Category: Youth for Jesus

“The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”” (Jer 1:11-12NIV)

Why has God given us eyes? Obviously, it is so that we can see with them. But being able to see with our eyes is one thing; being able to see whatever we see with our eyes correctly is another thing. If we do not or cannot see correctly what is before us, then, whatever judgment or decision we are going to make about that thing is going to be faulty. All of this is why we all need and, in fact, want eyes that are sound.

But then, it is possible for us to have eyes that are sound and still not being seeing correctly. And that is because though we are looking, we are not making effort to concentrate and see what we actually need to see. Jesus, once while addressing the Jews, said that it is possible for one to be looking and not seeing what he is meant to see (Mark 4:12). That means even though that person is looking and seeing many things, he is not really seeing what is of relevance or benefit to him. And when we cannot see what is of relevance or benefit to us, we cannot take advantage of it for our progress or safety.

In our opening bible text, God asked Jeremiah, “What do you see?” And when he replied, God told him that he had seen correctly. If he had not seen correctly, there was no way he would have been able to comprehend or utilize what God had wanted to tell him about the matter at hand. But because he saw what God was showing him correctly, God was able to further instruct him about what He wanted him to do.

Why, then, was Jeremiah able to see what God wanted him to see correctly? It was because he was looking attentively. Once, when Ezekiel was having some visions of God, he was told by the angel sent to him that he would need to pay a close attention to what he was going to be shown and told. Otherwise, he was going to waste the opportunity he was being given to see certain things about the future of his people. (Cf. Ezek 40:1-4)

So, if we are going to be able to take advantage of whatever God is showing us or the happenings around us, we must pay attention to whatever we are seeing on purpose. Many who are slow learners today are so not because something is wrong with their brains but because they hardly pay attention on purpose to what they are being shown or taught.

Also, many who usually miss out on opportunities for advancement around them or who are often getting injured or losing things by accidents experience these things not because life is against them but because they hardly pay attention on purpose to what is happening around them. Yes, these ones have eyes that are good enough to see everything happening around them. But because they are never intent on seeing what could be of benefit or salvation to them from the things they can see, they often miss out on what is meant for their peace, protection or prosperity.

For example, when Ishmael, Hagar’s son, was dying of thirst in the desert, all her mother could do was sob and wait for him to die. But there was actually a well of water right where they were that they could drink from and live. Yet, until God spoke to Hagar and opened her eyes to see it, none of the two of them saw it, even though their eyes were wide open. (Cf. Gen 21:14-19)

Why did they not see it? First, it was because they were not intently looking for water in that place. And why were they not looking for water on purpose there? It was most likely because they thought it was useless to do so, seeing that the place was a desert.

In the same vein, there are times that we don’t see certain things we are meant to see in life because of assumptions. We just assume that those things cannot just be where we are. So, we don’t look out for them on purpose. But those things may just be there. And it is when someone else lays hands on them and begins to utilize them for his own progress or safety that we will wake up and begin to wish we too had been more careful and attentive in looking. But time may have run out on us by then. So, don’t ever again assume that something cannot be somewhere until you have diligently looked or sought for it. Otherwise, your assumption may end up being a very costly one.

Another reason Hagar and her son did not see that well of water before God spoke to them was that it was not revealed to them. As I pointed out before, they were in a desert. And that was a very unusual place to find a well of water. Yet it was there. So, if it had not been divinely revealed to them, even if they had been looking out for it on purpose, they may not have seen it.

That, then, means that it takes divine revelations to see what we need to see in certain places in life. Otherwise, however hard we look for those things, we will not see or find them. Thankfully, God has promised to show us great and unsearchable things of life, if we will learn to pray to Him (Jer 33;3). So, if we want our eyes to be seeing the things we need to see in life and to be seeing them correctly, even in unusual places, we must learn to pray to God for divine revelations. And as we do so, our eyes will daily see correctly all that we need to see for our progress, elevation and safety in life.

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)

“Even as he walks along the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is.” (Eccl 10:3NIV)

Have you noticed that children often spend longer time than expected when they are sent on errands by their parents, guardians, teachers or other elderly ones? Why? One main reason is that they get easily distracted on the way. A child sent on an errand, for instance, may stand to look at the movement of a butterfly from one flower to another for some minutes before coming back to himself and to need to hurry back and complete the errand he has been sent to carry out. And by the time he gets back, he may have to receive some beating for messing some things up by not being on time in handling what he has been sent to do.

But then, it is not only children that lose their presence of mind or become absent-minded when on their way to doing something. A lot of times, adults too lose their presence of mind when they are on their way to doing things. They may not get distracted by a butterfly or an earthworm, though some of them can get distracted by a dancing masquerade or by some people fighting. But they can forget totally that they need to be safe in order to get to wherever they are going and get whatever they need to do there done.

For instance, often we see our drivers and motorcyclists drive recklessly on our roads because they are in a hurry to get somewhere. But if they should be involved in an accident through their recklessness or carelessness, will they still be able to get to wherever they are going on time? What about what they want to do? Will they still be able to do it? Then if they should end up dead or in a hospital, what will that do to their dreams in life or to their families and other loved ones?

Also, we often see our young men and young men pressing their phones while going from one place to another or blocking their ears with earphones because they are listening to some music? And we have had some hit and killed or injured by ongoing vehicles because of this. Is it, then, wrong to use phones or to listen to music? No! But doing so while on the road or while driving prevents you from functioning with the required level of concentration you need to be safe. And regardless of how important what you are doing with that phone at that time may be, it cannot be as important as the safety of your life or of others. So, it can wait.

But will you allow it to wait? Will you allow the pressing of your phone to wait, while you are walking or driving along a road, in order for you and others to be safe? Will you slow down a little bit with your vehicle and observe traffic rules in order for you and others to arrive at your destination safely? And will you ignore that funny scene in order to be on time in handling that job or business or study?

Well, as we see in our opening bible text, we can tell if someone is a fool or not by merely looking at the way he walks or drives or what he does while walking or driving along the road. And a foolish person will only be concerned about arriving at his destination when walking or driving along the road. He will not consider the danger his behaviour and actions on the road can pose to him, his loved ones and his society as a whole.

Thus, you don’t need to be well acquainted with someone before you know whether they are foolish or not. By merely looking at their conduct while they are going from one place to another, you will be able to tell. In like manner, you don’t need to wait for someone to tell you that you are foolish before you know that you are. Just by considering how you have been acting and behaving on the road since you came of age, you should be able to tell.

At any rate, if you can you see that you have been manifesting foolishness in this sense, just repent right away and start doing what is right.

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)

“I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all!” (Job 16:2NIV)

Those were Job’s words to his friends who had come to comfort him during the days of his pains and sorrow. But why would he speak like that to them? Well, as the account goes, because of certain conversations that God had with Satan about him, he ended up losing all his children and possessions and even his health. And when three of his friends heard about these happenings, they met by agreement and came to comfort him. (Cf. Job 1&2)

But was Job really comforted by their presence? Evidently, he was not comforted at all by their coming or presence. Otherwise, he would not have used such strong words that we have in our opening bible text in describing them. He referred to all of them as miserable comforters? Why? It was because their words did not bring him comfort at all but condemnation and grief.

You need to read the whole book of Job in order to appreciate the force of what Job said about these friends of his. These men did not offer him comfort at all through their words. Instead, they just falsely accused him and also condemned him. For instance, here is what one of them, Eliphaz, said to him:

“Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? You demanded security from your brothers for no reason; you stripped men of their clothing, leaving them naked. You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry, though you were a powerful man, owning land — an honored man, living on it. And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you, why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you.” (Job 22:5-11NIV)

Where did this man get all these things? Even God said that Job was a blameless and upright man, one who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:8). Yet this man referred to him as a wicked person, an oppressor. Where did he learn that about Job? It is clear that he was either deliberately lying against him or reacting to some unfounded rumours that he had heard about him.

In any case, if Job’s own friends could say such things about him, what, then, would his enemies be saying about him? That would be beyond imagination. And you can now see why Job, as we see in our opening text, referred to all these friends of his as miserable comforters. On the one hand, they had nothing good to offer him or contribute to his faith and strength at the time. On the other hand, they were terribly hurting him with their words. So, it would have been better, if they had not shown up before him at all.

Interestingly, when God was set to restore Job, He first rebuked these friends of his severely. He told them that He was angry with them and would require them to offer some burnt offerings because of their errors and to also meet Job to pray for them. Otherwise, trouble would come upon them for the terrible job they had done as Job’s comforters. (Cf. Job 42:7-10)

Now what is the point of all this? It is that God is watching the way we treat those who are in trouble or in pains. Yes, they may have been the source of their own problems. But as long as we are a part of their lives or are privileged to be around them, we are not to add to their sorrow or pains. And we are also not to fold our arms and watch them suffer or get destroyed by their trouble. Instead, we are to offer them comfort, by words of mouth and by our actions, according to the measure of grace God has given to us.

The word of God says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2Cor 1:3-4NIV) Did you see that? One of the reasons God is comforting us in every area of our lives isn’t that we may add to the pains and torments of those around us that are suffering by sitting in judgment over them. Rather, it is that we may comfort them with the same comfort we ourselves have received from Him.

Then observe that we are told in this text that we can actually comfort those in any kind of trouble. In other words, even if the people we are dealing with are the source of their own problems, God is still able to use us to comfort them, heal them and set them in the right direction. But He cannot do these things through us, if are insensitivity and judgmental towards them and our words to them are full of criticism, lies or hate.

Therefore, let us rid ourselves of all forms of insensitivity, slander, hate and bitter and unclean criticisms, so that we can be true and not miserable comforters to the hurting people around us. Otherwise, as Job’s friends incurred the anger of God through the bad way they treated him in that low moment of his life, we too may invite His anger and punishment on ourselves for being bad towards those that need our comfort.

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)

“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.” (Gen 39:1-5NIV)

One of the things we must keep in mind is that we are not in charge of life – God is. And because we are not in charge of life, we cannot make certain things in life go the way we want them to go. But if we will learn to see God in whatever situation we may find ourselves and also learn to make the most of that situation, God will surely use the situation to bring about the fulfilment of His good purpose for our lives.

Now that is one of the things we learn from the bible story of Joseph. He was sold to Egypt as a young man. He was sold by his own brothers because they were jealous of him. But did he allow that to destroy him? No! Did he see that as the death of all the dreams of greatness God had shown him? No!

What, then, did he do? He sought to use his position as a slave to learn and make himself fit for greatness in life. In other words, he looked beyond his low status in life as slave to what he could use that position to learn and accomplish in life. Therefore, as we see in our opening text, it was not very long at all before he distinguished himself to his master as someone more than a slave, as someone that was absolutely reliable and a great manager of people and resources.

Now because Joseph distinguished himself in this manner, his master, Potiphar, put him in charge of everything he owned. Thin about that. The man entrusted him with everything he owned, home and abroad, even though he was only slave, even though he did not know his family background and even though he had received no recommendation letter from anyone about him. Why? The young man used his low position to prove himself as someone more than a slave.

We too need to learn to prove ourselves to be worthy of people’s trust and of great positions in life wherever we are. People, if they are not stupid, racial or selfish, will not just put us in great positions in life because we desire them or because we have dreamt about them. Rather, they will put us in positions of greatness in life because we have proved ourselves worthy of them.

How do we prove ourselves worthy of great positions in life? It is by handling whatever our hands find to do where we are in great and excellent ways. In other words, even if what is entrusted to us where we ae is something little or insignificant, if we will give it the touch of greatness and significance, people will take note of it and of us. And that will inspire them to try us with bigger things.

But if we are handling whatever is committed into our hands loosely and without seriousness, we will just be proving ourselves to be loose and unserious. And no one, in their right senses, will ever see us as fit for any kind of greatness, even though we have been recommended to them by very important people in life.

For instance, how do people become head of cleaners in most of our companies or organisations? It is usually through the way they handle their jobs as ordinary cleaners. Yes, cleaning jobs workplace (and I am not referring to those who have set up cleaning businesses here) are among the most demeaning jobs you can give to anyone in today’s world. But if someone can rise to be the head cleaner in an organisation, that person will be proving that he can be a leader in handling something better, if circumstances of life permit him.

Well, the point of it all is that we must not allow ourselves to become useless in life because we are not yet occupying a great position. Instead, we are to use whatever position we are in life, however low it may seem, to learn and prove ourselves as deserving something better. Then God, who comforts the downcast and raises up beggars from the dust, will cause His favour to rest upon us and use that position as a stepping stone to take us from where we are to where He wants us to be in life.

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)

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” (2Chron 16:9NIV)

What is the first thing we see in our opening text? It is that God is always on the lookout for certain individuals? And what sort of individuals is He on the lookout for? it is those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

Now what we have here, of course, is similar to what our Lord Jesus says about Him. He says God is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). Why is He looking for such individuals? As we further see in our opening text, He is looking for them to equip them. And what does He want to equip them for? He wants to equip with whatever they need to serve His purpose here on earth.

So, a man may not have great and shining abilities or opportunities to do big things in life. But if his heart is fully committed to God, He will take him up and equip him with all the abilities, opportunities, time and people he needs to do things that will shock those in his world.

Think of David, for example. What special abilities or advantages did he have that qualified him to be king over Israel? None! He was not the strongest in the land, neither was he the most handsome. He was not even the eldest son of his father. That explains why Samuel had already checked out all his elder brothers before he was eventually sent for. (Cf. 1Sam 16).

Now, of course, David had some abilities and advantages, and there is no man that does not have any at all. He could sing well and also play the harp well, for instance. And these abilities qualified him to be a top musician of the king. But did they qualify him to be king? No!

Nevertheless, because he was a young man after God’s heart, he was found and chosen by Him. Look at the way Samuel announced this to King Saul, when he began to misbehave:

“But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” (1Sam 13:14NIV)

Did you see that? While Saul was busy doing his own thing, the Lord also was busy searching the whole land for someone after His heart that He may appoint to replace him as king over Israel. And in the process, He found David. So, even though he was but a boy, He anointed him with His Holy Spirit and began to equip him with the wisdom, boldness, skills and people that he would need to be the kind of king and leader he was meant to be. Then, years later, David would say this about how God raised and equipped him:

“For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.” (Ps 18:31-35NIV)

Did you see that? David said that it was God that trained him to be a warrior and that it was His help that made him great. And all these things happened to him because his heart was fully devoted to God.

In like manner, if we will totally set our hearts on God, so that we may learn to please Him every day, He will equally set us apart to be equipped for great things in this life, regardless of what low place we are or how handicapped we may be. But are we going to totally set our hearts and affection on Him and on pleasing Him? Am I going to totally set my heart and affection on Him and on pleasing Him? That, as I pointed out before, is what will determine what things He is able to use me for and what heights He is able to take me to.

My prayer, then, for you and me is that our hearts will be daily drawn by the Holy Spirit to love God and to seek to please Him all the time. 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)

“David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.” (1Sam 30:6NIV)

Why was David greatly distressed on the occasion mentioned in our opening text? It was because his men, his mighty men of valour, were talking about stoning him to death. But why would they want to do that? These were men of war. These were men that the bible says so much about their exploits and their devotion to David. Yet they wanted to stone him on this occasion. What sort of tragedy could have befallen them?

Well, as bible account shows us, the reason was that all these men had lost their wives and children to Amalekite raiders. And whose fault was that? It was largely David’s fault. David was their leader. And while they were moving around and fighting all kinds of battle from place to place, he should have thought about leaving some men behind to guard their families and possessions. So, the reason they lost their families and children to those raiders was that he was negligent to some extent about the welfare of his people. (Cf. 1Sam 27:1-12 & 30:1-2)

But then, David was not entirely to blame for what befell them. The men with him too should have thought about counselling him to leave some people behind for the protection of their family members. But it is not said in Scriptures that any of them counselled him about this at all. If he had been counselled by at least one of them and had refused to listen, it would have been a different thing entirely. But since none of them was open-minded enough at the time to think of the protection of their families while they would be away, they should not have put the whole blame on David.

Sadly, they put the whole blame on him, to the extent that they even talked about stoning him for their loss, as though that would solve the problem. And as I said before, we are talking about mighty warriors here. Yet their hearts failed them on this occasion. Their hearts so failed them that all they could think of doing was cry. And they cried until they had no more strength to cry. But did that change their situation? No!

Now David too cried and wept like them and with them. Also, he accepted his error of judgment as their leader and did not quarrel with them for talking about stoning him. But he did more than crying and accepting his failure. He also went on to strengthen himself in the Lord. In other words, he reminded himself of the presence of God with him and on his side. And he drew his strength from this to pray and to also pursue and destroy the raiders that had captured their families. So, he not only recovered all that they had taken away from him and his men; he also brought back great wealth. Hallelujah! (Cf. 1Sam 30:6-31)

What, then, do we learn from this? It is that each of us must learn to draw strength from the Lord ourselves. Yes, we may have great people of faith who love and care about us in our lives and around us. But there may be times when their faith may not be strong enough or strong at all to help us. In fact, there may be times when, instead of strengthening us with their faith, they may simply be pulling us down with their fear and unbelief.

David’s men, as we see in Scriptures, were all warriors. Not only that, all of them believed in him and in the anointing of God upon his life as their future king. Otherwise, they would not have left the comfort of their homes with their families to wander from place to place with him. Yet on the occasion mentioned in our opening text, these men’s faith failed them; their faith was of no use to David. And if he had not learnt before that time to draw strength from the Lord, he and his men may have lost their families and possessions forever. That, of course, may have ruined God’s plans for his life as the future king of Israel.

Remember Job too. Remember that even though all his three friends that came to comfort him during his trials were men of faith in God, none of them was able to help him. Their faith could not help him find healing or deliverance. In fact, they did not even exercise their faith for his healing at all. They did not come together to pray or intercede for him. Instead, they just abused and condemned him unjustly. So, in the long run, he had to tell them to shut up, for they were nothing but miserable comforters and worthless physicians to him. And if he had not learnt to trust God by himself to receive his restoration, the unkind words of those friends of his could have made him give up and die before his time. (Cf. Job 13:4-5 & 16:2)

So, don’t think the faith of your parents, friends, husband, wife, siblings or church leaders will always be strong enough to support you in moments of trials. Yes, it will be good for that to always be case. And it can always be the case with some of the people in your life. But what if it is not the case? What if the faith of this loving and loyal friend, partner or church leader happens not to be strong enough to help you in a situation, will you be able to trust God by yourself and still walk in victory?

That, of course, is not a question you can answer carelessly. But it will be good that you are able to say, “Yes, I will be able to trust God myself to walk in victory over any situation, even if I cannot find any faith person supporting me?” And you will be able to say so, if you will daily learn to take your walk with the Lord seriously and to draw from Him the strength, courage and any other thing you may need to stay victorious in life.

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)

“”I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed — only Naaman the Syrian.”” (Luke 4:24-27NIV)

Who said these words? It was our Lord Jesus Christ. To whom did He say them? It was to the people of His hometown. And why did He say such words to them? He said them because the people did not value Him and His ministry the way they should have.

Now why did the people of Jesus’ hometown not value Him the way people did in other places that He had been? It was because they thought that they knew Him well. And they did know Him well. They knew His earthly parents and His earthly brothers and sisters. They also knew His house. And they knew His trade. (Cf. Matt 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-5)

But that was all that they knew about Him, things that concerned His life in the natural realm. They did not know the spiritual man in Him. They did not know Him as the Son of God that was sent to save mankind. They did not know Him as their Messiah and King. And they did not know Him as a man of God.

Therefore, He could not do many mighty works among them, as He had done in all the other places He had gone. And this, as gospel writers note, shocked Him. Their unbelief surprised Him. You can see, then, that even God cannot operate well in an atmosphere of unbelief. He cannot operate well in an atmosphere of bitterness, jealousy, evil suspicions or resentment. So, if we permit any of these things in our lives, homes, workplaces or churches, even if Jesus were to physically come down from heaven and minister to us, He may not be able to help, save or lift us.

In any case, because of the attitude of the people of His hometown to Him, Jesus drew their attention to a very bitter truth, which is that servants of God don’t always get the kind of respect and honour they deserve among those closest to them in the flesh. Therefore, it is often outsiders that enjoy them and their grace of God upon their lives the more.

Now the Lord goes on to give us examples from the Scripture to back this reality up. First, He said even though there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time and when there was famine in the land, God did not send him to any of them. Instead, He sent him to a widow outside the land. And it was that widow that enjoyed the grace of his ministry during that period in order to survive the famine. (Cf. 1Kings 17)

Second, the Lord said even though there were many with leprosy in the land of Israel in Elisha’s time (a mention is even made of four of them in connection to the famine in Samaria), not one of them received their healing and cleansing through the ministry of Elisha. But when Naaman, a foreigner, travelled all the way down from his country to meet this man of God, he received his healing and cleansing, having humbled himself. (Cf. 2Kings 5&7)

What point, then, is the Lord making by saying these things? It is that the fact that we possess something or that something is readily available to us does not mean that we will enjoy its full benefits. If we do not place the right value on it, its benefits and blessings may just elude us. But if others, who do not have the kind of right or access that we have to that thing, will place the right value on it, they may just be the ones enjoying the benefits and blessings that should have been ours as well or ours in the first place.

So, don’t ever mistake possession for enjoyment. No, don’t misrepresent association for satisfaction. If you do not place the right value on the people and things God has placed in your life, you will not be able to enjoy well the blessings and benefits on your relationship with them. Yet, right before your eyes, others who value these people and things well may begin to draw all kinds of enjoyment from them in ways beyond your expectation. So, get rid of whatever is preventing you from placing the right value on the gifts of God in your life. Doing so will serve you well.

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)

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” (Luke 19:1-4NIV)

Who was passing through Jericho? Jesus! Who wanted to see who He was? Zacchaeus! And why did he want to see what Jesus looked like? It must have been because he had heard a lot about him and his ministry and had somehow come to believe that He was truly in a position to help him find salvation and be accepted into God’s eternal kingdom.

But then, remember that Zacchaeus was not an acquaintance of Jesus. Remember also that Jesus had not come to Jericho to visit anyone. He was simply going through the place to Jerusalem. So, if Zacchaeus would succeed in seeing Him or interacting with Him, he would have to be really serious about it; he would have to overcome whatever hurdles that may be on his way.

Did this man, then, demonstrate seriousness or not in seeing Jesus? He did. How? Well, we are told in our opening text that this man, even though he was a very wealthy and influential man, ran ahead and climbed a tree in order to get a good look at Jesus. So, the first thing that showed that Zacchaeus was serious about seeing Jesus was that he laid aside his ego as a wealthy man in order to pursue the salvation of his soul.

The second thing that showed Zacchaeus’ seriousness in seeing Jesus was his willingness to act like a child in order to see Him. How did he act like a child? Well, he acted like a child by running ahead of the crowd following Jesus and climbing a tree. He knew that he was a short man. And though his being short may not have been a disadvantage to him in financial matters, it was going to be a disadvantage to him in dealing with the crowd that was with Jesus on that day that He was passing through Jericho. So, in order to overcome that disadvantage, he did what any child would not think twice to do – he ran ahead and climbed a tree in order to see Jesus. That was utter seriousness.

Now did this man’s seriousness pay off or not? It did, for the bible says a miracle of recognition actually happened that day for Zacchaeus. Jesus stopped right under the tree the man was and asked him to come down and take Him to his house. How did Jesus know that he was there on that tree? Then how did He know his name? Evidently, He knew all these things by divine revelations. (Cf. Luke 19:5-6)

In any case, all that was important to Zacchaeus was that his seriousness in seeking out Jesus for his salvation that day paid off. The Lord delayed His trip to Jerusalem for a while in order to come into his house and fellowship with him and his family. And even though all the religious people of the place were not happy about this, the Lord could care less. He was not going to deny a man that was serious about his salvation what he wanted. (Cf. Luke 19:7-10)

What, then, do we learn from this? Well, it is the same lessons that we have in Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 6, which reads, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb 11:6NIV) Who are the people that God rewards? It those who believe in Him and who demonstrate seriousness in seeking Him for whatever they need or want.

Observe that Jesus did not stop that day to go into the house of any of the people running after Him just for the sake of gazing at Him or touching Him as a celebrity. Rather, He stopped to go into the house of a man whose heart was so hungry and serious about seeing Him and receiving his salvation through Him that He climbed a tree. So, regardless of the number of the people living in this world, God can identify and tell those whose hearts are truly hungry and serious about knowing Him and having their needs met by Him. In fact, the bible says that His eyes are scanning all the heart for such people, so that He can show Himself strong on their behalf. (Cf. 2Chro 16:9)

The question, then, is, “Am I among those serious and diligent seekers of God?” How serious am I really about knowing God? How serious am I really about receiving whatever I need from Him? Well, the degree of our seriousness in relating to God has a lot to say about how He will relate to us and what degree of His glory we will witness. So, let us work on our seriousness in all our dealings with Him, and it will surely pay off.

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)

“But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.” (Judg 1:27NIV)

Why did the tribe of Manasseh not drive out the Canaanites in the land God had given to them? It was because those Canaanites were determined not to give up their land.

But God had already given that land to the Israelites? Not only that, God had given them the ability to take the land for themselves. Why, then, did they not proceed to drive out all the Canaanites there? At least, we are not told that they could not drive them out. If that were the case, then, it would mean that they attempted to drive them out but failed to do so.

What we are told, however, implies that they did not show much serious commitment in driving out those people. Why? Evidently, it was not because those people had enough power to resist them. Rather, it was because they found some ways to make them allow them to continue to live in the land.

What exactly did they do, then, to make the Israelites disobey God’s command to drive them out? What did they do to appease them and make them continue to live in the land? We would not know everything they did to make that happen, for we are not told in plain terms. But we do know from bible accounts that they somehow succeeded in making the Israelites fall in love with their girls and marry them. They also succeeded in making their men capture the hearts of Israelites girls and marry them. And they did that to save themselves; they did that because they were determined to stay in the land. (Cf. Judges 3:5-6)

So, determination is a force. It is a force that is powerful enough to prevent people from giving up. It is a force that drives people to think outside the box to find ways for themselves where there seems to be none. And where people are determined to do something, it will be hard, if not impossible, for you to stop them, if you are not more determined than they are, even if you have all the armies of God with you.. That, then, means that determination is a virtue we all must possess, if we are going to get anything meaningful done in life and if we will not allow ourselves to be enslaved by anyone or anything.

However, it is not enough for us to be determined to do something or not to do something; it is also important that we trust God to make our determination count. Otherwise, we may end up being destroyed through our determination. For instance, we are told in the book of Daniel that he was determined not to be defiled through the eating of the king’s food and wine. And because he was determined in this way, he found a way to talk to the chief official that was handling them about giving him and his friends permission not to eat what others were eating. (Cf. Dan 1:8)

Now did the man give him audience at all? He did! And did he grant his request? He did! Why? As we see in the account, it was because God granted him favour in the sight of the man and also brought about circumstances that encouraged the man to continue to favour him. If God had not granted him favour before the man, then, his determination could only have earned him trouble. (Cf. Dan 1:8-16)

So, while it is important that you are determined to do the will of God in your life, to be prosperous and to not be a slave of anyone or anything, don’t ever count on your determination. Instead, count on God. Determination is a powerful force indeed. But it cannot take the place of God in our lives, for it is actually a gift of God to us. Therefore, if we want it to work in our favour, our trust should not be in it but in the one who has given it to us. That way, He will be glad to make it count in our lives.

Finally, I must warn you not to employ determination in doing evil or anything contrary to the will of God. That is stubbornness. And it can only earn you sudden destruction, if you are not shown mercy. Then don’t misrepresent determination for desperation or recklessness. Otherwise, you will not only fail at whatever you are up to, you may also end up killing yourself before your time. 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)