Port to the Potter....

Let’s take a trip to the Potter’s House this morning to examine how He does his thing. Two words are common in his vocabulary and they are clay and mould. The clay is the raw material used and the process is known as moulding. To mould is to shape a soft substance by pressing or rolling it or by putting it into a mould. The Potter has a picture in mind; an end result of the clay he is moulding, just as God has a picture He wants us to conform to. Before we were born He knew us and ordained us for a “purpose”. To fulfil this purpose maximally, we must conform to His specifications.

Jeremiah 18(Message Version)

1-2 God told Jeremiah, "Up on your feet! Go to the potter's house. When you get there, I'll tell you what I have to say."

3-4So I went to the potter's house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot.

5-10Then God's Message came to me: "Can't I do just as this potter does, people of Israel?" God's Decree! "Watch this potter. In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you, people of Israel.

Have you noticed also that the Potter’s hands are always messy in the process of moulding the clay? He dips his hands into water, mud and whatever material He needs to create his object. In spite of the messy nature of that job, He never gives up because He is working at converting the clay to a particular image he has in mind. The Potter wants to make something good out of that object; it’s not about Him, so he never minds the mess. All he wants is for the clay to come out beautiful. At the end of the day, you see on display a wide variety of moulded clay, some are more beautiful than the others no doubt, some are for a particular use or purpose, the potter determines what each would stand for based on the purpose He has in mind for each of them. The more the Potter takes his time to mould; chances are the better the clay would turn out. God is our Potter and it’s our choice to co-operate with Him in becoming what He wants us to be or not. As much as the clay would not complain to the Potter why it is being made in a particular way, so are we to humble ourselves under His mighty hand as He rolls, bends and moulds us to bring the best in us.

Our lives are on display for the world to see. Each person is a sum total of how much he has allowed God work on him or her. God is perfect and He desires us to attain His image. He wants us to exercise the fruits of the Spirit. Your character reveals the extent to which you have co-operated with Him in bringing out the best in you. Be it as it may, your character and disposition show how far you have gone in your walk with Him. It’s not about how much of the scriptures you can quote or how much fire you can bring down when you pray, your fruits show what you are made of. In a great house there are many vessels; yet the same potter. 2^nd Timothy 2: 20 says “In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing” . Some grumble and complain so much whilst the Potter works on them and they opt out, yet some others endure and they come out shining like gold. He has given us the free will to choose between two options.

 He told the Israelites, Behold I present to you life and death; choose whichever you want. God has good plans for us, He wants to take us to heights unimaginable; oh yes I know, but He won’t drag us there. He’ll walk side by side with us (if we allow Him) to help us attain our dreams.The Israelites had their set ways of doing things in spite of all the miracles they had seen yet  they were stiff necked, not allowing the Potter to mould them and they wandered and perished in the wilderness for 40 years. As an arrow in the hand of God,you determine how far you would want to go by His grace.Isaiah 45 verse 9 says “Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?

I am not a structural Engineer but I am certain skyscrapers would have very deep foundations else they could collapse in the eye of storms and hurricanes. I read that the height of tallest building in the world Burj Khalifa is about  829.8 m (2,722 feet) which is about 160 floors, yet the building sits on a foundation of concrete podium of 192 piles; each of which sits 50 m (164 feet) deep. I checked and found out 50 m could sit about 12-15 floors (which is about the height of Capitol view in Washington DC). So imagine 15 floors sitting in the foundation of Burj kalifa. The higher a building would go, the deeper the foundation should be. The brighter a man wants to shine, the more he should submit Himself to the Potter. 

God didn’t want any interference when He was going to make Eve so He knocked Adam to sleep. Needless to say He needed no interference when He had earlier made Adam too because if He had asked for their opinion, they would probably have wanted another pair of eyes at the back of their heads. We can be rest assured that whatever God does is perfect; He knows the end form the beginning, whichever route He wants to take us through, it would end up in good. He makes ALL things work together for those who love Him. It is part of the process…

In conclusion, Hebrews 11:4-11(Message version) says:

In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?

My dear child,don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live?

We are all on the Potter’s wheel, spinning, spinning and spinning…till we come to the fullness of the Son of God ; Christ Himself. 

Would you rather port to the Potter Himself?

The Pen…….

Live.....Life.......Leave

I was reading about the life of Albert Einstein the other day and I was shocked to know that after he died, His brain was removed and preserved by the pathologist in an attempt to know what made him so unique, intelligent and such a genius. He was the theoretical physicist who developed one of the two pillars of the modern day physics.

A popular phrase we hear often is to “Live full and die empty”. It’s a common admonition for people to fulfil their purpose and not to die loaded. There is even a book by Rick Godwin by that title.  So I gave it a deeper thought and wonder how true this just might be. A baby comes into this world naked with both hands clenched; warm body, tiny feet, weeny fingers, loud cries with a tiny voice. Oh what beautiful and innocent souls they are. Fast forward a couple of 70 years and there lays the man; stone cold, hands totally open, eyes shut, naked. Yes absolutely naked as the body is being prepared for burial. The baby has nothing at birth except its fragile body and the dead person as he departs has nothing on him save the same naked howbeit grown body. 

We have nothing as we are birthed we have nothing as we depart. Arrive in a naked beautiful body, leave in a wrinkled old one. All we can remember about such a person; all that matters about every individual is the gap in between those two moments- the years in the life and the life in those years.  In those years are compressed moments of growing, learning and giving back. A baby eats daily; on milk growing thereby and moves on to the stage of being weaned. Knowledge acquisition starts by schooling and then the process of giving back to the world starts. But before I take you any further, let me remind you that life is orchestrated in such a manner that God by Divine providence makes available all we need in between those years. We don’t get to choose our parents. He entrusts us into the hand of some woman and man somewhere. Whether rich or poor, black or white, palace or village everything everybody needs to succeed in life is made available in some amazing manner.

The Maker has set out what we need to accomplish. He has embedded us with gifts and talents, there is a blueprint for all of us, there is a book written about us all. Our likes and dislikes right from childhood are pointers to what gifts He has put inside of us. Have you noticed some babies who love the sound of music? When the baby is crying and you start to sing or play some kind of music, the baby stops to cry, stares at you and tries to get the source of the music. Mine is one of such amazing gift and blessing. You see some children who all they want to do is draw and paint. Some at such early age sing beautifully. You see leadership abilities in some in the way they coordinate their peers even at age 2!

Okay we learn, we grow, we absorb knowledge through what we see and hear; For what reason? To give back to our world. The reason everyone needs to identify why they are here so they can live out the reason why they have been sent.A story strikes me in the bible and I can’t just stop pondering on the encounter.

Elisha, a renowned man of God had gotten a double portion of the anointing on His Master Elijah and he went about doing some really amazing acts under the influence of the unction he had received. Needless to say he did so much with this endowment: Through him Naaman the influential but leprous soldier was healed, the Shunnamite woman who had no son received a son and the same son was raised to life after he died through the ministry of Elisha. He crossed the sea; bread was multiplied through His ministry, there was the miraculous multiplication of oil and so on.  I could count distinctly about 14 miracles Elijah who was his mentor did in his lifetime and Elisha his servant by reason of the double portion transference did about 28 miracles (I know there are more). Every story in the bible is written for a purpose and without mincing words, we truly ought to revere this word of God . Only eternity will reveal whether he maximized his gifting or not, but he served his generation and God.  He lived a life sold out to God as he went about serving his generation.

Then something happened; as expected for everybody as the dawn of a new day, death came calling on his door and oh... this anointed and great man of God died. Yes he died.  Death is the end of discussion from everyone. Naked I have come and naked will I go just as Job said. All the wealth, the property, the gold, the cars, the gifts and talents all do not belong to a dead man after all, there is a transference. Then Elisha died. And so it happened that a fracas had happened in the town, some people were on their way to bury a young man who had also died.

2^nd Kings 13: 20

Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. 21So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet..

A dead person had been erroneously (divinely orchestrated I would say) thrown in to the tomb of the dead Elisha and only God knows for how many days he was dead. He had finished his course and was gone but something amazing happened. Virtue was still in that body, power was still flowing, the gifts and talents were still speaking. Oh how much I now agree that people are buried with so much of their talents and gifts underutilized.  Elisha served and there were yet more of power flowing through his dead body that he saved a life from residue anointing.  The guy would have been buried and gone for life but someone’s residue anointing raised him from death. Now let me ask a question I have been pondering on... Was Elisha’s tomb not sealed or covered? It apparently was not because the man’s body actually touched his bones. I guess God allowed it so we may learn a lesson from it.

Friends, many have gone to the grave with many books unwritten, many songs unsung. Talents worth trillions of dollars and in unquantifiable sums  lie fallow in the ground and unfortunately they are lost forever. I hear of bandits going to the cemetery to steal jewellery worn on dead people. Alas, they are stealing the wrong things. The most important things in there can never be retrieved. Let’s glean from this. The world has too many needs for us to keep enriching graveyards and cemetery. In the world are hurting people from generation to generation. Why don’t we use these gifting to bring relief to our world rather than empowering the graveyards, a place where no one has need of them? We brought nothing and we would go with nothing .That tells me we have nothing of our own. Oh yes, the cars, houses, jewelleries, children are all on loan for us to be a blessing to our generation. They shall be returned and the cycle will continue.

Have you ever wondered where your first car is? The present car you are riding won’t be with you forever, it will change hands. Title deeds of houses and properties change from year to year, decade to decade and century to century. Your children will grow up and get married. You have built the biggest of houses, bravo; you won’t sleep in two places at a time. How many children would want to live with their parents when they get married and start having children? Everyone is learning to be uninhibited and acquire their own wealth.  They travel far away to make something good out of their lives as well. No one can lay permanent claim to ANYTHING in this world. Not at all!  If that is the case then, we cannot afford to live carelessly. We must make use of what He has put inside of us. Matthew 25: 14 says “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 

None is devoid of gifts and talents. God is not unjust. He’s too perfect and He works out the affairs of every individual with such great dexterity. He has orchestrated even before your existence your continent, race, country, your parents and all. David in Psalm 139 verse 13-16 says:

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breath taking! Body and soul, I am marvellously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

 Acknowledge what He has given to you and trade with it no matter how small you think it is. Write that poem,publish that book, sing that song, reach out to that person. . He won’t listen to your excuses on the day of reckoning. Just keep giving and pouring out to your generation. That oil will not stop flowing until you stop giving.

When we all give our best, we make the world a better place and eternity will be grateful we ever existed…..selah

The Pen….  

Scars turned Stars

Hello Beautiful people. It’s a bright new day, bright new week. Yesterday’s gone as part of the past. We look forward to what tomorrow brings as we inch forward on a per second basis to the greatness destiny has prepared for us.

So I have this scar on my left knee; a scar from an injury that happened sixteen (16) years ago. I remember that incident as vividly as I write this minute. It was in my second year in school and I was leaving school for the weekend with a friend of mine who lived in the same town I lived. We took a motor-bike from our off-campus hostel to the Bus Park with an intention of catching the last bus en-route home. We were about two (2) minutes away from the park when we were suddenly faced by an oncoming vehicle and within the twinkle of an eye; we were flung off the bike right in the middle of the road. We had some minor injuries and gratefully there were not so serious complications. The injury I sustained was on my knee cap and after we were given some first aid treatment, we eventually made the trip home but not without some pain and limping  for a couple of days too. The pain subsided after a while and the only thing that makes me remember that incident to date is the scar which is a slight protrusion right on my knee cap and it is still very conspicuous. I am certain it would be there for a long time and I doubt it’ll ever fade off.

Scars! The Longman dictionary of contemporary English says a scar is a permanent mark that is left on your skin after you have had a cut or wound. The free online dictionary defines a scar as a mark left on the skin after a surface injury or wound has healed or a mark, such as a dent, resulting from use or contact. A scar doesn't exist without sustaining an injury from an accident howbeit small. You won’t see a scar on your skin except something hit you, or fell on you. A scar is what you have left when there is a sharp, hard and painful friction, brushing against your body. A scar could be very conspicuous whilst some may go unnoticed and most times what causes a scar no matter how small it is must have hurt the body.

Having described a scar literally, we all know in life, there are things that happen to us and leave marks on us psychologically, emotionally, mentally, physically and whatnot. Oh yes, day in day out, we experience all forms of surprises in life. Some could be debilitating, some mind-shattering whist others could just leave one disillusioned. Many a times we wonder why evil things happen such as the loss of a valuable thing or even he death of a loved one. Recently, I saw a post by someone asking why the devil won’t swallow his pride and apologise to God so that the world would be in a state of absolute rest. Of course, the devil brought sin and evil into the world when Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden and since Man lost his God given place to the devil through the lust of the flesh, eyes and pride of life, he took hold of the reins of affairs of the world and evil started to multiply. An example of this is seen in the case of Cain killing his brother Abel, the immediate offspring of the first man God created. So we can see that evil has been in existence for long.

The Good News however is that God who is the Matchless Game Changer sent His Son into the world to change the situation of things. He died for our sins and shed His precious blood so that we may be delivered form the power of darkness and be translated into the Kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13). For those who are in Christ, it’s a different ball game, by Faith; the devil has no power over you. The bible in 1^st John 3: 8 says for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil. Jesus gives us life and in abundance and we can therefore resist the devil vehemently by our faith. Having established the existence of evil in the world and the fact that whosoever is born of God in Christ overcomes the world , I will take us back to our scar gist.

God did not promise that the enemies won't try their weapons against you (in all forms); He only assured that none of those weapons will prosper (Isaiah 54:17). He didn’t say they wouldn't come against you, He said when they come in like a flood (in massive, tumultuous and overwhelming torrents), He will raise a standard against them (Isaiah 59:19). The enemy is not aware of God's plan for you but God knows about their plan against you and He is able to make all work together for your good. No smooth sail is guaranteed in life, we are only assured of a safe landing.

Moses' assignment was to lead people to the bush where He had met with God. Remember the encounter of worship he had at the burning bush? It was needful that that incident happened because he was being given an assignment along that line but on a global dimension; Go bring my people out so they can worship me on this mountain. They were to worship God in the wilderness on their way to the land flowing with milk and honey. Don’t forget that Moses had been through his share of suffering in life too; from being a palace boy to becoming a murderer and then a fugitive. Circumstances landed him a wife in a faraway country and a father-in law whom he had to tender his flock. In the process of taking care of the flock was when he had this encounter with God. That burning bush encounter might not have happened or God might not have appeared to him if he was in the Egyptian palace enjoying the royal goodies.  It demonstrates to us that you cannot take people to where you haven't been yourself.

Sometimes the most important lessons in life are those learnt in those dire moments and uncomfortable situations. Those things stay with you and most times, when you see a re occurrence along that line, you are able to make a quick detour.  I guess God orchestrates events such that when some things happen to us, we are able to comfort those who go through such with the same comfort we have been comforted by God. You sometimes hear of humble beginnings of many great names and shudder; everyone has been through their experiences too. These things leave scars and the scars are what have turned them to stars. Some are born in the palace but some are raised from the dunghill and set amongst princes. Those who were born in the palace can afford to misbehave but for those who have been raised, when they see the scars of where they are coming from, they remember that it is imperative to make good use of every opportunity life offers them. When we are raised, we can value what we have been through and enjoy fully what the palace has got to offer.  1^st Samuel 2: 8 says:

He raises the poor from the dust

And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,

To set them among princes

And make them inherit the throne of glory

David is another man who had gone through his share of unpleasant circumstances in life. He was exposed to the back side of the forest as the last child of the family whilst every other person was having a royal treatment at home. When the nation was confronted by the threat of a Goliath turning them into slaves, He rose to the challenge and recalled what he had been through in the past.

1^st Samuel 17: 34

But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.

To have successfully delivered a lamb from the mouth of a lion, killing the lion in the process, David must have put up a brave fight. It must have been the fight of his life, a fight for survival. I am certain the lion wouldn't have kept calm whilst David was trying to deliver the lamb from its grip, it might have pushed David to the floor in an attempt to trample over him, making him sustain some minor injuries or even some major ones in the process but the man came out victorious; against both lion and bear but not necessarily without scars.  So with that experience in hindsight, Goliath was just a cheap nut to break. David must have looked at his scars and drawn courage from his experiences. Few men would fight a lion and come out unscathed and alive. More often than not, one would rather look for an escape route rather than fight a lion. No wonder four hundred (400) discouraged, discontented and debt-ridden men assembled themselves to him as protégés and they won all the wars he led them to. David's scars became his stars and turned him into a STAR!  

If you can’t show me your scars, you scare me. What do I have to learn from you? With what do you want to encourage me? How do I know you really mean those words of encouragement? How do I know you have the faintest idea of what I am going through?  I paraphrase the Message version of Daniel 12:3  as  "'Men and women who have lived wisely and well (by reason of their encounters in life) will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies.

“Scars show us where we have been, they do not dictate where we are going.” 
                                                                                                ― David Rossi

Cheer up Friend; those scars will soon become your stars and turn you into a STAR.......

The Pen....

Shoulda Coulda Woulda been someone else....He chose Judah!

Awesome God, Rose of Sharon, Bright and Morning Star, Everlasting Father, King of Glory, The Lion of the tribe of Judah. I am sure we are familiar with some of the common expressions we use in worshiping the Lord. I've been as curious as to why we refer to Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Why is He the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5)and not the Lion of the tribe of Joseph or Benjamin after all, God so much liked Joseph and he stood out amongst his brothers. Why did God choose Judah out of 12 brothers……? I do hope this blesses you as much as it did bless me.

God had ordained Jacob to be the one that would bring forth the twelve(12) tribes that would eventually be known as Israel and it happened that Jacob had worked so hard for seven years for his uncle Laban to marry Rachael his daughter  but on the wedding night, after he had gone to bed with the hope of getting down to “it” with his long awaited and dedicatedly worked-for wife and had done the “deed” in darkness, enjoying every second of it, the next morning, he realised he had been given Leah; Rachael’s sister instead.

Oh my! For a man who had gone through so much in his life, from cunningly getting his brother’s birth right to conniving with his mother to get his father’s blessing instead of his brother Esau which led to his fleeing his father’s house and all sorts of problems, the last he wanted was this brouhaha at hand. He must have been looking forward to having Rachel, his much treasured wife in his arms and raising a family with her however; He has just been deceived, he has just got what he had sown in time past. Nemesis had finally caught up with him. Sow a cheating act and expect to be cheated. End of discussion! Anyway for his love for Rachel, he agreed to serve for another 7 years! In spite of all He has done, God still loved him for who he was. Isaiah 41; 8 says But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.

 God's plan about having twelve tribes of Israel through Jacob never changed just as God has purposed to do whatever He has said concerning you and I. We can glean from this; God loves us just as we are. When we were sinners, Jesus Christ died for us, how much more now that we have been redeemed?  in spite of our sins and inadequacies; He still loves us so very much. Jacob married Rachel for another seven(7) years of hard service and after days and months of bliss, unfortunately, she wasn't having children. For Leah, Rachel comes into the picture and the hatred for her intensified. No child from both parties. Jacob must have said to himself” I had better try my luck for children with Leah. At least God said my seed will be great and the prophecy must be fulfilled” So he went in unto his wife Leah and  God looked down from heaven and opened her womb such that within a short space of time, she had three boys in an atmosphere of bitterness, contention and sore hatred.

Genesis 29:31-34

31When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” 33Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I amunloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. 34She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.

Leah who was unloved was the baby factory. There was so much conflict between sisters and their maids and the atmosphere in Jacob's home was not enviable. Oh how Jacob must have suffered! Considering all he had gone through in his life, this was just another big blow. The home front was always on fire yet He was the one chosen to bring forth the lineage of the would-be Messiah of the world. Two sisters whom he was married to contended bitterly and one was fortunate to bear children whilst the other's womb was shut.

35And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing…..

Leah gave birth to four sons in rapid succession and the names of the first three had a connection with what she was going through at home. The names of her children were based on the circumstances of what was happening right there and then. She was using child bearing to seek for her husband's love and attention but it never came,competing for love you would say. The harder she tried, the farther he went from her. Fire on the mountain, everyone was always running. Leah was loathsome even to her husband, totally unloved yet God favoured her and opened her womb. And there came a time she acknowledged God in her affairs and for once praised Him. Her focus from her many trials changed momentarily and she put her gaze on God and He saw a heart truly grateful.

Of course, our God can only be found where there is praise and adoration for Him. For once, she had a grateful heart and that reflected in the name she gave her son- Judah. Father Jacob was nowhere to be found in all of these, it was the wife who was giving the children names but she came to a place of peace, momentarily howbeit and God saw it! Hey Friends, God loves praise and he loves the heart of the “Praiser”. He inhabits the praises of His people and that’s where you will find him. True praise from a genuine heart draws God’s attention.

Psalm 89:15 (Message version) Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God

The contention continued in Genesis chapter 30 and Rachel gave her maid to Jacob who bore him two (2) sons. As expected, Leah did the same and gave her maid to Jacob as well. Thank God the man didn't die! The maid also bore two (2) sons and Leah herself got pregnant again having two (2) more sons and a daughter. Finally Rachel gives birth to Joseph and Benjamin…#phew#.  Biko (well done) Father Jacob, I doff my hat for you!  Long and tiring duel but that heart of gratitude and praise Leah exhibited had drawn God to her and He had chosen who was going to be the progenitor of the Messiah- It would be Judah, who was born in an atmosphere of praise and thanksgiving. Judah wasn't Jacob’s most favourite son as we know he loved Joseph more and gave him a coat of many colours yet when He was blessing his children in Genesis, Judah’s lot was the longest and deepest and Jacob himself prophesied that the sceptre(rulership) would never depart from Judah. Referring to the coming of the Messiah which would happen many centuries after!

Genesis 49: 9

Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise;

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;

Your father’s children shall bow down before you.

9Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?

10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his    feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

11Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,

He washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes.

12His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

Just because Leah acknowledged and praised God when Judah was born, he was differentiated from his other brothers. Of course Mr Judah wasn't a perfect person; he had his own weaknesses too. Two of his children had  died and at some time and he unknowingly had slept with his daughter in law who posed as a prostitute impregnating her in the process. She had a set of twins named Perez and Zerah and in spite of these anomaly, Perez was worthy of being the ancestor of King David and he was mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus! God had chosen Judah and there was no going back! When Israel became a nation and here was going to be a split, it was split into the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel.

Psalm 78: 67 He disqualified Joseph as leader, told Ephraim he didn't have what it takes, and chose the Tribe of Judah instead, Mount Zion, which he loves so much. He built his sanctuary there, resplendent, solid and lasting as the earth itself.

We understand better why Jesus our Lord is known as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and not the Lion of the tribe of Joseph or Reuben. God truly would only be found in a place of praise. His presence thrives there. Praise-giving by Leah secured the most desired slot anyone in the universe- the lineage from which the Messiah would come. I love Judah (Praise). Leah prophesied into his life and God took interest.  He chose Judah as His heritage. David came through that lineage as well as our Lord Jesus. Oh yes we may say Judah was chosen because the three brothers ahead of him misbehaved, That must not have been enough to have qualified him for such a huge blessing. He misbehaved too after all! In spite of who you are, what you go through, where you come from, He loves you so much. Just acknowledge Him and never let go of Him. Praise Him today and forever…

Let me leave you with some lines from the song “Just the Way I am” by Big Daddy Weave

Unbelievable, I’m blown away, it’s true

By the matchless love that I’ve found in You

Undeniable, the change in me

I’ve never felt so free

It makes me want to dance

You make me want to dance

When I think about how

You love me, You love me

You love me just the way I am

You love me, You love me

You love me just the way

Just the way I am

Ever patiently accepting me

You love in spite of everything I do
But, oh, so faithfully You’re committed

To the process that makes me like You

And I feel like I can dance

Oh, You make me want to dance

When I think about how

Not when I’m good enough

Not when I clean my act up

Not when I cross that line the thousandth time

And become a better man

Your grace is more than enough

To cover all my Sins You washed them away

So right here today

You love me just the way I am

The Pen……

Lame but shot to Fame

Hello Friends. There is a beautiful story I would like to share with you today and I’m just so excited about this.  I have been studying the instrumentation of divine favour in the lives of some biblical characters and looking at the lives of some the beneficiaries, I have wondered what they did to enjoy such tremendous benefits from God.  Some of them, in spite of the terrible things they had done enjoyed God’s favour immensely. A typical example of some amazing favour story is the story of Mephobosheth.

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, the grandson of Saul who was the first appointed king of Israel. Three(3) of Saul’s children had died in battle with him,including the beloved Jonathan (who was so loved by David) and two others sons alongside his grandchildren had been hung for an agreement Saul had violated. His only son  who survived and had become the king was killed by the captain of his army, so Saul was left with no one to bear his name. However, by some divine orchestration, Mephibosheth was the only male descendant of of the dead king alive. This grandson of Saul was kept alive by some amazing act of providence. Yes he was alive but something was amiss in his life.

2nd Samuel 4: 4 Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth..

Mephibosheth had every reason to thank God he was alive. Every other man in his lineage had been wiped away in unfortunate circumstances. The kingdom was indeed taken away from his grandfather as God decreed. He had no family member and probably no friends. He was lame, had lost the legs by no fault of his and he must have been miserable all the days of his life. He had lost all the members of his father’s family and nothing was said about his mother. In fact it was a nurse that fled with him. He must have been enjoying the royal treatment as a prince in the palace but all of a sudden, he lost all! He was left at the mercy of a nurse who further made his life worse. At five years old, having walked all his life and enjoyed a royal lifestyle as a prince, the nurse dropped him in an attempt to shield him from destruction. He lived and groaned for many years wallowing in self-pity and dejection. Then came a particular day that birth an encounter with FAVOUR.

2^nd Samuel 9: 3-10

3Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who islame in his feet.”

4So the king said to him, “Where ishe?”And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house ofMachir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”

5Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.

6Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?”And he answered, “Here is your servant!”

7So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

8Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”

9And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to his entire house. 10You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always

Your inadequacies are not enough to stop you from getting to the palace. God's favour will secure you a place in the palace where those who are stronger, more read, more qualified, more connected than you have not been able to get to. Mephibosheth had lost hope. When David met him and told him of the good intentions he had for him, he asked why David would look unto a “dead dog” as he was. He saw himself as a useless, good for nothing individual. He had forgotten that once he was a prince, he would forever be a prince. David saw what he couldn't see about himself and instantly he was elevated to the position he was supposed to be occupying. He was the son of a prince and the grandson of the king. Even though he became lame; disabled by reason of a fall, favour located him and brought him to the palace, not as a slave but to dine at the palace-table with King David. His gifts, qualifications and skill didn't bring him here, He probably had none anyway but something did.

Only God knows how long he had wallowed in his contemptible condition. He was emotionally, physically and psychologically bankrupt. He lived every day as it came and probably looked forward to when death would come. He was five (5) years old when he fell from the hands of the nurse and as at the time He had this divine encounter with favour, He had a child already. That must have been a long period of time; wasted, fruitless, futile agonizing years. But the Favour of God came to work and there came the turnaround  From the verses above, look at some of the things that happened to him thereafter.

 ·         David restored all the land of His grandfather to him. Saul must have been very wealthy. So Mephibosheth collected rent and royalties till he died.

 ·         He was to eat bread from David’s table forever. He started to dine with kings and the mighty- Not only with David but also with David’s friends, kingmakers and whatnot.  A privilege he lost many years ago was restored to him within the twinkle of an eye.

 ·         David handed over to him Ziba his late grandfather’s servant (who had been enjoying part of what belonged to Mephibosheth) alongside his sons (fifteen of them) and twenty of his servants to till the land and bring in harvest for Mephobosheth. This means he established a business for him and gave him the capital and human resources. Even though he was to eat at the king’s table, the proceeds of the business would be brought to him. That is money he wouldn’t even have to spend. Mephibosheth must have died a multi billionaire!

 ·         In a country where he was an outcast and he needed a visa, he was given a diplomatic passport instead. He lived in Jerusalem all the remaining days of his life.

·         Above all, God gave him a son to preserve his legacy and so that his name would not be wiped away entirely.

2nd Samuel 9: 12Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 13So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.

What Saul the king lost, favour gave it to the lame Mephibosheth. Beautiful story of a turn around you will agree with me. Don’t forget that whenever he sat at the king’s table, his legs would be covered under the table and so no one would know he was lame. He would eat whatever meal he wanted, sleep at the palace, have servants at his beck and call and get a royal treatment all his days.

 Friends, God is able to cover our inadequacies and restore lost years to us. Can’t you remember that the Bible says God prepares a table for us, in the presence of our enemies ?(Psalm 23:5) You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing (Message version). He does not only prepare the banquet table for us; He’s seated at the table with us, in spite of our weaknesses and inadequacies. We get the royal treatment and dine with the King of kings Himself. Having dined with Him and still dining with Him, we cannot be found sitting in the midst of mere men any longer.Just like Mephibosheth’s lame legs were tucked under the table,our inadequacies are hid under the table in God’s presence. He doesn't even see them, they don't exist any longer for His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses and right in the presence of our enemies, detractors and accusers, He justifies us.  Hey get excited friend, irrespective of all you have lost like the young man named Mephibosheth, God will give much more that will last a lifetime!

Don’t keep giving a lame blame dear, you are destined for fame!

The Pen……

Picture Credit: Google