Category: Youth for Jesus

Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 24

“From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.” (1 Sam 22:3-4 HCSB)

Why did David leave his father and mother with the king of Moab? First, it was because he was being severely persecuted by Saul, the king of Israel of the time. As the account shows us, Saul had become so jealous of David at the time that he was able to kill or destroy anyone that was standing in his way. He, in fact, destroyed the priests in Nob along with their families and possessions because their leader, Ahimelech, ignorantly assisted David when he came to him. And Saul acted like that because the Spirit of God had left him and an evil spirit had begun to torment him. (Cf. 1 Sam 16:14 & 1 Sam 22:11-23)

You can, then, see that it was not wise at all for David to leave any of his family member where Saul could easily access and destroy them. That was why he removed his parents from the land of Israel and took them to the king of Moab for safety.

But there was another reason David acted like that. And it had to do with the fact that he did not know exactly what God would do for him and when He would do it. Without controversy, God had anointed him king over Israel in place of Saul. So, he was convinced that he would sit on the throne of Israel some day.

However, he could not tell exactly how God would make him sit on the throne of Israel or when He would make him sit on it. That was because Saul was still very much alive at the time. Also, the Israelites had not said that they no longer wanted him as their king. And since God had not told him exactly when his own reign would begin, the best he could do was wait.

But then, what would he be doing while he was waiting? Whatever his hands could find! Remember that the bible says that whatever your hands find, do it with all your might. In other words, don’t give yourself to idleness because everything you are supposed to be doing with your life is not yet clear to you. Instead, give yourself to doing whatever comes to you naturally. Yes, give yourself to doing whatever good and righteous thing you have the ability to do where you are. And as you give yourself to doing that, God will lead you to the fullness of His plans for you at the set time. (Cf. Ecc 9:10)

Now that was what David did. Since he was not yet sure of how and when God would fulfil His plans for him, he began to take all the wise and righteous steps he had the ability and resources to take at the time. That was what led him to run away from Saul to the land of the Philistines. That also was what led him to take his parents away from the land of Israel to the king of Moab for safety. And when the time was ripe for God to put him on the throne of Israel, no one could stop him from sitting on it.

In like manner, the fact that God has revealed some things about His plans for you does not mean you know when and how He will realise them. And inasmuch as you do not know when and how He will realise His plans for you, just give yourself to doing those wise and legitimate things that you have the ability, resources and influence to do in your current situation. That is how to prepare yourself or keep yourself safe for the time of the fulfilment of His plans for you.

Also, if you have been praying to God for clarity on what steps to take in a situation and you are not yet getting it, don’t become discouraged or apprehensive. Instead, give yourself to doing whatever righteous and wise things you have the abilities to do until you become sure of what God is doing or the direction He is leading you. That is because God reveals things to us only on need-basis and also acts on our behalf according to His own schedule.

Therefore, we cannot make Him reveal to us what He has no intention to reveal to us or force Him to act before the time He has set. But by doing those things that come naturally to us, we can make ourselves ready to receive or partake in whatever He is doing on our behalf when the time is set. So, even if you are not sure of what God is up to about your situation, just keep on acting wisely and diligently where you are and based on your abilities. Then you will be ready whenever He is ready.

Copyright © 2026, 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: 08146472876)

By: J.O. Lawal
Date: October 21, 2026
Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 23

“All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling or listening to something new.” (Acts 17:21 NET)

Those were Luke’s words about the people living in Athens during his time, the time that he was accompanying Paul the apostle on his apostolic missions. And what do we learn from his comment about those people? It is that there is nothing new under the sun.

Solomon, in that wonderful book of his, Ecclesiastes, declares to us that there is nothing new under the sun. And by that, he is not referring to new technologies or inventions; rather, he is referring to new happenings or occurrences. Yet people have never stopped looking forward to hearing or seeing something new that is happening under the sun. (Cf. Ecclesiastes 1:9–10)

As we see in our opening text, the Athenians and the foreigners living among them during Paul and Luke’s time were always busy seeking to hear and to speak about the new things happening in their world. And that was because they failed to realize that there was nothing happening during their time that was totally strange or entirely new. Everything they were hearing and witnessing had happened before. If they had been doing their research well, they would have known that and stopped wasting valuable time, energy and resources on promoting old and stale news.

In like manner, many of us today have cultivated the Athenian habit. We daily waste much valuable time, energy and resources on seeking to hear or see something new that is happening under the sun. And there are many platforms that are aiding us in doing so. These platforms, of course, were not created by their owners to aid a waste of our time, energy and resources. On the contrary, they were created to make the handling of our lives, affairs, relationships and businesses easier for many of us.

But like the people of Athens of that time, many of us have reduced every platform given to us to a tool for wasting valuable time, energy and resources on discussing ancient issues that are wearing modern attire. What, then, are we going to gain from doing so? We will not gain anything that those who first did what we are now doing did not gain.

So, though there are many platforms through which you can be loaded with all kinds of so-called strange happenings or new revelations, choose not to use any of them to waste your time, energy or resources on anything that is not edifying. Instead, always think of how you can use every platform available to you as an opportunity to make life easier, better and more profitable for you and others in your world.

Now, indeed, some things may appear new or strange to you. That, however, does not mean that they are actually strange. You are the one who is just finding out about them. Therefore, even in dealing with such things, your focus should always be how profitable they can be to you. And if you cannot see them as profitable in any serious sense, waste no time in discarding them. And may God continually keep you from wasting your life on irrelevances or non-essentials. Amen.

Copyright © 2026, 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: 08146472876)

Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 22

“When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to challenge him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a great display of pomp, bringing with her camels carrying spices, a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king.” (2 Chron. 9:1-2 NET)

What made the Queen of Sheba leave her country to come to Solomon? It was the news she had heard about him. She had heard that Solomon was a wise king, wiser than all the other wise men of his time. And how would she know whether what she had heard was true? It was by coming to challenge his wisdom and see if he would live up to the reputation he had among many at the time.

Now, did Solomon live up to the reputation he had among the people of that time? He did. As we see in our opening text, there was no question the Queen of Sheba asked him that was too difficult or complex for him to answer. He answered all her questions. Look at how her reaction is reported in the Bible:

“She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight was true! I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn’t hear even half the story! Your wisdom surpasses what was reported to me.”” (2 Chron. 9:5-6 NET)

Did you see that? Solomon did not fail the test of reputation given to him by that woman. In fact, he surpassed her expectations. Why was that so? It was so because he was not living a lie. Solomon was not trying to act wise or to prove himself wiser than others. He was actually extremely wise. So he naturally and consistently said wise things and did wise things. Anyone who had interacted with him was bound to report him as an unusually wise person.

Also, Solomon did not fail that woman’s test of reputation because he would not encourage anybody to flatter him or to feed people propaganda about him. Therefore, most of those who spoke of his wisdom and greatness understated things. That was why the Queen of Sheba was even more surprised when she came to challenge him with difficult questions.
What lessons, then, are there in all this for us? It is that whatever reputation we desire to have, or are laboring to have, among people will surely be challenged at one point or another. And it may not be challenged by those we expect or at the time we expect. Will it, then, prove to be true or false?

Well, that will depend on whether we have been true in the way we live or whether we have been living a lie. If we have been true in the way we live, and have not been painting a false image of ourselves for the world, we will be free to be ourselves, regardless of whom we may be relating to. But if we have been living a lie, the true test of our reputation will come from strangers. They are the ones who will expose us as frauds when we are least prepared.

So, if you want to maintain a good reputation, you had better not be living a lie. Instead, like Solomon, be consistently true to your character, regardless of whom you are relating to. That way, wherever your name is mentioned, it is the same thing everyone will be saying about you.

Copyright © 2026, 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: 08146472876)

Date: October 07, 2026
Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 21

“He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.'” He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.'” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.” (Gen 32:17-21NIV)

Who gave his servants the instructions we have in our opening text? It was Jacob. And on what occasion did he give them the instructions? He gave them the instructions when he was planning to meet his twin and elder brother, Esau, having been away from home for about twenty years.

Now why did he give his servants such very specific instructions? As we see in the account, the reason was that he was looking for a way to pacify Esau. And why did he need to pacify the man? The reason was that they did not part ways on a good note when he left the house.

As bible accounts go, before leaving home, Jacob, with the motivation and assistance of their mother, had used trick to take the blessing that their father, Isaac, had wanted to give to Esau. This, of course, made Esau so furious that he began to nurse the notion of killing him. And when their mother heard about it, he persuaded Isaac to send Jacob far away from home to his uncle, Laban. So, in a sense, one could say that Jacob actually ran away from home because of Esau. (Cf. Gen 27&28)

But then, though about twenty years had passed since that incident, Jacob was not sure if Esau would still not want to harm him. So, when he heard that Esau was coming to him with his four hundred warriors, he had to first spend some time to pray to God about the matter for mercy. Then, on his own part, he had to think of how to pacify Esau with all kinds of gifts.

Therefore, what we have in our opening text is given to us to show something about the effort he made in pacifying his brother. And this is teaching us that if we have truly hurt people and need to make amends, we should not shy away from doing so as quickly as possible. Otherwise, even when decades have passed, the relationship we have refused to heal may still show up to threaten our peace of mind.

Another important lesson to pick from this situation is that wherever we are making effort to heal an injured relationship or to gain someone’s favour, we need to choose our words carefully. As we see in Jacob’s case, even though the gifts he prepared for Esau were quite expensive, he still needed to instruct his servants that would deliver them to choose their words carefully when addressing Esau. Look at what he said to them:

“And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’”

Did you see that? He told his servants not to make the mistake of saying to Esau, “Your brother Jacob is coming behind us.” Rather, he told them to say, “Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.” Why? He knew that he did not deserve to be given the treatment of a brother by Esau, for he himself did not treat him as his own brother but as a rival. If he, then, would gain his favour and mercy, calling himself his brother in that hour may be a foolish thing.

So, he chose to abase himself before him, referring to himself as his servant. And he had to make that point very clear to his servants that were taking his gifts to Esau. Otherwise, they may just make a bad situation worse through their wrong choice of words. And that is wisdom.

Now, of course, it was the mercy of God that eventually and actually ended the years of hate and bitterness that had been between these two men. But if Jacob too had not humbled himself in that situation and chosen his words carefully, he may have made it difficult for God to help him, even though he had prayed to Him.

Therefore, even if you are praying to God for mercy or favour in any situation, still learn to choose your words carefully in handling it. Otherwise, if your words do not communicate enough humility, respect and wisdom where you need favour or mercy, even God may not be able to help you. So, mind yourself.

Copyright © 2026, 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: 08146472876)

Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 18

“The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the LORD’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the LORD.” (2 Chron 24:13-14NIV)

Who were the men being referred to in our opening text? They were the men that handled the repair of the temple of God during the reign of King Joash and under the leadership of Jehoiada the priest.

Now what are the key things said about these men in the text? The first is that they handled the work given to them diligently. Therefore, the repairs being done progressed under them. In other words, King Joash, Jehoiada the priest and the rest of the people of the land could see value for the money that they gave for the repair of the temple. And that was because of the diligence of the people the work was entrusted to.

What this, of course, is showing us is that if we want anything entrusted to us, whether it is spiritual or material, to experience real and visible progress, we must handle it with diligence. And we will handle it with diligence, if we desire to see the progress and success of whatever is committed to our trust.

Unfortunately, many people today, including God’s children, most times care only about what they will gain from whatever task that is given to them; they hardly care about the success or progress of the task itself. And that is nothing but selfishness, a kind that closes doors of favour against people. If you, then, don’t want doors of favour to be closing against you, don’t just be concerned about the profit or prestige you will make from the jobs or tasks given to you; always be concerned about their success or progress as well.

The second thing said about the men in our opening text is that they were honest and accountable. As the text shows, when they were done with the repairs done on the temple, they returned the money that was left to the king and Jehoiada. Why? They had already received their own wages for the job they did. So, it was only right for them to account for what they spent on repairing the temple and to also return what was not spent in doing the job.

More so, the temple they worked on was their own place of worship too. And if they could not repair it free of charge, the least they could do was to handle whatever money or materials given to them with utmost carefulness and honesty. That way, if anything was not used or spent, it could be used to take care of other matters in the temple, which was exactly what happened. The money they returned was used by the king and the chief priest to provide a number of articles of gold and silver needed for worship in the temple. And what they did will always be on record about them till Jesus will come.

Now will it be on record about you and me that we too are honest and accountable in handling whatever is entrusted to us by others? And this does not have to do with what is entrusted to us in our churches alone but also with whatever is entrusted to us by others in our workplaces, schools, families, societies or neighbourhoods. Will it be on record among those we are dealing with that we are honest and accountable?

It is a pity that even when some of us are handling tasks that we too are ultimately going to benefit from, we will still act dishonest. We will still be considering how we can make outrageous profits. And what do you think will happen when what we are up to is discovered? It will be put on record that we are dishonest and unreliable. Only God, then, will be able to tell the degree to which that will affect our personal progress and peace of mind in life.

In any case, the point of it all is that in handling whatever task that is entrusted to us, we should exhibit diligence, honesty and accountability that will bless the task in our hands. If we do so, it will be on record for others to read, say or hear about us. And who knows where God will use that to open doors of favour for us here on earth?

Copyright © 2026, 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: 08146472876)

Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 17

“The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.” (Acts 27:3NIV)

Who allowed Paul to go to his friends? It was Julius. Who was Julius? He was the Roman centurion that was saddled with the responsibility of taking Paul to Rome to face trial before Ceasar. And why did this man allow Paul to visit his friends when they landed at Sidon? It was so that the man of God may get some material support from them for his journey to Rome.

Evidently, Paul must have discussed his situation with this man and pleaded for the permission to visit some of the people he knew in Sidon to get some assistance for that journey and perhaps also for his stay and trial in Rome. If it was Julius’ responsibility to provide for Paul’s needs, he would not need to ask for his permission to source for outside help. But that was not the centurion’s responsibility. His responsibility was to safely take Paul to Rome to face his trial. And he was utterly committed to doing that.

But being a kind and reasonable man, he had compassion on Paul and gave him permission to visit his friends in Sidon and get help from them. And was he able to get help from them or not? He must have been able to get help from them, since Luke, the writer of the story, does not tell us in the account that he came back disappointed. It follows, then, that the friends of Paul in Sidon were not just friends by words of mouth; they were friends in need and friends indeed.

As we all know, there were no telephones or mobile phones at the time in question. So, there was every possibility that those friends of Paul were not expecting him when he showed up. Yet they did all that they could to aid him, even though the notice was short. That is the beauty of having true and reliable friends.

So, from this account, we learn that it is good to have friends, even as believers in Christ Jesus. Even our Lord Jesus Christ had friends when He was here on earth. For instance, Lazarus, the man that He raised from the dead after four days, was His friend. And Jesus used to visit him and his sisters from time to time for moments of refreshing. (Cf. John 11:1-3)

But what sort of friends are we to have? They must be friends in need, that is, friends that we can rely on for help or support in times of need. Some people will only show themselves as our friends when they can benefit from our well-being or when we are not making any demand on them. If we should no longer be in a situation where they can benefit something from us or if we should make any request that will inconvenience them for any reason, they will surely find a way to excuse themselves from us. Those are not the kind of friends we need. Those are not friends indeed.

A friend in need will do all that he can to be there for you in your hour of need, even if it is not convenient and even if he does not know how to help or have the means to help. Those are the kind of friends Paul had in Sidon. That was the kind of friend David had in Jonathan. And if the friends you currently have in your life are not like that, you should know that you do not have friends at all.

Then if you too are not that kind of friend to anyone who is calling you ‘my friend’, you are not a friend at all. So, you should stop posing as anyone’s friend. Otherwise, you will be misleading them to rely on you for support that you are not ready to give. And if you should cause them pains on account of that, God will not see you as guiltless.

So, mind yourself.

Copyright © 2026, 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: 08146472876)

Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 16

“The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.” (Acts 27:3NIV)

Who was Julius? He was the Roman centurion that was given the responsibility of taking Paul to Rome, so that he may be tried for his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by Ceasar himself. And what did he do for Paul, as mentioned in our opening text? He showed him kindness when they got to Sidon by allowing him to visit his friends there for support.

Now if Julius had not allowed Paul to visit his friends on that occasion, what would the man of God have done? Nothing! Julius was not under any obligation to allow him to visit anybody. His main obligation was to safely deliver him for trial in the court of Ceasar. And once he was done with that, whatever became of Paul would not be his headache.

However, the man chose to be considerate instead of being rigid. Why? The reason was that, in his judgment, he did not see Paul as a criminal. He was a soldier. He was, in fact, not just an ordinary soldier but a centurion, an army officer. So, he must have dealt with all kinds of criminals before he met Paul. And having interacted with the man of God for a while, he concluded that he was not a criminal but a victim of circumstances.

So, he decided not to be rigid but kind in relating to him. That was why he allowed him to visit his friends for support when they got to Sidon. He knew that Paul would need as much material support as he could get to survive in Rome, that is, before his trial, during his trial and even after his trial, depending on how things went for him.

Now did Paul disappoint him? No! Did Paul attempt to run away when the man gave him permission to visit his friends for help? No! Instead, Paul treated the man’s kindness with respect and ensured that he had no reason to worry about him. And because of that, as we are later informed in the bible about their trip together, the man did all that he could to protect Paul, even when his soldiers suggested that they kill all the prisoners to prevent them from escaping after they had suffered a shipwreck. (Cf. Acts 27:42-44)

What are the lessons for us in this, then? The first is that we should learn to be considerate and not rigid in relating to everyone in our lives or everyone we might meet in life. Truly, we may have a measure of authority to determine what people can do or not do where we are. It does not mean that we should not know when we need to apply mercy and consideration in dealing with them.

See, some people that we have authority over today may just be victims of life’s circumstances. It may not be that we are better than them or that they will always be under our authority. Therefore, we should treat them with mercy and consideration and not be harsh or overbearing in relating to them. And that is not so that they may repay us when times of refreshing come to them. Rather, it is because it is the right thing to do.

Remember that the bible says that mercy will be shown to the one that is merciful and that judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. So, know when and where to be merciful and considerate instead of being rigid. And besides the fact that those involved will always remember you as a comforter sent from God to them in a time of trial, God also will remember to be merciful to you in your own times of trial, which you don’t know when or how they will come. (Cf. Matt 5:7; James 2:13)

Another lesson from the story is that we too need to learn to make it easy for those with authority over us to deal with us with consideration and mercy. The reason some people with authority are rigid and never merciful in using their authority is that they have been betrayed in the past. They showed mercy and kindness to some people and got wounded for it. So, they promised or swore to themselves never to be merciful or understanding again in using their authority. And it will take a great experience of the love of God for such individuals to be healed of this malady.

In any case, my point is that always conduct yourself in such a way as to make it easy for those with authority over you in any place to be kind and considerate in relating to you. And when they show you unusual kindness because they are being considerate, don’t abuse or misuse it. Otherwise, you may not be the only one that will pay for it; others too that you don’t even know may also end up paying for it. And will God praise you for that? Never!

So, mind yourself.

Copyright © 2026, 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: 08146472876)

Date: August 26, 2026
Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 15

“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.”” (Josh 1:3NIV)

Who said the words we have in our opening text? It was God. And who did He say them to? He said them to Joshua. Why did He say them to him? He said them to him so that he would be encouraged to lead the children of Israel to possess the land He had promised to their forefathers and also to Moses.

Now, based on what God said to Joshua, what would Joshua and the Israelites possess? Every place in the land of Canaan where they set their foot! So, we know that it was not anywhere they set their foot in the world that would theirs. Rather, it was anywhere within the Promised Land that they set their foot that they would possess.

For instance, God clearly told them before Moses died that He would not give them the lands of the descendants of Esau and Lot, that is, the lands of the Edomites, Moabites and Ammonites. Why? Those lands were not part of the land He had promised to give to their forefathers. So, if they should set their foot on any of them, attempting to take it, they were bound to fail. (Cf. Deut 2:2-19)

This is showing us that we must know the limits or boundaries of any promise God has made to us. That way, we will not find ourselves trampling on the rights of others or wanting to take for ourselves what God has legitimately given to others, all in the name of wanting to possess our God-given inheritance. Where that is the situation, we are bound to meet with nothing but frustration.

But then, we also see from what God said to Joshua that even when He has given something to us, we must still take steps to possess, own or enjoy it. God indeed had given the land of Canaan to the Israelites. But they would have to take steps towards possessing it. Yes, they would have to place their foot on any part of the land that would be theirs to enjoy. Otherwise, the promises and gifts of God to them would not be theirs to enjoy or possess. And thankfully, they did that under Joshua and possessed for themselves every place that they set their foot on.

In like manner, if God has given something to us or made a promise to us, we must be ready to understand what legitimate and righteous steps we need to take in order for us to experience the fulfilment of that promise and also enjoy it. We must know that it is not every promise of God that will be automatically fulfilled in our lives, without our taking any action. There are promises of His that will never come to fulfilment, if we do not take necessary steps to experience their fulfilment.

Mary the mother of our Lord Jesus, for instance, did not need to do anything in order to conceive baby Jesus and give birth to Him. That was all on God. But Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth had to meet as husband and wife in order for the promise of God to give them a son to be fulfilled. If they had not done that, His promise to them would not have been fulfilled. He may, then, have to try another family that would be ready to do the needful. (Cf. Luke 1)

So, when you have a promise of God, also make effort to know whether the fulfilment of that promise is all on Him or you have roles to play in seeing its fulfilment. If it is not all on Him but also on you, then, you have to know what you need to do and begin to do it without delay. Otherwise, you may wait forever and still not see the fulfilment of certain promises of His to you.

Copyright © 2026, 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: 08146472876)

Date: August 19, 2026

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 9, No. 14

“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble — burned as they are?” Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building — if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!” Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.” (Neh 4:1-6NIV)

Who got angry when he realised that the Jews were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem? It was a man called Sanballat. Why was he angry? He was angry because what those Jews were doing would destroy whatever wrong influence he and his associates used to have over their land and their lives.

Therefore, he and his men began to insult and ridicule them, thinking that would weaken or discourage them and make them abandon the work.

But did they abandon the work? No! Why? They did not abandon the work because it was good for their freedom, growth, development, prosperity and safety. Also, they did not abandon the work because they had the permission of King Artaxerxes, the emperor that they were under his dominion at the time. (Cf. Nehemiah 2)

So, they knew that nobody could legitimately force them to stop doing the work. Yes, people may harass them, insult them or threaten them. But they had no right to stop them from working. And if anyone should try to do so, it was on them to firmly resist the person.

Now that, of course, was what they did to Sanballat and his associates. They firmly resisted them. How? First, they paid no attention to their insults and discouraging words. Second, they prayed to God to deal with them and their insults and threats. Third, they continued to do the good work they had started until they completed it.

Fourth, they posted a guard day and night to keep an eye on those wicked people.What do we learn from this? It is simply that we must not allow anyone to discourage us from doing whatever we know is righteous, lawful and proper for us to do for our progress and peace of mind in life. People who are benefitting from our stagnation, misery or misfortune will never encourage us to do what is right for our lives.

On the contrary, they will do whatever they can to discourage us.Also, people who are complacent and are not desirous of anything great for themselves should not be expected to encourage us to do anything good for ourselves. What they will want is for us to remain together with them in the same stagnant situation and be suffering and complaining together.

If we, then, should begin to take steps towards advancement in life, they may be among the first to insult, threaten and discourage us.But as Nehemiah and the Jews of his time did, we must never allow anyone to discourage us, regardless of what they are saying or doing, as long as what we are doing is in the will of God and lawful for our progress and peace of mind in life.

Instead, we should ignore their wicked words, give ourselves to prayer, keep on working and also keep on watching. And God will honour us and fulfil all our good desires and every step of faith that we take.

Cheers!

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