person , in fact you make me happy. This look of sadness I am seeing must be something very grave, it must be some serious issue of the heart, tell me what the issue is". 

Proverbs 15: 30 says - A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.  Friend, when you always wear a cheerful countenance, you bring joy to the souls of people around you. Have you had some people come around you and you feel excited and instantly uplifted in your spirit? They just lighten the environment, they are not a talkative but even when they speak so much, they speak the right words, and they make your spirit leap. When Mary got to Elizabeth and she saluted her, the bible records that the baby in her womb leaped! She had such a great aura around her that even an unborn child felt her presence in the womb.

And then, the opportunity for Nehemiah came- the King asked him what was wrong. If Nehemiah had been a nagging and moody person, the king might probably not have noticed his mood or Nehemiah wouldn't have remained his cup bearer . You know why?  Kings have problems too; they need cheerful, positive people who can lift and not crush their spirits. Remember when Saul was being oppressed by an evil spirit, he needed someone who could help suppress those evil feelings and David was always there playing the flute and harp. He must have been a joyful young chap. It wasn't the musical instruments that brought relief to the king; the spirit of the man who played it was the secret. The bible in 1^st Samuel 16: 12 said about David “Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health— bright-eyed, good-looking”.

Some people go for interviews and wonder why they never get a feedback call. Sometimes we are unaware that people can read our hearts through our eyes.  Sometimes as ladies, we wonder why the guys are not talking! And wives too, if you are always downcast, don’t nag when your husband is not interested in conversing with you. The bible in the message version of Matthew 6: 22a says: Your eyes are windows into your body and Proverbs 27: 19- says just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart. When people see you , they  immediately  can tell if something is wrong or not. #Shrug# I am talking to myself too!  So much to talk about this great guy Nehemiah but I can’t just get over what he said, “I took the wine and gave it to the king, I had not been sad in his presence before”….Hmmn!

The popular song coined from the psalms goes thus:

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart

I will enter His courts with praise

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made,

I will rejoice for He has made me glad

Time to wrap this up! I will talk about identifying and preparing for opportunities in my next post. But for now, it’s all about having a good disposition. It's Easter period, the essence of our Christianity, the reason for our hope: Christ died for us so we  can be free forever. He has taken our pain and shame so that we may dwell in gladness of hearts.

Stop wearing your challenge like a powder or lipstick. He is risen for you and I!

Have a most fabulous Easter celebration ever! Love Eternal!

The Pen…..

The Children's Bread ; Served on a Hot and Fresh Basis

Yesterday, I had this nostalgia about my trip to Paris a while back and I remembered eating at a restaurant where there was a display of all sorts of delicious patisserie and bread ranging from Toasted Sunflower Bread, Soft Honey Oat Bread, Finnish Wheat Rolls¸ Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and all..... Mouth-watering recipes and long names you would agree. Before I start to salivate again, let me head on to the focus of this post already!  So I woke up this morning with the phrase “Children’s Bread” ringing in my ears and I pondered on it on my way to work. Of course, I remembered the phrase is in the bible but it suddenly occurred to me that there is actually a deeper meaning to this phrase in Jesus's sentence and it’s needful to understand what He meant.

Matthew 15:25”Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He (Jesus) answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

A woman from Canaan who was a gentile had come around to meet Jesus to ask for healing for her daughter who was demon possessed and Jesus responded by saying  that it wasn't appropriate to give what belonged to the children out to the dogs. Hmmmn…. “Children’s Bread” What does this mean and what is the bread itself? The Bread was healing in this context and the children were the tribe of Israel He was sent to save. Jesus’s priority was his own; children of the kingdom and He was for starters going to channel his energy on them only. Needless to say the woman persisted and got her request granted; I am very interested in that phrase - The Children’s Bread!

Our God is the orchestrator of all beautiful and astonishing varieties and you will agree with me that if there is the children's bread as Jesus mentioned, it would come in assortments. If the Bread in that context was healing, something the body needed to survive, it would also encompass everything that pertains to living a good life such as prosperity, deliverance, marriage, fruit of the womb, peace of mind and every good thing the mind can conceive. Yes, every “good” thing because the bible says "every good and perfect gift come from above, from the Father of lights in whom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning"(James 1:17). Now If the bakers of this world could offer such mouth-opening delicacies in different forms and manners, then God, the Creator of Heaven and earth, who gives the wisdom for all manner of enterprise and innovation is able to bless us in absolutely fantastic and diverse ways.

When you are a child of the kingdom, born again by believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, you automatically qualify for this “Children's Bread”.  As born again Christians we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and we are sons and daughters of the Most High. There is the divine apportionment that belongs to us and even though God opens His hands to satisfy the desires of all living being(Psalm 145:16),we are His priority! Yes you and I.

It is high time as Christians we stopped struggling to get the basic things of life. There is a way out for us, there is a blank cheque(check) given by the father, there is an inheritance for the redeemed; the Children's Bread reserved for us on a daily basis! We need to remember His desire for us is to prosper and be in health as our souls prosper. All things are made available to us in the kingdom and we can only possess them by Faith. No wonder Jesus taught His disciples to pray in Mathew 6: 11(Give us our daily bread) and he meant it to be daily indeed. The Bible says He DAILY loads us with His benefits. Psalm 68:19.

Exodus 16: 11-12 (Message version) God spoke to Moses, "I've listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: 'At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you'll eat your fill of bread; and you'll realize that I am God, your God.'" 13-15 That evening quail flew in and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew all over the camp. When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground. The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was.16 So Moses told them, "It's the bread God has given you to eat.....

God demonstrated his ability to meet the needs of His children in the example of the Israelites when they wandered in the wilderness and as we know, He fed them for 40 good years with bread rained down from heaven on a daily basis and they were warned to pick just what would suffice for each household per day; Any thing left over till the next day got wormy and smelled bad! Is it not interesting that God has a storehouse from which He could meet our needs? He chooses whichever way He pleases to go about it. Unlike when he fed Elijah by a raven and also by a human being (the Zarephath widow), in the case of the Israelites, He fed them directly from the Store house of Heaven. I am in awe of this mighty God because as always, His ways are past finding out. If He feeds even the lions, the ravens according to Job 38:39-41, how much more you and I?

For everyone who is born again, reading this, there is a “Children's Bread” you are entitled to and it is a daily right. Meaning it is your right to constantly have your needs met: enjoy a good life, perfect health, beautiful family, good job and every good thing you desire. God is interested in blessing us with what we need to sustain ourselves and it should come in the morning(when we need them, not delayed blessings). He wants to satisfy us with His early mercies. For the Israelites, Bread was a necessity and God gave it to them in the morning on an “ongbona feli feli( Hot and fresh) basis; Early enough because when the sun comes out, in the heat of the day it melted the bread (verse 21 of Exodus 16).  His blessings, mercies, compassion are new every morning and great is his faithfulness! (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Taking this discussion a step further, we need to know that we are not expected to remain at the state of having our needs met only, we must be a blessing to everyone around too. It is His will for us to be in a state of overflowing blessings. He blesses us to be a source of blessing to the world. Our Father of Faith; Abraham was prosperous, Isaac waxed great and for Jacob it was recorded that “the man grew exceedingly prosperous”. Since we are the seeds of Abraham, we are partakers of the same covenant that worked for him and above all, we operate in a better covenant through Christ. If we would trust God enough and walk in the Abrahamic example of Faith, we qualify for these huge blessings and much more.

Matthew 7: 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If you then,being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

The parameters for enjoying God’s blessings include (but not limited to)-Faith, Dedication, Trust, Diligence, Obedience and then we can say Lord give us this day our CHILDREN’S BREAD. Have you wondered why in Matthew 6: 33 Jesus admonished us to seek His kingdom first and all other things would be added to us? It is not a problem at all to get God to fulfil His own part of the deal; the question is if we are willing to fulfil our own part. Are we ready to seek Him first and make Him the Number one in our affairs? Hmmmm………I leave us to answer that question.  If you are not a child of the kingdom yet, it’s just a step away. Believe in your heart Christ came to die for you, ask him to forgive your sins and accept Him as your Lord. This bread becomes yours too!

The Children’s Bread in different varieties is ours, oh yes I know it’s ours!

The Pen…..

Discover your Covering...

Discovering the Power of  Spiritual Covering.....

It’s a blessed and beautiful morning. As I listened to a message by one of my revered Pastors and Mentors yesterday, I got an inspiration to write this short piece. It’s a kind of sequel to my post titled “Follow or Wallow”, talking about mentoring and followership but in a different line of thought. I hope it blesses everyone who reads it.

God is a God of order and He has set in the church Apostles, Pastors, Prophets etc. We all are  members of His body. However He has put ahead of us people who are Fathers of our Faith; our pastors and leaders; those who carry grace and unction to be a source of immense blessings to the body of Christ.  And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children..( Ephesians 4:11-15). In few words, I would like to intimate us with few examples from the bible on how we can enjoy the covering of our pastors in our day to day affairs. We can key into the grace they enjoy and tap into the anointing on their lives to work for us.

When Jesus was in the world and His disciples were eating whilst the Pharisees were often fasting, the Pharisees began to grumble and in Matthew 9:14, they came to question him about why his disciples were not fasting.  His reply to them was that as long as He was around, they needed not fast. Why? He was a covering for them, they had the privilege of having  the Miracle Worker Himself with them. He was the Power Carrier, He often prayed and fasted but He gave them also power to thread upon serpents and scorpions and do miracles as He would do. So they soared on His wings!  Elisha followed his master Elijah until He was taken away and there was transference of spirit. When He got to the River Jordan just after Elijah departed, He cried, where is the God of Elijah? The spirit upon his departed master wrought an instant miracle for him and the river parted.

Let me also remind you of the story of Prophet Elisha and his servant Gehazi.  God had just wrought a great miracle of healing in the life of Naaman (the affluent but leprous captain of the host of Syria) through Elisha and he had refused to receive any of the gifts offered to him. But the prophet’s servant Gehazi, out of greed followed Naaman and lied to get some of those things his Master had refused. When he came back, Elisha asked where he was coming from and told him that his spirit had actually gone with him and had seen what transpired between them( 2nd Kings 5:25). I find it very interesting that  his Master’s spirit had gone with him and nothing was hidden from him. It happened also in the Bible that the sons of the prophet at one time wanted to make a bigger place of abode for themselves and they appealed to their Master Elisha to go with them. Thank God he did, because the axe head they borrowed fell into the water but for his presence and intervention, it would have been lost in water forever! 

Paul the apostle was in a troubled ship with some prisoners on their way to being prosecuted and there was a mighty storm which threatened their lives. He assured them that there wouldn't be loss of lives (as long as he was aboard with them) and so it was. God gave him an assurance that because he was there with them, the lives of the other crew and prisoners were safe… What a sweet assurance, what a man to be associated with! Our Fathers' anointing can actually navigate the way for us, only for those who would dare believe in this biblical principle.

Acts 27:22

But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. 23For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’25So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

We can conclude that when we submit ourselves to the ministry and authority of our spiritual leaders, there is a covering upon our lives by the reason of our association with them. And we can tap into this from time to time in our journey of life. Trust me, when we believe; there are certain things we stand to enjoy from their physical or spiritual presence.

Now we may not get our pastors to physically go around with us, we may not even be close to them but when we are cognizant of the fact that their covering is upon us, we can walk with an assurance that God’s grace upon their lives, in addition to what we carry ourselves will make a way for us when we need it, deliver us from evil and deliver unto us all we need per time. I have heard of the testimony of someone who got a job because He mentioned the name of His pastor during the interview. One of the interviewers reckoned that if He could be mentored by that pastor then He was likely to be a performer. Lets discover the power we have in our spiritual covers!

Thank you for reading and please feel free to share any personal experience or testimony in this regards.

It’s a beautiful week people, enjoy Grace!

The Pen…..

Friends that Mend or Bend

Hello everyone, it’s a beautiful Thursday and I am so excited the weekend is almost here. I was going to write a different article but reading the book of Job again this morning, something caught my attention about the influence of friends in our lives and I thought to share.

 Many people do not like to read the book of Job because it is a sad story of calamities that befell a man and it appears to be so full of deep arguments and words but I have read it twice in a short period and I find some amazing life nuggets in it. His story in the bible is a peculiar case of God vouching for a man about his integrity, uprightness and reverence. He was such a God-fearing man and he commanded God’s respect. I don’t want to bore you with the long story but the long and short is that the devil afflicted him because He thought that would make him renounce and curse God.

Job’s first reaction was to bow in worship when he heard of the entire catastrophe that had befallen him (Job 1: 20). It was a huge loss; everything he had acquired in life, including his children were all gone in a jiffy. But in spite of this devastation, he worshiped God. Verse 22 says “In all of these, Job did not by charging God in wrongdoing”. We move on to chapter 2 where we see his health also afflicted and he was in such a messy state that his wife advised him to curse God and die.  His response to her was that of an unflinching  believer ” You are talking like a foolish woman……..shall we accept good from God and not trouble, in all of this, Job DID not sin in what he said”

Then comes verse 11 of chapter 2; my focal point this morning. 11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came everyone from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. 12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent everyone his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

He maintained his peace and kept his mouth shut UNTIL his friends; the so called sympathizers came around. They left their houses to come see a man who had been greatly afflicted and all they could do was to weep aloud from afar and sprinkle dust on their heads. No words of comfort, they didn't even make an attempt to lift him from the floor and encourage him to put on his clothes, bathe and eat. They sat with him on the floor for seven good days!  I wonder if it was genuine sympathy because in some of the subsequent chapters, they accused Job of being a wicked man and that he was only reaping the reward of his “deeds”. Chei!  I am certain they must have been beneficiaries of his wealth! Why would they even form a company to go see and mourn with him? Could they not have gone individually? They came to sympathize I agree but should they have added to his grief by weeping, tearing their clothes and rolling on the ground as they did? Haba! I thought the bible says “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17). So if these friends couldn't alleviate his problems, why would they compound it?

It was when they came into the scene that Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born. From  chapter 3  till about the 32^nd chapter we see a lot of trading of words, finger pointing, ramblings, wrong advice, accusation, regrets, wrong allegation, amongst Job and the three friends and we hear a lot of stories of regrets, and totally appalling words that were very unnecessary. This continued until Elihu another friend of Job who was much younger than all of them stood up to reprimand Job and that at least jolted him back to his senses. His hard times might have ended much earlier if these friends had not come in my opinion! Elihu pointed out his faults in some of the things he had said and advised him wisely and sharply! Then we see God step into the scene…… (Job 38)

It is good to have friends but it is wisdom to choose carefully. Friends are an important part of life. There are friends who stick closer than a brother indeed. I've got a few of such. There is a need to strategically pick those you who run this race of life with. I say this with no iota of disrespect or disregard for anyone. But the truth is you can’t rise above those you associate with. They either lift you up or bring you down. “Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces” (Pro 13:20). Love all, but be strategic in friendships.

Friends make or mar you. In life, we all need people who would always encourage us to be the best, help us through difficult times ,encourage us to hold our heads on high, constructively criticize us and not dampen our spirits, aggravate our stress and form a pity party for us all the time. Enough of those! Peradventure I am describing the role you play in the lives of your friends- You are the same person who would say demotivating things, castigate, backbite, run down and gossip about them, it may be wise to do introspection today.  You may be in for a rude shock because everyone reaps whatever they sow. If you expect to have good friends, you have to be one too.  A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother(Proverbs 18: 24).

A good friend should:

·Give good advice- Proverbs 12:26: The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray. (NLT)

· Shape and sharpen you -Proverbs 27:17: As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (NLT)

· Be loyal and love through difficult Times -Proverbs 17:17: A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. (NLT)

· Be a Rare Treasure- Proverbs 18:24: There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. (NLT

· Not be a gossip. Gossip separates best friends Proverbs 16:28:
A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. (NLT)

Lets get back to Job’s story as I wrap this up. When God was going to restore him, He expressed his displeasure to these 3 friends of Job. They didn't have good intentions and they didn't say the right things to him. God requested that Job makes a sacrifice on their behalf and pray for them and He did and then his own fortune was restored. (Job 42: 7-9). Do not be deceived, bad company ruins good morals the bible says. You really are my friend? You are either bending or mending me. You can’t be doing both. I end this with this quote:

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. — Albert Schweitzer

What do you think about this? I would really love to have your feedback.

Thank you for reading.

 The Pen….

A Raven in your Haven....

I choose to remember this morning a miraculous experience I had 12 years ago and I can’t but marvel at how God uses the most surprising ways or the least expected avenues to meet our needs. I thought to share it with someone today and I do hope it’s a source of blessing.

 I had been posted to one of the Northern states of Nigeria;  Bauchi to be precise for my mandatory 1 year National Youth Service Corps program after graduating from school. I went a bit disappointed because I was hoping to be posted to a state that was not too far from home so I could start my professional exams with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) immediately after school but I determined to apply for redeployment. In those days, re-posting could only be granted on three grounds; Marriage, Health or for a compassionate reason (such as loss of a family member or relative). My reason for wanting redeployment didn't fall under any of the categories.

Reluctantly I went to camp, did the three (3) weeks orientation program and was further posted to a village which was about three (3) hours away from the capital of the city. It looked like I had been thrown farther  from my dreams. I went to the village hesitantly but I had a vision in mind; my redeployment. I came back to the capital a day after and headed straight to the NYSC state office. By an act of providence, I met with the NYSC state coordinator who told me point blank that he was not going to approve my application if it ever came to him from the Head office at Abuja. That was a major setback but I went about my business of getting somewhere to work, not losing sight of my dream.

A month after that, a friend told me He had an uncle who knew the Director General of NYSC, the man at the helms of affairs and we headed to Abuja with high hopes. We were in his office and He bluntly told us that NYSC had decided to strictly redeploy only on the three acceptable grounds hence he couldn’t help. I was distraught. If the Director General, being the number one man himself couldn’t do anything about my redeployment, then I had better forget about it.  Another month passed by and a friend suggested we go back to Abuja and see if anything could happen and I reluctantly went with her. On that fateful day in year 2001, I stood outside the gate of the NYSC office, confused and with no specific plan in mind. Then suddenly an old man, (must have been in his late 60s), one of the security guards at the gate accosted me and asked why I had been loitering around the gate area for a couple of hours. I told him how I had tried unsuccessfully to get redeployed back home so I could pursue my dream of becoming a Chartered Accountant early enough. He sounded interested in my story and he mentioned he had a son who was also pursuing the same professional qualification.

To cut the story short, he asked me to give him some minutes and went into the building. When he came out, he called my names in full and this surprised me as I had only given him my first name and surname. He said he had been with the Director of Corps Mobilisation, who was in charge of redeployment and coincidentally my application form was on top of the whole bunch of applications on the man’s table. I was shocked to say the least. He added that he told the man I was well known to him and that I needed that redeployment desperately. Right in his presence, my application was approved. It was too good to be true! He asked me to go back to my base and that within 2 weeks, I would get the letter. I sauntered to the park happy but very doubtful. In any case, my letter came after about 4 weeks and the rest is history. I got redeployed,finished my exams and qualified the year after. The most amazing thing was that I tried to contact the man after about 3 months after that experience but no one could tell of his whereabouts. Perhaps, he was an angel; in form of a security guard who made destiny happen for me at that moment!

God uses the most unlikely  people or things to meet our needs. The story I described above is one of the most amazing things that have happened  in my life; a typical case of sheer divine intervention. I am reminded of the story of the ravens that fed Elijah in the bible in 1^st Kings 17. Elijah had been up and about for God and he needed to go on an assignment .God doesn't use and dump. He doesn't leave us stranded. He knew there was a need for him to be well fed so He could have stamina for the journey ahead of him. 1^st Kings 17 in verse 2 says:

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

Ravens are scavengers. They eat berries, fruit, insects, bread and carrion (the flesh of dead animals). They sometimes kill small birds and mammals such as rabbits and rats. Despite their negative image and as stingy as they could be, God in this case used them to feed Elijah His prophet day and night. After this encounter, He made an arrangement for a widow who had absolutely nothing, except for some flour with which she was going to feed herself and her son to feed this same man. 1^st Kings 17: 8“And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. He rained manna and quails for the Israelites to feed on, brought water out of the rock for them. Isn't He just amazing?

Most times, we look to the wrong sources but let's not forget that God is able to direct whomsoever He wills to be a source of blessing to us. A lot of times, people disappoint us, not deliberately but  because they are also not all-knowing or all-wise just as you and I are not. No one has the infinite capability to help as He does. Psalm 145: 16-17 says -The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. 16 You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. God is very much interested in our well-being (Psalm 35:27) and He wishes above all that we prosper and be in health. He’s concerned about our feeding, clothing, prosperity, marriage,  children, EVERYTHING! He had planted and equipped the Garden of Eden for Adam before He even existed. Adam came into the scene just to co-ordinate things. There are higher demands for our existence in life. There are yet many books to be written, codes to be developed, designs to be made, cars to be built, aircrafts to be assembled, lives to be influenced and so on. We are created to operate in the same capacity God operates in. We possess such a great creative inspiration and mind-blowing divine tendencies. We are dynamites!

Yes in life, there are a lot of struggles and most times we have to labour so much to breakthrough but that is not God’s idea for His children. His blessings make rich and adds no iota of sorrow to it.  If He cares for the birds of the air, such that none of them falls to the ground without His knowledge, how much more His own children, created in His image? The basic things of life such as food, clothing and shelter are so trivial and are the least on the pyramid even on Maslow’s Law of Hierarchy. These Physiological needs are just the physical requirements for human survival.  I know what the absence of these things could mean but my point is there is more to us and there are much more important things to make out of life.

If a security guard could make my redeployment pursuit possible after the Director General of the organisation had said a No No, then there are no limits to what God can do. When He says yes, none can say no. When He opens a door, none can close it.Whatever He ordains, He sustains! He is the one that rules in the affairs of the universe.

Yes, I am certain He can send a Raven to your Haven! Would you trust Him enough?

It’s a blessed day people, expect the miraculous touch.....

The Pen….

A Problem in the Palace....

A busy weekend it was for me and as usual, many mind boggling stories in the news every day. Leadership issues, economic woe tales, societal concerns and all sorts. Can we just have a respite from all of these problems that exist around us?  I read the newspaper sometimes and it sometimes leaves me wondering where my nation is heading towards. There are always problems in the palace. A nation has problems hence they elect people whom they think are capable of solving their issues. When one is sorted out (hopefully), another arises. Many of us are quick to condemn people at the top at the helm of affairs and what they do.

 It is not a strange thing that our leaders do not and cannot always have a solution to all the problems they have. No president king or leader can boast confidently of having a smooth sail all the time.  The bible confirms in Job 32: 9 that “Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice”. This literally means that there are times and many are they when our leaders fall short of wisdom and they are faced with challenges that they are not equipped to solve hence there will always be a need for individuals who would proffer solutions to these issues if they will ever be given the chance to perform.  This piece is not to castigate the government but to focus on how you and I can brace ourselves for a great future ahead.

The stories about three (3) outstanding men in the Bible amaze me so much and that would be the focus of our discussion this morning. These are men who had a similar sojourn in life, almost similar outcomes and the common thing amongst these three people was that their gifts and talents opened the doors of the palace to them not for fun fare or a tourist trip, but to solve a problem in the palace. I am talking about no other people than Joseph, David and Daniel….

Joseph

Starting with the humbling story of Joseph, as most of us know, He was a young man who had a seemingly good upbringing even though His mother had died so early on in his life and was left with a Father who loved him so much and made a coat of many colours for Him. He had a dream and he was so hated for that dream by His brothers. That led to his being sold as a slave to another country. He served diligently in the house of His master Potiphar and as a result of one of those things we face in life for living an upright life, he was sent to prison because he refused to sleep with his master’s wife. Too many demeaning trials in his life, yet he never gave up. He kept doing what he knew to do diligently and one day, as a result of his good human relations with people in the prison, he was able to interpret someone’s dream. Even though, he took a while for the person to remember him, his time came and he came highly recommended at the palace. In a single day, Joseph’s life was turned around because He could solve the problem in the palace.

14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. 15And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”16So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt

David

David was an insignificant shepherd boy who was doing his thing at the back side of the forest. His father, Jesse didn’t regard him as anyone to reckon with as he didn’t even remember to mention his name when he was at the desert taking care of the sheep when Samuel the prophet came around to anoint one of his sons as king. David was victimised by his own blood yet he kept doing what He knew to do best; tendering the sheep and whilst doing that, he learnt to play the instruments and became skilful at it. Someone somewhere saw him doing something and he was highly recommended when the time came.

1^st Samuel 16:17: So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”18Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.” 19Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep….. 21So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 

Daniel

Daniel was a young, promising man who had been taken as a slave from his country to Babylon. He however lived uprightly and something similar to Joseph happened to him. The King had a distressing dream that only God could unravel. He had forgotten the dream and needed someone who would not only remember the dream but interpret it as well. Now, that was a seemingly knotty and naturally impossible assignment.  Daniel did tell him the dream and interpreted it and he became a powerful man in the kingdom.

Daniel 2:1 Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.2Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream……..

46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. 47The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” 48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

From the stories of these 3 young men, we can draw some conclusions:

•  They were all young and had a promising future
• They were victimized and in a disadvantaged position for one reason or the other
• They took time to develop themselves irrespective of the odds against them   
•  In all three cases, there was a problem in the palace
• They were recommended. Someone had seen them do something.
•  They solved the problems
• They got promotion and were celebrated.

Let’s wrap this up. There are a lot of problems in Nigeria and at Aso-rock  for which you may be wired to solve. The White house has problems that someone reading this may be able to solve.  10 Downing Street has a lot of challenges as well as Buckingham palace that someone reading this has the capacity to solve. There are problems everywhere every day and  solutions to them will make a lot of difference to our world.  It doesn't matter how disadvantaged we currently are. One day and soon, the odds would be in favour of those who are genuinely willing to make a change.

There is a solution residing in side of you that can bring you into limelight. And the secret is doing that very thing you know how to do in your crib, office, and corner well. One day you will be thrust into the palace. There is something called the power of recommendation. Every little thing you do is being watched. Your courteous acts are being noted. A time will come when you will be recommended. Someone will mention your name to another person and the cycle will continue until you are mentioned to someone who would be your destiny helper!

On a final note, if you feel you are being unfairly victimized in life by reason of many frustrating circumstances in spite of all your tenacious efforts,  don’t give up. Many people identify the difficulties in every opportunity but the wise identify the opportunities in every difficulty. Just keep doing what you know to do best. It will speak for you soon. Whilst many are complaining on how things are not working, let the wise think about coming up with a solution that will bring a change. There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding (Job 32:8)

Problems do exist in the palace. Would you rather be a solution? If the opportunity comes knocking at your door, would you be ready to make a change? Get yourself prepared and now is the time to start!

The Pen…..