Counting on God's Rule to prevail...

Life will always present us with options that amount to "being caught between the rock and a hard place". Every now and then we experience highs and lows. As God's children, we sometimes allude to the fact that we ought to be immuned against life's challenges. These very challenges constitute our training exercises, they build our spiritual muscles and add to our bucket of coping life skills. The righteous God, our Father does not have the nature of wickedness. He has His way of doing things that our mortal minds regardless of our intellectual academic achievements can not fathom.

Every time you choose to become a part of any organization career-wise, you are provided with training and orientation. This way, you are able to understand what the company stands for, their corporate lingo and ways of doing things. So also, God wants you to become like Him, be a ble to understand and process ideas like Him. In the world, the way up is down, sometimes it is challenging to attempt to wrap your mind around what God intends to achieve through the route He takes you through. However, be rest assured that He will make things work in your favour.

 Another week is here, I encourage you to see your situations through God's lenses. This passage from the book of Habbakkuk 3:17-19 has always been a hard one for me to swallow :

"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

¹⁹ The Lord God^[c] is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills".

For someone like me, I really do not have any other option, so, I count on God's rule to prevail in the face of any situation or circumstance...Having said that, I have never been disappointed, every challenge brings out the greatness of His Strength, Power,Grace and Ability! So my dear reader, what is it going to be? Waiting patiently for the fulfilment of a promise is not as easy as it sounds, it is challenging without any doubt. Nevertheless, for everyone who chooses to wait it out, refuse to give in, hope against hope they will live to tell their story and testify of God's faithfulness.

It is time to regather strength, regroup, relaunch and rejoice in the place of prayer. Remember, Abraham got his promise child, that Widow, the wife of the prophet who died got a divine business idea and avoided losing her children to slavery, Ruth got married, to a man with swag, the Widow of Nain had her son resurrected and I can continue to list it on. All these butress the fact that God's Rule prevails in the face of all situations. When life and fun seem to be cut out, productivity is at an all time low, the husband/wife who promised "I do" has failed to do. Choose to watch God's rule prevail as you rejoice in your circumstance that has nothing to rejoice about. God is wiping away your tear and bringing a lasting solution to your challenge.

You shall yet praise God and rejoice and I see you walk upon your high places in Jesus name.

Blessings.

Strange Land

 Have you ever made a wrong turning while travelling only to find yourself in an unfamiliar place and far away from your destination? You become agitated and afraid if night falls, your mind runs through the danger that might be lurking in the dark... May the Lord guide your heart, be your light as you navigate your way back to the right course in Jesus name.

When you find yourself in an unfamiliar territory, the first thing you attempt to do is make sense out of how the roads intersect or how to find your bearing. In this day of technology and GPS, your device will search for signal from your current location. However, if there are no signals from your current location, your device can not really help.

Have you found yourself in a strange land of debt? You struggle endlessly to pay bills, meet the basic need and you wonder where to go from here? Maybe you are functioning or malfunctioning in error and wonder how to locate your way back to God? Perhaps it is barrenness, failure, a difficult and unduly challenging marriage where you have put in your best and yet you always seem to miss it.

You probably have failed over and over again and it has caused your heart to become weary. If you have lost your sense of direction and you have found yourself in a desert, then you need to retrace your step. You need to locate your signal to navigate out of your present location, you need to be back on track.

Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the life: no man Cometh unto the Father but by me". John 14:6
You need to follow the Way, you need to walk in the Truth in all your dealings, a little lie can lead to error when these are done then the life of God will flow through you to restore you.

The Children of Israel lamented by the rivers of Babylon, they remembered Zion as they wept. Do not weep till you get into depression, call on His name from the pit,desert or lonely state you find yourself. I do not talk about activities alone, but of a deep yearning and relationship with God that brings restoration.

God wants to restore your confidence that the enemy has stolen through the things that you have suffered. Refuse to stay mournful, lift up your head by the word of God. You are God's idea and dream, do not allow life pressures and challenges to abort you!

Have a glorious weekend.

Shalom!

I have done All

When you are at your wits end, you have tried your possible best humanly speaking and yet there seems to be no improvement in your situation, you are at a crisis point. At times like this you expect a definite solution, something specific to do so that you can experience relief, then something worse happens and you are certain death is likely to be the only thing worse that can ever happen.I am not sure if you have had such experiences in your career, marriage or about some expectations. When you seem to reach your breaking point, God has the solution and way of escape round the corner.

Ephesians 6:13 "Therefore, take up the full armour of The Lord, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." NASB

Depending on what you are going through you may be forced to question God, question what you have done wrong to warrant your situation or question if God remembers mercy. It is not God's intention that you die under the weight of your challenge. Everyone who has endured one form of challenge or the other had wondered "why". Having a right perception of who God is helps in handling life's challenges. God does not rejoice at seeing us suffer; financially, in our health, in a difficult marriage, stagnation and any other issue that currently presents a difficulty.

The last part of the above scripture says, "to stand firm". I considered the lives of Patriarchs of old; men who walked with The Lord and pleased Him, they all had their fair share of trouble. From Abraham, Isaac,Jacob, Joseph and so on. Abraham had to ask God to allow Ishmael live before Him. Gen. 17:17-18. It seemed as if the fulfilment of the birth of Isaac was far fetched, he wanted God to approve a substitute. God will not accept a substitute in your situation, so do not give up.  Do you recollect what God has said about your situation? He will not turn back for lack of resources or ability, He watches over His word! David led sheep before he could lead God's people. Every experience adds value to you, they increase your confidence in God. You have prayed, sowed, worshiped, served, great! The Bible says, "having done ALL" God alone measures what "ALL" connotes for each person, make sure you do not run off before your test is over so you do not end up disqualified.

Having done all, stand, stand firm, you can not stand the weight of His glory if you are not fortified enough. I know enough of God to be assured that your story will not end in shame or sorrow as long as you whole heartedly trust Him. Jabesh was born, immersed in sorrow, yet he asked God for a change in status and God granted it to him. I therefore, am fully persuaded that your own story will end well in Jesus name. However, you need to stand, having done all, stand!

Receive the grace to stand this week.

Blessings!

Victim Psyche

I walked the long deserted road that stretched far ahead of me for half an hour, my feet were already aching and there were neither houses nor buildings in sight. The bus that dropped me was 30 minutes walk behind me, I knew without any doubt that the driver must have left. I was looking out for the address given by the lady who told me there was lots of work and her company pays every week. I knew I needed just about anything to keep body and soul together. I had arrived in Winston with high hopes of getting a job a day after my arrival. A day became a week, week became a couple of months and I had depleted my funds. So it was a case of "swim or sink". My thighs were knocking and the weather was not the most pleasant. After walking for about 40 minutes, I sighted a warehouse ahead. The sight of the building was like clean, clear water in a desert. I approached the building but there was no way for me to access the building, you require a card to access the building, neither was there any glass to see anyone through. I had been in the cold for almost one whole hour! 

My mind was racing and I asked myself if this was part of the training of life or am just reaping the fruit of some hardship that I had inflicted on someone else. I knew it was the former rather than the later, I consoled myself, summoned up strength and banged on the iron door. Someone opened the door but my lips were already frozen, I managed a plastic smile and he confirmed my name and the company I was with. He showed me my assignment and without any doubt I knew money was not easy to come by. I worked hard, harder than I had ever worked in my limited number of years on earth. I longed to be a child for the first time in my adult life, I wanted to be happy and not grow up so quickly, I wanted to live in my parents house knowing that all my needs were going to be met, free of the plague and demons of bills that never seemed to be satisfied with you just trying. I had my first break at work and my eyes were running around in their sockets, I felt dizzy, fatigued but I still had four more hours before the end of my shift. I calculated how much I was going to be paid, and I hated what the near future had in store.

The sound of the bell signifying the end of my break interrupted my thoughts and daydreaming, I hurried back to finish my assignment for the day. 

As I was stepping out of the warehouse, the supervisor came over and said, "you are a hardworker, we will call you if we need help tomorrow". I ached all over when I arrived home, I was forced to take an afternoon nap, sure the sleep of a laboring man is sweet. I said to myself, "this is not the kind of life I want to live". Years later, I watched from the window of my office, the splendour and beauty of financial district of my city. My efforts at going back to school, working hard, having a positive disposition and most of all the Hand of my God upon me had altered my future in my favour...

A lot of times we find ourselves in situations that are far from what we bargained for. We always have choices, to step over our limitations by making effort to improve. When you are told you can not amount to anything, that is when you need to tell yourself, I will keep struggling and making effort until I prove you wrong by my God, because with God all things are possible. When you are told you are limited because of a policy, you ask God for favour, when they say people of your color and race do not belong at a level, you say your citizenship is of heaven and the wrong policy does not apply in your case. When you are told you may never conceive or marry the right person, tell them the Lord your God directs the heart of the king and He is able to direct the heart of the right person to you. It is God's pleasure to give you the desire of your heart and fruitfulness is part of it.

Look at your challenge or situation straight in the eye and confess the word of God. Without any doubt you have contributed your fair share into your marriage, you have endured all form of abuse, ridicule and embarrassment and the easy thing to do is just to give up and abandon the ship. How will God justify where you are coming from to vindicate you.?  Our Christian heritage forbids us from giving up in our walk with God. Without any doubt it is challenging to walk the walk and not just talk. The Word of God tells us of heavens expectations, it is made clear in His Word, we delight God's heart when we allow our testimonies to mature and eventually proclaimed.

Hebrews 10:39 The Message

"But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way."

I am not sure what your situation has been, I am not sure where you are coming from but God knows. This is not a call to a life of endless struggle but to inspire you to strive for a better life, better home, better ministry, better parenting, to keep at it because at the end of the day, your training will be over, you will qualify to be in charge and in control. Hold on, as long as you are making the right effort, God is faithful to crow your effort. Those who give up never get the opportunity of being celebrated. The same relationship that is giving you a heart ache will one day be a reference point for excellence and perfection! May you remain in the plan of God and fulfill your purpose. Your struggles are almost over, victors give inspiration and encouragement by their lifestyle and achievements, victims give up and give excuses.

Do not give up!

Blessings!

Perfect Wife Pt. 2

I pulled up front of the popular coffee shop Friday evening, I could see Amina was sitting in a corner. We exchanged greetings and went to order our beverages. Amina had a big  bright smile and I was quite curious to know what was going on with her but I was not going to probe....Amina was quick  to update me about what has been going on with her and her  hubby, she was excited that her hubby thought it was a good  idea to iron out some of their thorny issues.

"Amina, there are a few things you need to understand about sex, it is God's idea for man's pleasure, to be enjoyed only within the confines of marriage. God expects
you to become one with your spouse physically, emotionally and spiritually because sex is more than the union of two flesh. For everyone who engages in sex, it is a spiritual thing, that is why you have to be careful and not lay the wrong foundation in the name of fun. A lot of people want to have sex before marriage, then they get married and do not want to have sex anymore where it is God-ordained and conducive to do so. When you put the cart before the horse, there is bound to be tilting and trouble", I paused and watched her focusing seriously on what I was saying.

A man is physiologically wired to be stimulated by what he sees, that is why sex is one of the things on his mind. A man gets distracted when he sees a woman's exposed body, legs, arms, breast. As a wife, you need to understand that love making, sex or any
other name you call intimacy with your man serves as a glue  that improves your relationship. It is not only about him but about both of you. You need to be an active participant otherwise you will feel cheated,used to satisfy his selfish purpose which is not true.... Amina smiled and said, "I did not mean to interrupt but most of the time, I am tired and I hardly feel like making love...I just do it because it seems to be the only way to maintain peace..." she finished raising her eyebrow as if she can not be bothered.

I understand that position, it was not meant to be so according to God's order. A lot of women suffer in silence due to their cultural orientation, a woman is not supposed to be overly  interested in sex and when you do it, it is meant to be for your husband's pleasure alone. That  is so, so wrong. God has not made the 'woman race' to suffer, he has created us to bring balance to the whole world. So you should gather godly and right information about enjoying sex the way God meant it. Communication is key, to enjoy your sex life,if you have challenges communicating everyday stuff, how much more do you think it will be when it comes to intimacy.

A few things though:

• Understand your body and feel comfortable in it
• Know what you enjoy in sex and communicate it to your spouse
• Never blame your husband or ridicule him about sex
• It has to be team work.
• You too can initiate sex, he does not have to be the only one
• Yes, you will not always be in the mood but exhibit good manners please.
• If you have ever desired to wear skimpy clothes, this is the best time you are allowed to do so.

Do you also know you can pray if your sex life is not exciting? I know...am still very much born again. Some of us came into marriage with past hurts such as abuse, wrong understanding and preconceived notion that sex is a bad thing. So we have never really been able to get past our past. God is able to heal you permanently if you had a nasty experience about sex in the past. If you have always thought sex is a nasty thing, you need to re orientate yourself so you can enjoy your home and marriage relationship. Ask God for grace on days when you do not feel like it but you know your spouse would love to make love.
 

Preparation for sex differs between a man and a woman. For a woman, it is an all day thing, she needs to think about it. A good man will also assist  with care of young children so that she is not worn out at the end of her busy day. It is amazing how energizing a nice bath can be, cool if you live in a cold climate, cold if you live in the tropics, it has a way of awaking your senses...Once you have had a shower, you are likely to feel better. Try to keep your to do list off your mind, you can not really multitask when it comes to sex...lol

Few things for the men... A man should be as kind as possible to have a willing, cooperative and happy participant in his wife. Ensure that you are not always asking for sex on a day when she is extremely busy. When you are friends, then it is easy to schedule and work around your shedules. Sometimes sex could be a therapy after a long day's work. It all depends on how you both work it out.

 

Sex when enjoyed by both partners has a way of bringing closeness and it enhances your love relationship. You both have to be willing to please the other party. When selfishness is the order of the day, someone gets hurt and deprived of the pleasure and intimacy.

"Thank you so much, I really have not been able to confide in anyone just so that I do not appear as if I am too carnal. But I have learnt a couple of things" she concluded with a bashful smile. We finished our beverages and walked to our cars. It was such a nice way to end my evening. I do hope you have enjoyed this story, as a Christian woman, sex is an important part of your duty to maintain a good home. I listened to a man of God, who said, "you are to dress to kill your husband at home, kill him before they kill him outside". A man is not being carnal by asking for sex from his wife, a man satisfied at home will hardly be tempted outside. Do all you can to keep your water from being polluted!

Feel free to forward questions to possibilitiesdivine@gmail.com.

Times & Seasons

I do not know too much about agriculture, however, after years of observation, I can safely make some statements that seasoned farmers can affirm, "There are different seasons for different crops". One season prepares the ground for the performance of the other. I live in an environment where we experience four seasons. There is winter, spring, summer and fall or autumn. We all differ in our preferences of these seasons, winter is the longest of all the seasons and it is very cold, crisp and requires you wearing layers and layers of clothes to keep warm. Whenever we get a break from the harshness of the cold, we celebrate and let down our guards, we wear fewer layers and the very bold ones almost walk around naked... Each season has its own purpose; winter prepares the ground for the next season, it kills all the organisms that can affect plants and without winter, the grapes will be useless and there will be no wine production. Never mind the other socio economic benefits of winter to recreation and tourism. Just before you get bored with agriculture studies, God speaks to us through virtually everything around us... Ourlives have their times and seasons! Sincerely, I wish I did not have to go though the rigours of school, I wish I did not have to learn how to handle life through growing up and some other experiences I have been through. I have been disappointed and used by friends, I have learned harshly that life does not give you what you deserve but most of the time what you decide through determination and effort that have divine blessings from God. The way up is at the bottom of the ladder even though I see way too many people hopping, jumping and catching the ladder half way... Life is full of lessons and tests, if you do not pass one class you can not get to the other. Your mates will leave you behind as long as the lessons do not stick. Patience, self control, kindness, joy, they are the fruit of the spirit and they are the same element you are required as you go through every harsh, challenging and frustrating seasons of your life. Your sowing or seed time may seem challenging, but that is what will lead to harvest, if there are no raining season, the hot weather can cause too much damage. The night will yield to day, because no matter how dark it gets, the day will still break. Do not always wish away any season, make the most of it and keep their lessons for when times will call for them, make no mistake, times do call for the lessons of our seasons. Genesis 8:22 NKJV "While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" You and I may wish them away all we want, but times and seasons are bound to be constant phenomenon as long as we live on this terra firma. Be prepared for every season, dressing appropriately through the word of God for its challenges and you will complain less. Do not always focus on the disadvantage of your season, because the advantage is preparing you for a better season. Be like the children of Issachar, covet understanding of times and season and you will be a step ahead of the enemy. The times and seasons we are in is for advancement and elevation, ensure you key in through prayers, you will then see how you will experience signs and wonders.   Agape!