Month: May 2024

“In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.” (Acts 27:30-32NIV)

Why did the sailors mentioned in our open bible text want to abandon the people with them and run away? It was because they were selfish. Yes, as the account goes, their lives and the lives of all the people on board with them had been in danger for days. And that was because their ship had been caught by a terrible storm that was bent on destroying all of them. But the reason they found themselves in that mess in the first place was that they would not listen to Paul before they started the journey. (Cf. Acts 27:9-20)

As the account also shows us, Paul had warned these sailors not to embark on that journey at the time they did because he perceived that it was going to be dangerous for all of them. But they did not listen to him. Not only that, they assured others that they knew what they were doing. So, majority of the people travelling with them agreed that they should proceed. And that was what exposed the lives of all of them to danger.

Nevertheless, because they had Paul on board, a man of God who was praying for everyone’s safety, God showed them mercy, sent an angel to him to assure them that none of them would lose their life. And he did assure them that they would not lose their lives, for God was going to save them. Not only that, he comforted them and encouraged every one of them to eat. (Cf. Acts 27:21-23)

But then, instead for the sailors, who put them in trouble in the first place, to remain steadfast and focus on bringing everyone to a shore of safety, all they could think of was using trick to abandon the people out there in the open sea and escape. Wasn’t that wicked and irresponsible of them? It was! But that is something that is often seen among leaders, even in the home. They will be the ones that will cause trouble for everyone. Yet they will be the first to be looking for a way to run away and leave their people to sort themselves out.

See, any leader can make mistakes. Yes, the best of leaders can make mistakes. And that is because no human being is perfect in knowledge – only God is. But if you make a mistake that has exposed others to trouble, admit it, seek God’s face for help and also do whatever is in your power to do to save those that you have compromised their safety or progress. That way, you will always have their respect and appreciation.

But if, as a leader, you abandon your people to destruction, you may never again have their blessings or approval, even if you are not the one directly responsible for their ordeals. So, if you are not ready to stay with people from start to finish, regardless of what they may possibly face on the way to their destination, don’t offer to lead them or push yourself forward as their leader. You are not fit to lead. Just admit it and take your low position.

In any case, there is a very important lesson from our opening text that we must not miss. And it is that we must always pay attention to what those with us or around us doing. That way, we can tell if it is something that will compromise our safety or progress or not. If Paul had not been paying attention to what the sailors were whispering among themselves and to their body language, he would not have been able to tell that they were planning to abandon all of them out in the open sea. But because he was paying attention, he was able to expose them and foil their wicked plot.

Now why was Paul able to pay attention in that manner and save everybody on board? Even the soldiers on board were not paying attention the way he was. He was able to do so because he did not allow himself to be consumed by their current challenges. Yes, it was a dark time for all of them. But he did not allow the darkness of the moment to consume him. That was why he was able to pray. It was also why he was able to pay attention to what everyone was doing and expose the plot of the wicked.

In like manner, we too must learn to pay attention to what is happening around us, regardless of how dark or chaotic the moment may be. Yes, we must be praying for God’s protection all the time. But we must also be watchful. Paul did not just save everyone on that ship through his prayers but also through his attentiveness, his watchfulness. And we too may not be able to save ourselves and others in some situations through prayers alone, if we are not watchful or attentive.

So, regardless of what we are confronted with, we must never allow ourselves to be so consumed by what is happening that we won’t be able to think clearly and pray to God and also pay attention to what those with us or around us are doing. Otherwise, we may just end up needlessly becoming victims of people’s selfishness, jealousy, wickedness or foolishness.

Copyright © 2024, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)

“So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”” (Gen 39:6-7NIV)

Who left everything he had in Joseph’s care? It was his master, Potiphar. And why did he leave everything he had in his care? As the account shows us, it was because he prospered in everything he did. And why did he prosper in all that he did? It was because he took advantage of God’s presence in his life. If we too will learn to take advantage of the presence of God in our lives, we will see ourselves prospering in everything we do.

See, God’s presence in our lives will not automatically produce success in every area of our lives. We will have to learn to take advantage of it by walking in its consciousness. In other words, we will have to teach ourselves to handle every business, every challenge and every opportunity of life with the consciousness that God is with us and is able to make us victorious. This is what will drive us to meditate on His word and His power and to pray to Him for whatever we need.

Well, because Joseph learnt to take God’s presence with him seriously, he prospered in all that he did. And because he prospered in all that he did, he was made the manager of Potiphar’s household. But remember that he started in that man’s house as nothing but a seventeen-year old slave. He started with nothing to his credit. Yet, in very few years, he rose to be the overseer of his master’s household. Yes, in very few years, he rose to a place where he could have whatever form of enjoyment that was possible in Potiphar’s house.

Now it is natural for someone to become comfortable in that kind of situation and begin to think that he has eventually arrived. But can we say that Joseph had actually arrived, having become the manager of Potiphar’s household? No! Yes, he was the manager of the man’s household. But he was not a free man. He was still the man’s slave. And unless something opened his eyes to that reality, he may totally forget that God’s purpose for him in life was beyond living as an exalted or glorified slave.

Well, something eventually opened Joseph’s eyes to this reality. But it was not something pleasant at all. What was it, anyway? As we see in our opening bible text, it was the infatuation of his master’s wife. The woman, at some point, just became obsessed with the thought of having something with him. And his stubborn refusal to have anything to do with her later landed him in the prison. (Cf. Gen 39)

Now the question is, “Would Joseph have been thrown into the prison the way he was, if he had been a free man?” Not likely! There would first of all have been a fair and proper trial. That means he would have the privilege of speaking for himself. Also, witnesses, if there were any, would have been called in to testify. And if everything well, the judges in the land would have gotten to the root of the matter and exonerated him.

But he was not a free man in Egypt. He was a slave. Yes, he was a glorified slave. He was a slave, nonetheless. And as a slave, whatever right he had was what his master gave him. So, if his master decided to take away his right to live or exist, there was nothing he could do about it.

Thankfully, the man spared his life and simply imprisoned him. And interestingly, he was exalted again in the prison. He was made the chief prisoner by the prison warden and put in charge of everything going on there. But this time around, he did not allow himself to get too comfortable at all with that position. Instead, when he had an opportunity to make friends with a man that could help him get out, he did not lose or waste it at all. And though the man initially forgot him, it was still through him that God set him free and lifted him up to the place He had always wanted him to occupy in life. (Cf. Gen 39-41)

What is the point of all this? It is that you must not get too comfortable wherever you are, as long as the place is not the highest height God wants you to attain in life. Also, don’t get too comfortable with what God has not given to you permanently, regardless of the privileges or benefits it may now be offering you. That is because just one incident may take away from you those privileges or benefits. What, then, will become of you, if that should happen?

For example, there have been people whose lives were terrible messed up or who lost their minds because they lost certain well-paying jobs or because they were demoted in their workplaces or because certain people who used to support them stopped doing so or because their kind-hearted landlords died and the children of those landlords changed their rent terms. And why did that happen to them? It was because they got too comfortable with something that was not meant to last forever or something that was not theirs to possess and enjoy for a lifetime.

So, while we should take every moment to enjoy everything God has put at our disposal, we should not get carried away by the moment’s enjoyment and lose sight of the reality of our position or the reality of what we truly possess and what we don’t possess. Instead, we should open eyes to see the better things around and ahead that God has prepared for us, so that we can go for them and possess them by His grace. That way, even if a Pharaoh that knows nothing about Joseph should appear on the scene of our lives, we will not be at their mercy or have our lives thrown into misery because of them (Ex 1:8-14).

God bless you.

Copyright © 2024, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)