Category: Fire in my Bones

“Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.” He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.” But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us.”” (Num 10:29-32NIV)

In our opening text, we have a brief conversation between Moses and his brother-in-law, Hobab. And as we see in the conversation, Moses earnestly desired that this man would stay with them all through their journey into the Promised Land. Why? At least, the man was not God. So, he was not the one to lead and protect them on their way into the Promised Land. Why, then, would Moses, a great man of God, be eager to have him, who was not even an Israelite, on their side?

Well, even though God was the one protecting and leading the Israelites on their journey, showing them when to move and when to stop, He would not step out of heaven to give them details of where to camp and where not to camp and how to stay safe in a wilderness that was loaded with all kinds of danger. They needed a man to do that. And Hobab happened to be the right person for the job.

But as I pointed out already, Hobab was not an Israelite. The only reason he was with the Israelites at the time was Moses. He was his brother-in-law and must have come to visit him. When did he come to visit him? We are not told in the bible. It may be when his father, Jethro, came to visit him. Or it may be that he came at a different time.

However, his coming to Moses proved to be very profitable for the man of God and his people. During that short stay, the man showed himself as someone that was highly helpful in showing them how to stay safe in the wilderness. That, of course, was why Moses did not want him to leave them but to stay.

We too must be individuals that people will love to have around them. And that is by being truly helpful to them in unforgettable ways. So, don’t be a liability to anyone. Yes, all of us need helpers in our lives. But we too must learn to be helpful to our helpers. And even if we are just visiting, we should be thoughtful enough to help our hosts in ways that they will always have good and fond memories of our stay with them, however short it may be.

Well, Moses, having thought much about how helpful Hobab had been to the entire Israelite community during his short stay with them, wished he could make him permanently stay with them. But the man was unwilling to stay. And that must have been because he wanted to return to his country and to his people in order to realise whatever dreams he had for himself.

How, then, did Moses make him stay with them? First, it was by letting him know how highly they valued his generous and free help to them. Second, it was by assuring him that they would share with him whatever good things the Lord gave to them. That means his stay with them would not be a waste of time or a waste of his life – he too would be treated as one of them, qualified to enjoy as much goodness of God as any of them when they came into the Promised Land.

What is this telling us? It is that we too should learn to place proper value on our relationships with those in our lives. See, there are people that God has planted in our lives to make life easy for us in various ways. And these people are actually working, fulfilling His will in our lives. It will be wise of us, then, to value highly what they are doing for us and to show it.

What I mean is that we must learn to verbally express our appreciation to all the people God has been using to make life easy, meaningful and profitable for us. In other words, don’t keep your appreciation of others to yourself. Instead, express it to them clearly and wholeheartedly. Otherwise, how will they know that you truly appreciate them?

Then learn to share the good things of your life with those that are contributing to your prosperity, progress and peace of mind. Yes, God is the giver of all good things. But it is people that He often uses to give the good things of life to us. So, as we are showing Him gratitude for the good things He is giving us, we should also be showing heartfelt gratitude to those He is using for us. And one fine way to do that is not to be selfish with the good things He is giving us but to freely share them with those He has used in making it possible for these things to come to us. Otherwise, we may at some point lose the help they are giving to us to some other people who will duly appreciate them.

So, as we come to this season of celebration, remember all the people that have been instrumental to your enjoyment of life this year and share good things with them. How far doing that will go is not what I can say? But it may just make the Hobab in them stay with you for life. Or what do you think?

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)

“David had just said, “It’s been useless — all my watching over this fellow’s property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!”” (1Sam 25:21-22NIV)

David, as we are told in the bible, was one of those few people that God commended for their unwavering loyalty to Him. In fact, God said concerning him, “I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” (Acts 13:22NIV) And is there a better testimony that God can give about anyone than this? I don’t think so. That, then, puts David among those saints of old whose lives are worthy of emulation.

However, as we equally see in the bible, it is not everything about David’s life that is worthy of emulation. For instance, as we see in our opening text, David once planned to attack and destroy the entire household of an innocent man. And who was that innocent man? His name was Nabal.

Now someone may say, “Wait a minute! How could you say that Nabal was an innocent man? Doesn’t the bible say that he was a mean and wicked man?” Yes, it is true that the bible says that Nabal was an arrogant, selfish and wicked man. And for being that kind of man, he deserved to be judged and punished by God. (Cf. 1Sam 25:2-3)

However, on the occasion we are dealing with, Nabal was innocent and did not deserve death from the hands of David. Yes, he despised David and his men, when they came to ask him for some material support. And that was not just because he was a stingy man but also because he did not know them and wasn’t interested in knowing them.

At least, this same Nabal threw a banquet for his workers. That means he was not altogether stingy and cruel. If he, then, had known David and his men, as others in Israel knew him, he would most likely have treated them differently on that occasion, that is, with courtesy.

Besides, as the account also shows us, Nabal was not under any obligation to give anything to David and his men. Yes, they served as a shield to his shepherds when they happened to be together in the same area. They did not abuse or molest them or steal from them. Instead, they protected them in whatever way they could. (Cf. 1Sam 25:15-16)

But then, did David and his men treat those people kindly because they wanted a reward from their master? No! Rather, they did what they did because it was the right thing for them to do, as those who knew the Lord and also had His fear in them.

Therefore, the one they should have expected their full reward from was God, whom they had honoured, not Nabal. And even if Nabal was to give them anything, it was supposed to be in form of appreciation and not entitlement.

Unfortunately, on that occasion, David missed it. He got carried away with a feeling of entitlement because of what he and his men had done for Nabal’s shepherds. So, he allowed himself to be offended by the man’s refusal to appreciate them. That, of course, was why he was determined to destroy him and his entire household. And if God had not sent Abigail to stop him in time, he would have become a murderer.

Therefore, don’t be like David in this sense. Don’t be someone that forces others to appreciate him or that victimises others for not appreciating him. Is it good for anyone to be ungrateful? No! But you must realise that the only person that can properly appreciate us for any good we do is God Himself. And He has promised to do just that, when the time is ripe and if we do not give up on doing good. So, whether people appreciate us for our good works or not, God will surely appreciate us at the right time. (Cf. 1Cor 15:58; Gal 6:9; Heb 6:10)

Then we must also not forget that many of us too have been ungrateful in our dealings with God. Yet He does not victimise us or force us to appreciate Him. Instead, He labours everyday to draw our attention to all that He is doing for our good, so that we may gain understanding and begin to duly appreciate Him.

In like manner, we too should allow people to come by themselves to an understanding of the need to appreciate us, instead of trying to take it from them by force. Otherwise, we may end up becoming worse than them, as we oppress, victimise or punish them for being ungrateful to us. And where that is the case, we will not only be robbing ourselves of whatever appreciation that should have come to us from God for our good acts but also exposing ourselves to His judgment. When next you, then, want to take appreciation or gratitude from people by force or manipulation, remember these things.

Cheers!

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)

“Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32NIV)

Who said these words? It was the Lord Jesus Christ. And why did He say them? He said them because He actually wanted us to remember Lot’s wife. And what are we to remember about Lot’s wife? It is the fact that she illustrates for us the danger of a moment’s disobedience to God’s instruction.

As the account goes, in His mercy, God had decided to spare Lot and his family on the day that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their many sins. So, through His angels that were to carry out the destruction of these two cities, they were instructed to run for their lives and never to stop or look back until they have gotten to safety. Otherwise, they would be destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah. (Cf. Gen 19)

But why would God tell them not to stop or look back while they were running away from those two cities? The reason was that He did not want them to be double-minded about leaving them. He Himself was not double-minded about the destruction of the cities. He had already made up His mind to destroy them and there was no going back. Anyone, then, that would be saved from the destruction coming on them could not afford to be double-minded about running away from them. In other words, the person could not afford to stop or look back on the way to see whether what God had said about their destruction was going to happen or not. Otherwise, he would lose his life along with them.

Unfortunately, Lot’s wife did not seem to get this. So, at some point while they were fleeing, she stopped and looked back. That means she became double-minded about the whole thing. Otherwise, why did she stop and look back? If she was not entertaining doubts about the destruction of those cities, would she have stopped to look back? If she was certain that she had made the right decision about running for her life, would she have stopped to look back? And if she had not been wishing she could take along more of her possessions, would she have stopped to look back?

In any case, by stopping and looking back that day, against God’s clear instruction, Lot’s wife made herself liable to destruction. So, she became a pillar of salt, as a testimony to the double-minded and the disobedient. You can see, then, that the Lord is telling us to remember this incident so that we too will not become double-minded or disobedient like her in our walk of faith and endanger our souls.

As we see in the bible, those of us who believe in Christ Jesus have already fled from this wicked and corrupt generation to become partakers of God’s eternal kingdom. And we cannot afford to be double-minded about that. In fact, we must not be double-minded about it. Instead, we must keep on running towards our goal, never stopping and never looking back to consider the empty way of life we have left behind. That is because one moment of stopping to look back at whatever we have left behind may expose us to God’s judgment and turn us into another pillar of salt. Yes, it may make a mess of our lives and faith and hinder us from finishing well our race to God’s eternal kingdom.

Now my prayer is that you will not become another pillar of salt that will be serving as a warning to the people of God. But you too must know that you cannot be double-minded about your faith in Christ Jesus. No, you cannot be wishing you could go back and enjoy more of the ways of this world. And you cannot be wondering whether you made the right decision or not by coming to Jesus. Doing that may turn you to another Lot’s wife and, of course, another pillar of salt. Therefore, mind yourself.

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)

“”Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and your father’s house would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your family line and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, in your family line there will never be an old man. Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.” (1Sam 2:30-33NIV)

Those were very strong words from God to the household of Eli. And from what He said to them, it is clear that excellence, health and peace of mind would be far from them, even from their unborn children. But why should God give this kind of judgment to this family?

Well, from what we see in the account, it was because of the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. And what was so special about them that God would curse their father’s entire household because of them? Again, as we see in the account, these young men were scoundrels, wicked and unreasonable people who had no regard for God at all. (Cf. 1Sam 2:12)

But they were raised in the house of the Lord. They were, in fact, raised as priests of the Lord. And from what we know in the bible, they were raised by the same person that raised Samuel. They were raised by their father, Eli. But Samuel did not turn out to be bad, wicked or unreasonable. Instead, he turned out to be a faithful servant of the Lord.

What, then, was the problem with Eli’s sons? Why could not the same training that made Samuel a great man of God make them great men of God? The reason was that they would not allow the word of God to dwell in their hearts.

Now the bible tells us that when people refuse to retain the word of God in their hearts, they will, at some point, be given over by God to do things that are not convenient, things that will ultimately destroy them. And that was what happened to Hophni and Phinehas. God, at some point, gave them over to impurities because they would not retain His knowledge in their hearts or give Him regard. Therefore, their wickedness degenerated to a point where they began to shamelessly sleep with the women that were working at the entrance of the Lord’s tabernacle. (Cf. Rom 1:28)

What, then, did their father do when he saw that they had utterly lost their way and were on the verge of self-destruct? He called them and rebuked them. And did that work? No, it did not work. They did not listen to him. And what did he do when he realised that they would not listen to his words of rebuke? Nothing! He just let them be. (Cf. 1Sam 2:22-25)

But could he really have done anything else to stop them from destroying themselves? Yes! He could have removed them from their positions as priests and sent them far away from the Lord’s tabernacle. That way, he could cleanse the house of God of their impurities and corruption. And doing that would have satisfied the God of justice. But he did not do so. Why? We are not given the reason for that in the bible.

At any rate, because Eli failed to judge these sons of his, he opened the door for God’s judgment to come upon his entire household. And as we see in our opening bible text, the judgment that came upon them was so severe that no right-thinking person would want to marry from their family or into their family. That judgment ruined their future. But was it really God’s judgment that ruined their future? No! It was their sin that ruined the future for them.

In like manner, our sins and errors can ruin the future for us and our family lines. And there are many in the world today that are already ruining the future for themselves and their descendants through greed, sexual immorality, bloodshed, oppression or some other forms of wicked practices. While these ones may think that they are enjoying themselves right now, they are actually taking away peace, joy, honour and excellence from their descendants that will come after them. And unless such descendants of theirs know God truly and give themselves to living for Him, they will not be able to separate themselves from partaking in the judgment on their ancestors.

So, watch the way you live and how you use your various positions and privileges in life. Don’t ruin the future with your present. Otherwise, those coming after you may turn your name into a curse. Then, if, as a child of God, you are currently partaking in some generational curse or judgment, begin to steadfastly take your stand against it, in the name of Jesus. That is because you are now a new creation in Christ Jesus. So, you can refuse to share in any ugly generational experience of your natural family. And may you find sufficient strength in God to do this, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Cheers!

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)

“Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.” And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.” (Gen 31:1-2NIV)

What did Jacob notice, as we are shown in our opening text? The change in Laban’s attitude towards him? In other words, Laban no longer related to him kindly any more. And had he been kind to him before this time? Well, to some extent, he must have been kind to him. Truly, he cheated Jacob ten times of his wages. But that is not to say that he was not kind towards him at all.

For example, he gave him his two daughters as wives. Also, he provided all of them and their children with accommodation. And though he did cheat him of his wages a number of times, he did not stop him from building his own wealth. So, Laban was not altogether a bad person. And isn’t that interesting to know?

But then, at some point, Laban’s attitude towards Jacob changed. Why? The reason was that his sons had been telling him that Jacob had taken over his wealth. And was that true? No, it was not true at all?

Jacob, as we see in bible accounts, worked very hard for about 20 years for their father, Laban. And though he was working really hard for him, the man had no intention of rewarding him accordingly. Instead, he was cheating him of his wages, not even considering the fact that they were related by blood. And if God had not stepped into the situation, Jacob would have left his house empty-handed.

However, God stepped into the situation to reward Jacob for his loyalty to him. So, as Jacob would later tell his wives, it was God Himself that took away Laban’s wealth and gave it to him (Gen 31:9). More so, Laban himself knew that it was because of Jacob that God had made him wealthy and not because of his cleverness (Gen 30:27). Unfortunately, his sons were too spiritually blind to see that. So, they began to eye Jacob’s wealth and to poison his mind against him.

But then, where were these sons of Laban when Jacob was working hard night and day and making money for their father? Why were they too not actively involved in their father’s business at the time? They were probably getting drunk and sleeping around with women with the money Jacob was making for their father. Yet they could wake up one morning and start saying that Jacob had stolen their father’s wealth. What a shame!

Sadly, there are still children like them today. They live off the sweat of other people for their parents. Then when those people begin to rise out of the shadows of their parents, they will start talking rubbish with their mouths and saying things like, “If my father had not picked you up from the mud, where would you have been?” Shame on them! They are nothing but Laban’s sons, irresponsible and useless.

In any case, Jacob was attentive enough to notice what was happening at the time. He was attentive enough to know that he, his household and his wealth were no longer safe with Laban. And what did he do about that? He waited for God’s instruction. Of course, we are not told in clear terms that he prayed to God about the matter. But I personally believe that he must have communed with God about the matter. That is because the next thing we are told in the account is, “Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”” (Gen 31:3NIV)

When did the Lord tell Jacob to leave Laban’s house? It was after his observation that Laban’s attitude towards him had changed. So, there must have been some sort of communion between him and God about the situation.

At any rate, the point of it all is that Jacob did not leave Laban’s house merely on the basis of his observation; rather, he left it on the basis of a divine revelation. And that was why his departure from there did not result in harm for him.

In like manner, we too must be attentive and observant in all our dealings with people. Otherwise, where we think is safe for us may just have become a death trap for us or certain opportunities meant for our greater prosperity may simply elude us. But then, as also in Jacob’s case, as God’s people, we should not make any decision merely on the basis of our observations; rather, we should learn to always seek God’s face in His word and through prayer for divine revelations on what to do with our observations. Otherwise, we may end up making decisions that we will have no strength or wisdom to see through or making decisions that will rob us of God’s provisions for our elevation.

Cheers!

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)

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” (Matt 23:37-39NIV)

That was the lamentation of our Lord Jesus over the people of Jerusalem just before He went to the cross. And one main thing we see from what He said about these people is that He was unable to help them experience a fulfilment of God’s purpose for them. Yes, He wanted to help them. He had the ability to help them. But they were just unwilling to be helped. So, He had to leave their house to them desolate. He had to move on. What a shame!

Now if the Lord Jesus, who was full of God’s grace and truth, couldn’t just help certain people to witness the goodness of God and be saved, we must also know that there are people we cannot help, regardless of how hard we try. Yes, it is important that we always endeavour to do for others all that God lays on our hearts and also gives us the grace to do for them. That way, we can maintain a clean and clear conscience before Him that we have done our own bit for them.

However, we must also know when no further effort we make to help some people will amount to anything. And where that is the case, we need to stop wasting the time, energy and resources God has given to us on such people and move on. Otherwise, whatever harm or frustration that comes to us as a result of it will be self-inflicted.

As we see in the bible, after God had rejected Saul, Samuel did not stop mourning for him. But he did not go to visit him. Why did he not go to visit him? It was because he knew that the man had passed the point of no return. In other words, he had gone beyond where any help he offered him would work. So, he would not visit him. Yet he wouldn’t also stop mourning for him. (Cf. 1Sam 15:34-35)

Why did Samuel continue to mourn for this man? It was because he was the one that ordained him as king. Yes, he was the one that told everybody that the man was God’s chosen and anointed one. How, then, would he face these same people again and tell them that God had changed His mind about him? Would they not even think that he probably did not get it right in the first place?

But then, it was not Samuel’s fault that Saul turned out bad. It was not his fault that the man became unfaithful to God. And it was not his fault that no attempt he made to set him right worked. Yet he kept on blaming himself for him and mourning over his spiritual death. So, God had to step in at some time and say to him, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”” (1Sam 16:1NIV)

Did you see that? God stopped Samuel from worrying about Saul and praying for him. Why? All that he was doing for him was an effort in futility. It wouldn’t change anything about Saul, neither would it change God’s mind about him. God had already moved on. He had already chosen another man in place of Saul. So, it was only wise of Samuel too to move on. And that was exactly what God told him to do.

Now do you know that God also told Jeremiah more than once not to pray for the people of Judah anymore? Why? The reason was that He was not going to answer him. That means his prayers for them would not help or save them from what was coming for them. If Jeremiah, then, continued to pray to God for them, would he not just be wasting his energy and time? He would. (Cf. Jer 7:16 & 11:14)

In like manner, there are times that God will expect us too to just let some people be and move on with our lives. And that is because there is nothing we do for them at such times, however good or honourable it may be, that will help them change their ways or that will change God’s mind about them. God has already moved on, as far as their matters are concerned. So, we too should move on.

How, then, do we know when we need to do this in our dealings with others? It is by divine revelations. What I mean is that it is not in our place to just say, “I am done helping you or praying for you,” to anyone. Rather, it is for God to determine. In other words, if God has given us the responsibility of taking care of someone or supporting them, whether through our prayers, resources or the word of God, we can’t just wake up on morning and say that we are done with them, even if the person is terribly messing up. Instead, we must first go back to God who made that person our responsibility and report to Him. Then He will tell us what to do.

Remember that both Moses and Elijah, at some point during their lifetimes, try to abandon their duties to the Israelites because of the stiffness of the neck of the people. But God literally said to both of them, “No, you can’t do that. You have to finish what you started.” And they both went on to finish what they had started. (Cf. Num 11; 1Kings 19)

So, don’t use what I am sharing with you here as your excuse for abandoning your prayer duties to anyone or for turning away from giving them whatever help God has put you in the position to give them. That will be a sin against God (1Sam 12:23). But if God Himself has already shown you that you have no further help or assistance to give to someone to save them or lift them up, you had better move on and stop wasting your time on them.

Cheers!

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)

“”Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”” (Luke 10:41-42NIV)

Those were Jesus’ words to Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus, when He once visited her house. But why would Jesus say such words to her? It was because she had complained to Him about her sister, Mary.

Now what was her complaint about her? Well, it was simply that Mary had left her to handle all the preparations that had to be made in the house alone. What preparations were they to make? From the context, those preparations, for the most part, had to do with the meal that Jesus and those with Him would eat.

In any case, whether they had to do with what Jesus and those with Him would eat or something else, what was clear was that Martha was upset that Mary, her sister, left her all alone to deal with all that had to be done. And she probably would not have voiced out her annoyance and frustration, if Jesus had rebuked Mary for being irresponsible on the occasion. But Jesus did not rebuke her at all. Instead, He just kept on teaching her and others who were there with Him.

Now when Martha could not take it anymore, she confronted Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” (Luke 10:40NIV) Think about that. This woman accused Jesus of not caring at all about her frustration. And she did that because she thought that would wake Him up to do the needful.

How often we too do that! We accuse God of not caring at all or enough about our challenges, trials or frustration. And we think that if we accuse Him or nag Him long enough in that manner, He would wake up from His slumber and attend to us.

But God never sleeps nor slumbers, as we are told in the bible (Ps 121:3-4). Instead, He is always awake and alive to whatever is happening in our lives. Why, then, won’t He act on our behalf and make things go in our favour, as we often expect Him to do? Well, the reason may just be the same or similar to the reason Jesus did not attend to Martha on that occasion.

As we further see in the account, Jesus’ response to Martha’s complaint was both shocking and revealing. In other words, first, His response was contrary to the woman’s expectation. Second, His response showed that she was the one that missing it and not Mary, her sister. She was the one that had misplaced her priorities, not Mary. So, she was actually the one that needed rebuking, not Mary.

But how was that so? Well, the answer is in the part of the account that reads, “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made… ” (Luke 10:40NIV) Did you see that? Martha was distracted. When do you say that someone is distracted? It is when the person is paying attention to the wrong thing. That thing my not be bad in itself or at all. But it is not something that should get the person’s attention at the time. And if he should continue to pay attention to that thing, he may end up totally losing out on what should really be getting his attention.

What this means, then, is that Martha too was supposed to sit down and be listening to Jesus at the time, as Mary and others who were there were doing. But she would not settle down to listen to Him because her mind was unduly occupied with other things that she needed to do. However, the only thing that she was supposed to give her attention and devotion to at the time was the word of God that Jesus was sharing. Sadly, she allowed distraction to make her miss her word for the hour. And that was because she did not get her priorities right.

Mary, on the contrary, got her priorities right. And she was so convinced about what was right for her at the time that she did not join her sister, Martha, in whatever she was doing or look her way at all. Therefore, the Lord said that what she had gained from that day’s teaching would remain with her forever, working in her life for her good.

What, then, is the point of all this? It is that we need to get our priorities right all the time and make the main thing the main thing in our lives. See, there may be all kinds of good things that we can give ourselves to in life and that others around us are busy doing. But if they are out of line with what God wants us to be doing at any given moment, we should not give ourselves to them, whether out of fear, greed, jealousy, indecisiveness, loneliness or desire for the praise of men. Otherwise, we may end up being frustrated in life and also missing out on what should really be ours.

Not only that, if we don’t get our priorities right, God may just be watching us in our frustration and not do anything about it, as Jesus’ did in Martha’s case. And if we won’t open our mouths to talk to Him in such situations, He may still not say anything to us about what we are missing. Then we may just go on and waste our lives on irrelevancies or non-essentials.

Now my prayer is that you will not waste your life on irrelevancies or anything inconsistent with God’s purpose for your life. But you too must learn to pray and to give yourself to the word of God, so that your heart may be loaded all the time with revelations of the things that you need to prioritise with in life. Then you will be able to gain those eternal things that God wants you to gain in life instead of living in frustration.

Cheers!

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)

“What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you…” (Acts 21:22-23NIV)

Who said those words? The Christian elders in Jerusalem? To whom did they say them? It was to Paul that they said them. But why would they tell him to do whatever they told him? It was because they wanted to protect him from his Jewish enemies.

As the account goes, because of the things Paul had been preaching everywhere he went about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for man’s salvation and the abolishing of the Law of Moses by Him, many of the Jews saw him as an enemy of the state. In fact, even many who had become Christians among them were unsure of what to do with him. That was because most of them were still zealous for the Law of Moses and the customs of the Jews. And hearing that Paul had been teaching the Jews abroad to abandon this law and their customs did not make them happy with him at all.

If all these people, then, should see him in Jerusalem, they would most likely not treat him kindly. In fact, the elders of the church were certain that if the religious leaders of the Jews should find out that he was in town, they would stop at nothing to destroy him. And remember that Jesus did not teach the people to abandon the Law of Moses during His earthly ministry. Yet they killed him. How, then, would they treat a man like Paul, who was teaching their people to turn away from the Law of Moses and their customs? They would give him a worse treatment than they gave Jesus.

It was against this backdrop, then, that the church elders in Jerusalem at the time, including James the brother of our Lord Jesus, told Paul to listen to their counsel and act accordingly. And what was their counsel? It was that he would join certain men that had some rituals to make in the temple in performing those rituals. That way, those who saw him in town would be given the impression that he was still obedient to the Law of Moses and that everything that had been said against him was just a rumor. (Cf. Acts 21:17-25)

But was that the truth about the matter? No! Was Paul really living according to the Law of Moses at the time? No! Why, then, did the leadership of the church want him to give a false impression of himself to the people? As I said before, it was because they felt that was the only way to protect him from their attack, an attack that could result in the loss of his life.

Did Paul, then, listen to them or not? He did. Why? First, it was because he knew that what they were asking him to do was really nothing. That means it was not something that was capable of hurting his inner and genuine faith in the Lord Jesus. Rather, it was something to be done to promote peace in his life and for the people around him.

Now, of course, the sacrifice this apostle was being asked to offer was totally unnecessary for salvation or righteousness, for Jesus has already taken care of these things for all humanity through His redemptive sacrifice. So, offering it would actually be a compromise of faith on Paul’s part. However, offering it would not make him sin against God, since it was God Himself that had commanded it in the first place. Therefore, his compromise to offer it was a worthy compromise.

The second reason Paul listened to those elders of the church must have been that he knew that what they wanted him to do would not accomplish the results they were hoping it would accomplish. As we see in the account of his ministry and journey, the Spirit of God had warned him severally that prison and hardships were facing him wherever he went. In addition to that, another man of God, Agabus, had prophesied to him that he would be bound in Jerusalem and handed over to the gentiles, if he should go there. (Cf. Acts 20:22-23 & 21:10-11)

Therefore, no amount of pretence could keep him from being persecuted, arrested and imprisoned by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. And that was eventually what happened. He was arrested and handed over to the gentile lords to be dealt with.

But then, if he had argued that out with the church elders, simply because he had revelations of what would become of him, he would just have been seen by them as an arrogant person. That, of course, would have ruined whatever beautiful fellowship he might have hoped to have with them. So, instead of arguing with these highly respected leaders of the church, Paul decided to listen to them and compromise. But again, it was a worthy compromise, a compromise that did not alter the will of God for his life and that also made it possible for him to continue to have the respect of those church elders.

What, now, is the wisdom in all this for us? It is simply that it is not every compromise that is sinful. There are worthy compromises, even of faith. And our ability to know when to employ them will be a true manifestation of the wisdom of God in us. As we see in Paul’s case, any compromise that will make peace reign where we are is a worthy compromise and should be employed by us, as long as it will not make us sin against God.

Also, any compromise that will not prevent things from happening the way we expect them to happen but save us from appearing arrogant is a worthy one and should be employed by us when necessary. And my prayer is that the Spirit of God will daily fill you with sufficient wisdom to recognize those worthy compromises you need to employ in order to not to ruin the beautiful relationships in your life, while you are seeking to maintain your faith and integrity before God and man. Amen.

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)

“This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.” (Gen 31:40-42NIV)

As we see in the Scriptures, when Jacob left Laban’s house, he left with great wealth. In other words, he had become a very wealthy man by the time he was leaving the man’s house. But was he meant to be wealthy in Laban’s house? Were the circumstances of Laban’s house designed to make him rich? No, not at all.

As we see in our opening text, Jacob himself testified that the twenty years he spent in Laban’s house were years of hard labour and pains. Yes, it was Laban himself, his uncle, that he was working for. Yet the man did not go easy on him at all. Instead, he made him sweat for everything he paid him in wages.

Not only that, Laban made him pay for whatever was stolen under his watch. And even when wild animals attacked and killed any of this man’s animals that Jacob was caring for, he never bothered to bring the torn animal to him. Instead, he bore the loss himself. That was because he knew the kind of person Laban was. He would not listen to explanation; he would simply dismiss them excuses. (Cf. Gen 31:39)

In addition to that, Laban was a terrible cheat. If Jacob had thought that he knew how to cheat people, he found out that he knew nothing about being a cheat when compared with Laban. As he equally points out in our opening text, Laban cheated him of his wages ten times in twenty years. This man just kept looking for ways to pay him less than he actually deserved.

Furthermore, Laban was involved in the practice of divination. Once, when Jacob was bent on leaving him, he earnestly begged him to stay. And his reason was that he had found out through divination that Jacob was the reason God was blessing him. So, the reason he kept Jacob with him was not that he loved or cared about him; rather, it was that he was using him for his prosperity. And if he had his way, he would have employed any form of witchcraft to make him a slave forever. (Cf. Gen 30:25-27)

But this man was Jacob’s uncle, his own blood. Not only that, he was also his father-in-law, for Jacob had married his two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Yet he did not treat him with compassion at all. Rather, he treated him ruthlessly. And the treatment he gave him was so bad that even his own daughters encouraged Jacob to take them away from his house. That was because he also used them. He used them to make money from Jacob for fourteen long years, as though they were nothing but a piece of land. What a father! (Cf. Gen 31:14-16)

So, if you have uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters, cousins, in-laws or even parents that are treating you shamefully, don’t be alarmed or discouraged. It is not a new thing. Jacob too suffered terribly at the hands of his own uncle and father-in-law. In fact, he told the man to his face that he knew that his plan was to use him and dump him – his plan was to send him away from his house a poor man.

But then, did he leave Laban’s house a poor man? No! Instead, he left his house with great wealth. Actually, by the time he was leaving, his wealth was already a threat to Laban’s prosperity (Gen 31:1). And how did that happen? Why couldn’t Laban’s evil system of doing things succeed in making Jacob poor and empty?

Well, the reason was that God was with him. As we also see in our opening text, Jacob told Laban that if God had not been with him, then, his wicked schemes and witchcraft would have succeeded against him. But God was with him. Yes, he worked really hard for Laban, more than he might have needed to work under normal circumstances. But his hard labour was not in vain. God made his hard labour result in great prosperity for him, in spite of the wicked schemes and sorcery of his uncle and father-in-law. Hallelujah!

Now is God with you too, as he was with Jacob? If He is with you, then, trust Him to do for you what he did for Jacob, if you are in similar circumstances. Yes, trust Him to frustrate every system, scheme, policy or sorcery being employed against your prosperity, peace of mind and safety in your country, town, workplace, school or community. And He will surely frustrate it, if you too will stay in His righteousness. Therefore, your hard and diligent labour will not be in vain. And even if you have to leave where you are now for wherever your heart desires to be, you will not leave empty-handed.

Cheers!

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)