Category: Youth for Jesus

“”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)

“Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” (1Sam 17:38-40NIV)

Why did David refuse to use King’s Saul’s armour and weapons when he was going to fight Goliath? Was it out of pride? No! Or what is out of respect for the king? No! Rather, it was because he was not used to wearing an armour or to fighting in one. Therefore, Saul’s armour and weapons were simply going to put him at a disadvantage, even though the king did not mean for that to happen. And David was wise enough to know that and also bold enough to say ‘No’ to what would not work for him.

Now did he defeat Goliath on that occasion or not? He did! With what did he defeat him? With a sling and a stone! How did that happen? How did he succeed in defeating a warrior giant with a sling and a stone? First, he succeeded in defeating him because God was with him. Second, he succeeded in defeating him because he was extremely good with using the sling. In fact, as we see in the account, he only slung just one stone and Goliath was dead meat.

So, you can see that David did not really need Saul’s armour and weapon to win that fight. Yes, wearing the king’s armour and handling his weapons would be a great honour for him. But the whole thing may have looked ridiculously terrible on him, given the fact that King Saul himself was not at all a small man in stature – he was the tallest in all Israel when he became king. (Cf. 1Sam 10:23)

Besides, Saul’s armour and weapons would not on their own give David the much-needed victory over Goliath; it was the use to which he put them that would give him victory over the giant. And since he was not used to them, they would contribute nothing to his victory, even if he won using them. On the contrary, as I mentioned earlier, they would most likely slow him down and be the reason he would lose.

What, then, is the point of all this? It is that in handling life matters, we should be clear about what works for us and what does not work for us. That way, even if people should offer us what will not work for us for free, we will know how to respectfully and boldly reject it or lay it aside. Otherwise, we may expose ourselves to avoidable failure or shame.

Truly, out of care or pity, people may offer us new tools, new weapons, new dresses, new shoes or new ways of doing things to meet an opportunity or to handle a challenge. And nothing is wrong with that, since they mean well. But if what they are offering us is not what we can immediately use for the occasion at hand, without any form of training or practice, it will be wisdom for us to respectfully lay it aside. We can, of course, use it in the future, when we have mastered the art of using it, but not for the occasion at hand. Otherwise, failure and disgrace may be what will follow.

For instance, if, as a lady, you are not accustomed to wearing high-heel shoes, don’t force yourself to wear them on your weeding day, simply because it is your childhood friend that bought them for you. Or else you may just be calling for disgrace.

Also, if you have not been teaching your students using a tablet, don’t attempt to use one during a teaching interview, simply because a friend is offering it to you and telling you that it will make you look professional. Has anybody said that it is compulsory that you use a tablet for the interview? If no one has said that, then, it is surely not a prerequisite to success in the interview. Insisting on using it, then, may just make you make a fool of yourself.

Am I now saying that you should not try new inventions or new ways of doing things? No! As you have opportunity, you should get yourself acquainted with new innovations, new inventions and new ways of doing things in life. That is one of the ways to show that you are not stagnant. But in handling immediate matters of your life and where you have a choice, stick to using only those things that work for you. I pray that disgrace will always be far from you, in Jesus’ name. 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)

“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.” (Ex 13:17-18NIV)

One of the things we must never have assumptions about is our readiness to handle our duties, challenges or opportunities. Otherwise, those assumptions may be very costly.

A student, for instance, that assumes that he is ready for an examination that he is not ready for will fail terribly. And a boxer that assumes that he is ready for an opponent that he is not ready for may lose his life in the ring, even before the fight is over. Then a job seeker that assumes that he is ready for an interview that he is not ready for may end up embarrassing himself and whoever recommends him. And a man that assumes that he is ready for marriage, when he is not ready for it, may end up messing his life and the lives of other people up.

So, if we want to save ourselves from unnecessary embarrassment and failure in life, we must never engage in anything we are not most certain we are ready to handle. And one way to do that is to possess sufficient knowledge of the nature of challenges, duties or opportunities before us and also a true appreciation of our abilities to handle them. If we don’t know the enormousness of what is before us, we cannot claim to be ready to handle it. Also, if we have no true appreciation of our abilities, we cannot tell whether we are well able to handle whatever is before us that requires handling or not.

For instance, in our opening bible text, we are told that on the day that the Israelites went out of Egypt, they went out ready for battle. And were they actually ready for battle? Well, in their own estimation, they were ready for battle. But were they aware of the nature of battle they might face on their way to the Promised Land? No! How, then, could they confidently think of themselves as ready for battle?

Now as the account of their exodus from Egypt further shows, not long after they had left Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind, mustered his army and went after them. So, they soon found themselves sandwiched between the army of Pharaoh and the Red Sea. And what did they do? Did they brace themselves to fight those Egyptians? No! Instead, they panicked and cried and accused Moses of bringing them out into the desert to waste their bodies.

But these were the same people that had confidently marched out of Egypt and ready for battle. Evidently, they simply assumed that they were ready for battle. They were not ready at all for it at the time. And if God had not been on their side to protect them, they would have perished at the hands of their Egyptian overlords or be enslaved again.

By the way, God had always known that they were not ready at the time for any kind of battle. That was because they had not fought any battle in centuries. They had been nothing but slaves being used for all kinds of slave jobs by the Egyptians. So, they had no training or experience for battle. That, of course, was why, as we see in our opening text, God did not take them through a road that would expose them to all kinds of battles, even though it was the shorter route to where they were heading. He did not want them to run back in terror to Egypt, if they should face war. Sadly, He seemed to be the only one that knew these things; they themselves did not know them.

Now perhaps that is the way things are with you too. Only God knows what you are ready for and what you are not ready for. You yourself don’t know these things. Then you are bound to be taking steps based on assumptions. And as long as you are doing that, you will not stop embarrassing yourself with unnecessary failure and disgrace and making life harder for yourself.

So, stop working with assumptions about your abilities, challenges, duties and opportunities. Instead, first, starting praying that God, who knows everyone’s true ability, will daily fill your heart with sufficient knowledge of your true abilities in order that you may appropriately employ them. Then also learn to pray that God, who knows all the challenges and opportunities you will face in life and also what is lacking in your ability to handle them, will daily perfect all that concerns you. That way, you will be well equipped and made ready to handle whatever comes your way and win all the time.

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)

“Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.” (2Chron 26:23NIV)

Why was Uzziah not buried where the kings before him had been buried? It was because he had leprosy. And how did that matter? Could his corpse contaminate the skeletons of his ancestors in their tomb? No! What is the difference between a leprous corpse and any other corpse? Isn’t a dead body a dead body, whether clean or leprous? It is.

Nevertheless, because the people of the land of Judah were all saying that Uzziah died a leprous king and should not be buried with the kings before him, his son who succeeded him and the palace administrators decided to bury him in a nearby cemetery. So, public sentiments prevailed.

But then, Uzziah was a great king and lover of God. The land was at rest all through the fifty-two years of his reign. And the people also prospered greatly during his reign because God was with him to give him marvellous help. Yet public sentiments would not allow him to get a befitting royal burial when he died. And that was because he allowed pride in his life and came under God’s judgment of leprosy. What a shame! (Cf. 2Chro 26:1-22)

Now what is the point of this? It is that public sentiments often mean a lot in life. And it does not matter whether these sentiments are founded on truth or falsehood, they can go a long way in determining how the majority will treat us. So, riding on public sentiments, an entirely useless and dishonesty person can attain an important position in the society. Similarly, through public sentiments, an upright and godly person like Jesus Christ may end up a cross.

Therefore, even though we, as children of God, should never live our lives for the praise of men, we must not allow ourselves to foolishly or ignorantly become victims of public sentiments. This, in fact, is one of the reasons our Lord Jesus says this to us: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:16NIV)

Did you see that? Our good works must be obvious and not advertised. In other words, we are to live in such a way that people will readily see that we are good and also full of good and righteous works. And where this is the case, we won’t need to pay anyone to advertise our good works; those good works will speak for themselves.

In any case, the Lord’s point is that public sentiments must always be in our favour, as far as doing what is good and righteous is concerned. Why? It is so that God may be praised because of us. This, of course, does not mean that people will love us or want to vote us into public offices because of our good and righteous works. Rather, it means that even if they have to reject or denounce us, it will not be because public sentiments present us as wicked, hypocritical or bias but because they present us as individuals who are too upright, righteous and honest to allow evil to reign. And that is not a bad testimony.

Therefore, as Paul did, let us learn to always do what is good and right, not just in the sight of God but also in the sight of men (2Cor 8:21). And let us equally learn to take advantage of God’s grace to rid our lives of all forms of obvious imperfections that could give room for blame. Then we won’t be foolishly or ignorantly building public sentiments against ourselves and the Christian faith.

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)