Grateful for An Amazing October 2018

It has been a very longed time since I blogged in this space. I will do another blog post to cover that soon. Here is my offering for this month.

I am beyond thankful

I am grateful

My gratitude is overflowing in praise

Like a fountain jetting heavenwards

October 2018 has been amazing with memory-making moments

beyond my wildest imaginations.

A month of growing deeper roots

A month of intimate communion and fellowship

A month of an increasing revelation of the knowledge of God’s will

That has been my greatest desire for the month;

the recompense and restoration my soul desperately longed for.

October 2017 was memorable,

but not in the way I could have ever imagined

I watched dreams consumed in fire

Expectations laid in cinders of hurts and disappointment

I writhed in the pain of false accusations and vilification

I groaned in voiceless cry

Many nights, my tears flowed unstoppable

Though I knew they were stored up in a bottle before God

and recorded in His Book of remembrance,

I didn’t want them, not in October, not ever.

What was my crime?

What was my offence that I should be cut down and shredded in tiny pieces?

My heart longed for an answer as the pain I never knew possible

seared like a hot blade through deep places within me.

That was when I knew without any doubt that hurting people hurt others.

You run a risk of getting hurt when you hug a porcupine.

The sharp edges of their jagged broken pieces can inflict untold pain.

I had two option;

Heal, Arise and Shine

or Let offense fester and become bitter.

I couldn’t afford to trade my years in God’s sacred school of brokenness

for the emptiness of self-vindication.

To let offense fester and become bitter was too costly to be an option

I chose to heal, to arise and to shine.

As months went by

I watched God’s gold of grace infused into the lines of my brokenness

until it shone with brilliance.

I learnt that God could make beautiful things from my broken pieces.

He did so in a painstaking way;

the healing was slow but determined and definite.

He lifted my head like the horn of the unicorn

He turned towards me and smiled at me

He filled me with joy beyond description

He gave me mighty deliverance and victory

in places I never imagined

When October 2018 showed up in the horizon

I had only one desire;

To experience God in a brand new and refreshing way

unmarred with pain or tears.

I wanted to be free to share the testimony of His faithfulness

I desired to speak of His amazing goodness to me unhindered.

He opened doors for me to do that.

I can testify that God’s finger reached down to deep places

only He could reach

His touch like soldering gun joined together my broken pieces.

His beauty shone through the lines of my healed brokenness

His fingers scripted a new chapter in His story of my life

New Psalms flowed out of my caves of solitude

You can never vindicate yourself

Don’t bother to try

The only One who is perfect and just in all His ways

is the only One who vindicates

He fights the battle for us in the places where we have no strength

He is the advocate who defends the helpless and the hurting

I have experienced the goodness of God in the last 12 months,

in ways I could never have imagined or foreseen.

I found diamond along the shores beaten by fierce storms

I saw hope glittering with unfading light in a dark tunnel

I heard God’s favor speaking for me where I had no voice

I experienced His mighty arm stretched out to carry me above mountains

Crushed, hard pressed and squeezed,

I am oozing with fragrant oil of hope and grace.

I will embrace the great fights for they produce great faith

I will embrace the great tests for they are the precursors of great testimonies

I will not run from great trials for with them comes great triumphs.

I am full of testimonies

I am full of gratitude

My heart overflows with adoration

My praise is gushing like a fountain

from a heart that has experienced

the healing and restoration only God can accomplish.

I will give thanks to God

for His goodness and wonderful works to me,

His precious daughter.

Thank You, Lord, for an amazing month.

I am Grace In Motion

I am Hope personified

I am a Living Proof of promised made and promise fulfilled

I am the object of His undying and faithful love.

I am sure you have also experienced the goodness of God in one sphere of your life or the other. Share with us in the comment and let us rejoice with you.

And if you are still waiting for God in a specific area of your life, stay the course of faith. Don't give up on God. Don't give up on hope. God is able to do for you just what He says He would do, in His own time and in His way.

What Next?

I have not blogged in a very long while. I have watched months fly past without turning the dream of writing consistently into action. If it were possible for thoughts to transcribe into words without a determined action on my part, I would have automated my writing. But that is not possible, at least not yet.

2017 has been a busy year beyond my imagination. I have juggled many balls in the air. I managed to keep some afloat. I dropped quite a few. Blogging, unfortunately, is one of the balls that I dropped against my best intentions, despite having three platforms that provides me with the opportunities to blog and share to inspire hope and enrich lives.

Having acknowledged my shortcomings and trusting you to forgive me for not connecting with you as promised, let me count my blessings in 2017 and be grateful for the many balls I have been able to keep afloat by the grace of God.

The Book, Grace In The Storms, is going to places beyond my imagination. I know that at least 1000 printed copies are out there. I am super grateful to God for His faithfulness, and for the lives, He is using the Book to touch. The feedback received has truly touched my heart and humbled me.

We held several Grace In The Storms Events and had many opportunities to share the story in Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and Nigeria. These were avenues to share the testimony of God’s sustaining grace and to present the Book to a wider audience. I am simply awed at what God is doing with the story He has scripted of my life and the many doors He is using the story to open to me.

My instruction was to go and share the story at every place He will open the doors to me. He had not ceased to amaze me with the way He is fulfilling His part of the bargain. The Feet of Grace is taking me to places my natural feet could not have taken me.

The Feet of Grace Foundation has almost fully engaged my attention and occupied my time. We set out to make the ONE DREAM of living life without limits come true for TEN AMPUTEES in 2017. It has not been a mean feat. There have been several times that I had to pause, and I wondered how this would come to pass; “how would it be?” The support did not come from the places that I had envisaged and expected. Support and help came through many unexpected channels I could never have dreamt of.

My heart rejoices with praise as I am overwhelmed at the goodness of God. He simply pushed me to keep my focus on Him. He keeps reminding me that when He gives an assignment, He makes provision for it. The Annual Charity Walk took place in more locations in 2017 to include Kenya and Uganda in addition to the earlier locations we had in Nigeria, United Kingdom, United States and Switzerland. So far, support has been provided to procure prosthetic limbs for Seven amputees in 2017. Seven almost done, three to go. Together we can make this one dream come true for all the ten amputees.

In addition to the above, I now have a Live Video session of Inspiring Hope on My Facebook Page every Friday evening. I share messages of Grace and Hope to inspire others in their journeys especially those facing adversities and life-challenges.

The work has been intense. The grace has been generous.

But amid these, one question keeps gnawing my spirit—What Next?

What next as a wife after 25 years of marriage?
My husband and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary last April with praise and thanksgiving to God, and with many testimonies. It can only get better. Where do I need to make improvements? What can I do better to keep my marriage fresh, vibrant and exciting for both my husband and me? How are we doing with pursuing and fulfilling the purpose for which God brought us together as husband and wife? I don’t want my marriage to settle into the rut of routines. I do not want us to settle on the sofa of staleness. I am taking time to reflect our shared interests and common goal and vision for our marriage.

What next as a mother of two adult sons who no longer need me to parent them daily?
My first son is now an Engineering graduate, carving out his life and making life decisions. My second son is a junior in the university. Both are living between 6700km to 9450km from home. Parenting them is redefined. My role is becoming more of a counselor and adviser on a faraway stage, and a prayer warrior behind the scenes. As much as I want to be a part of their daily life, they seem to be getting on just fine without me mothering them.

What next as an entrepreneur?
My desire to be a contributing partner to my family finances has not waned despite the years of inability to earn a regular income on health grounds. The vats of needs are huge. The desire to be an inexhaustible conduit of God’s blessing is compelling. What I see in the pipeline cannot meet the needs. I am again and again learning to trust God for His provision. He brought us this far. He has been our sufficiency. I am asking God and myself, what can I do differently to generate the much-needed income. How can I be a more faithful steward of the resources available to me? How can I best position and manage my business so that it can generate consistent income? How do I carve out the time to production in my already crowded agenda? Which of my skills can I monetize to generate income? The questions seem endless.

What next as a Writer?
The books longing to be written and the manuscripts waiting to be completed have refused to let go of their hold on my heart. I cannot miss the unusual ways God is reminding me that I have several uncompleted writing assignments. Wishing will not write the Books. They will only get written when I make time to sit and write. My starting point is writing this blog with renewed commitment.

What next as an Inspirational Speaker?
Knowing where God wants me to be at each point in time is an imperative. I cannot afford to miss the opportunity that God opens to me neither can I afford to go where He has not sent me.

What next as God’s handmaiden positioned at this place and at this time for an only-me-can-fulfill purpose in God’s Kingdom agenda?

Truly, I am in the “What Next?” phase of life. Knowing and understanding the will of God for my life at this phase is critical. Clarifying my God-given vision and the steps needed to accomplish is an imperative I cannot afford to overlook.

I am taking time to seek God’s face. I am listening for His instructions. I am willing to submit to His leading, to trust Him and to obey Him. At the beginning of 2017, my watchword was “Listen, Trust and Obey.” It is obvious that God is not done with teaching me to listen for His instructions, to trust in His ability to take me to where He wants me to be, and to simply obey Him.

Perhaps, you are also in that phase where you strongly desire to know which direction God wants you to go. Then, you are in the right place to pull the plug on yourself and retreat into God’s presence. Silence the noise of the world around you, tune your ears to listen and hear God’s voice. Wait in His presence for instructions. You are in the waiting room—the place where God is preparing you for your next season.

That is where I am now—clarifying God’s calling on my life and His purpose and directions for my next season. I am confident that there is grace available for this phase—the grace that keeps me through the tests needed to refine and prepare me for the next season. I am tapping into the super-abundant grace. I encourage you to do so. That grace enables you to do what you cannot do in your human capacity. It is grace that will keep you sitting still to listen when your instinct is to engage and get even busier.

Receive today, the grace to retreat to recalibrate, renew, refocus and refresh in preparation for your next season.

Know Your God_Part Two

In the first part of Know Your God posted last week, I shared why it is important to know God especially at the brink of the unknown and when we face trials and persecutions. I will continue on this subject in this blog post.

According to J.I. Packer, the author of Knowing God;

“The highest science, the loftiest speculation and the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, nature, work, doings and existence of the great God whom he calls Father.”

Therefore, the most fulfilling depth of understanding and height of knowledge that man can ever aim to attain is to know God.

Who is this great God that we need to know and have a personal revelation of?

We know from the scriptures that all the changes and events in our world today have been plainly and perfectly foreseen by God. Nothing catches God unawares. Nothing comes to Him as a surprise, not at the global level, or at the national level or personal level. He is the God of all knowing, Who knows the end from the beginning.

All power belongs to God (Ps 62:11). God is truly powerful. His power is amazing and beyond description. Who can understand the thunder of God's power? Who can count the evidences of His power?

“So inconceivable, so immense, so uncontrollable is the power of Deity (the Godhead) that the fearful convulsions which He works in nature conceal more than they reveal of His infinite might!”

– Arthur. W. Pink (The Power of God in “The Attributes of God”)

Even that which is displayed of His might to the visible creation is beyond what we can comprehend. There is infinitely more power logged in the nature than can be expressed by all His works. His splendour was like the sunrise; rays flashed from His hand, where His power was hidden (Habakkuk 3:4).

“He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind; He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers.…” - Psalm 104:3.

If the wind that is the most impetuous of all the elements, having the ability to move forcefully and with almost inconceivable rapidity and can be tossed into utmost rage, is under God’s feet and beneath His perfect control. Then I am fully persuaded that there is no situation now or in the future that is beyond the power and control of God. Power is the name of God, that is, The Almighty. God and power are inseparable. God’s essence is ALMIGHTY so that it is not limited in regards to action.

“He is Himself the great central source and Originator of all power 

(C. H. Spurgeon).”

“God and power are so inseparable that they are reciprocated. As His essence is immense, not to be confined in place; as it is eternal, not to be measured in time; so it is almighty, not to be limited in regard of action (S. Charnock).”

This is the great and mighty God who wants to reveal Himself to us and who desires for us to know Him intimately. He is also the God that says “Fear not, for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God… (Is 41:10). He is consistently and continually with us. We are never alone.

He is also the God, Who out of nothing, made all things by His Word alone. Man needs tools and materials to work and create something, but God began creating with His Word. Not a single jot of His Word spoken concerning you will ever fall to the ground, but what He has designed, what He has declared, shall infallibly come to pass. WHAT AN AWESOME GOD! This great God is worthy of our implicit confidence and trust.

“But seeing that He is clothed with omnipotence, no prayer is too hard for Him to answer, no need too great for Him to supply, no passion too strong for Him to subdue; no temptation too powerful for Him to deliver from, no misery too deep for Him to relieve,” – Arthur. W. Pink

What does it mean to know God truly?

The only way we can truly know God is first to believe that God exists (Hebrews 11:6) and that He only is God, and there is no other (Deuteronomy 4:35).  We must also come to Him through Jesus Christ Who is the only way to God and a personal knowledge of God. There are no multiple ways to come to the true knowledge of God except through Jesus Christ.

Secondly we must acknowledge that God speaks to man, and the Bible is His word. It is in the Bible that God reveals Himself, His promises, and His will. The more we study the Bible for ourselves, the more of God is revealed to us and the more of Him we know. Know Your God means that you study the scriptures so that you can be certain of the truth and know beyond the shadow of doubt the reliability of everything you were taught. This is what Luke wrote to Theophilus in Luke 1:4.

Knowing God requires a commitment to being willing to accept and to obey His instructions, which we read from His Word. It is insufficient for us to study the Bible, but we must be willing to put what we read into action.

“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land”

 – Isaiah 1:19

To come into the true knowledge of God, we must be prepared to dwell in His presence. But first we need to come to the realization that God is ever-present, and He is everywhere. This means that we are never alone. He is with us everywhere we are and in every situation we are. When we are praying, we are speaking right into the ears of God.

You can only get to know someone better and intimately when you spend time with the person. You get to know someone deeper and more intimately as you dwell in each other's presence, sharing your heart, your dreams, your hopes and aspirations. We can only do this when we talk with one another, and we give attention to listening to one another. Just as all relationships need to be kept vital and fresh, so is our relationship with God. It requires conscious and active effort. We know God intimately and personally when we carve out the time to dwell in His presence through prayer, studying His word, fellowshipping with Him in praise, worship and adoration. When we truly worship and praise Him, we are dwelling in His presence

The more we know of God, the more we will discover and see His glory on display in our everyday lives. The more we dwell in His presence, the more we will know that God speaks to us. As we dwell in God's presence, He speaks, expresses and reveals Himself to us. It is there that we hear the secrets He wants to make known to us. As you plunge yourself into the deepest sea of knowing God, you will come out refreshed and invigorated.

We are being transformed into the image of God as we contemplate the Lord’s glory when we dwell in His presence. God chose us in advance to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. God wants us to become more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image. Our lives gradually become brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives, and we become like Him.

Insight comes into our lives comes from knowing the Holy God. If we are to become like God in character and if we, by our life of service, are to reveal Him to the world then we need to know Him aright. We must know Him as He reveals Himself.

A knowledge of God is the foundation of all true education and all true service. It is the only real safeguard against temptation. It is this alone that can make us like God in character.

To disregard the study of God is to sentence ourselves to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds us. This is a sure way to waste our lives and lose our soul.

In the days we are living today, Know Your God is not a request.

 It is an instruction.

I sincerely believe that none of us can truly live the life God has called us to live, and fulfil our God-ordained destiny and purpose without knowing God intimately and having a personal revelation of Him. That is why I strongly recommend that we earnestly seek after God and make concerted effort to dwell in His presence without noisy distraction of the world.

Watch out for the concluding part of Know Your God in the next blog post.

Pause…Observe….And Ponder

I walked through the revolving doors of the Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve (HUG) with a spring in my step.

Full of life. Full of energy. Full of joy.

Then I saw him. He was sitting on the grey metal chair by the door of the café. In a glance, I took note of the details. He was dressed in the hospital light floral gown. He had a nasal tube connected to the oxygen bottle on the floor between his feet. I recognized the fatigue on his face and the arching shoulders due to the labour of breathing.

Images flashed through my mind. For seven years I carried a similar oxygen bottle. I could not count the number of times I sat on the same chair exhausted from the labour of breathing, waiting for my husband to bring the car close to the door. I saw the many times I passed through the same revolving door, every step was an effort, with the oxygen bottle hanging on my shoulders.

My heart was overwhelmed with memory of the goodness of God.

The storm has passed. The heavy dark clouds have been lifted. The sun is shining bright in the sky.

I have been captivated by Psalm 145 for the past three months. The intensity of David’s praise flooded my heart as I pondered on this event days after.

David declared in verse 7 that everyone will abundantly utter the memory of God’s goodness. They will share the story of God’s wonderful goodness.

Charles Spurgeon in his sermon in 1879 said, “we shall be helped to abundant praise by careful observation." In order for us to have a memory of God’s goodness, and then abundantly utter it in exhilarating praise, we must first of all make an observation of it.

“A man does not remember what he never knew” – Charles Spurgeon.

The proportion to which a fact or a truth makes an impression on our minds is the proportion to which it is likely to abide in our memory. And what we meditate on for long enough becomes the reality of our lives. The question therefore is this;

Is the goodness of God daily making an impression on our minds?

If we want to remember the goodness of God, we must let it strike us. We must take notice of it. We must consider it. We must ponder on it. We must meditate on it. We must let its full influence be exerted on our hearts.

The sight of the man on supplemental oxygen struck me as I walked into the hospital that day for my routine check-up. I took notice of the man’s situation. I remembered that I was once in a similar situation for many years. I paused and pondered on the amazing goodness of God which brought the change to my life.

Our acknowledgement of the goodness and mercies of God will become vocal and exuberant when we have it imprinted on our memory. It is from the memory of His rich goodness to us that praises will gush from our mouths like torrential water flowing through a stream. Heated by our fervency, our praises to God distils into vapour that rises up to heaven.

“So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,

drinking in Your strength and glory.

In Your generous love I am really living at last!

My lips brim with praises like fountains.

I bless You every time I take a breath;

My arms wave like banners of praise You.”

(Psalm 63: 2-4)

We can never praise God enough or too much because there are no limits to the outpouring of His goodness upon our lives.

There is no denying that God is good to all. Everything He does is suffused with grace. His tender mercies and compassion are over every single one of us created in His image—you and me inclusive. Evidences abound of God's rich goodness and mercies to each of us every moment of each day. If we pause and make take note of them, they become committed to our memory from whence they will ignite an eruption of abundant praise to God.

But many times we are blinded to God’s abounding grace and kindness to us. This is because our vision become blurred as we focus on the challenges we are facing, the storms raging and whirling around us, and the heavy dark clouds that are looming over us.

Often we forget that in the midst of each storm, God is present there with us to hold us steady as a post. Often we forget that no matter how grey, dark and heavy the looming clouds may be, the sun is still shining high above the clouds. So also is God’s love and kindness still radiating its warmth to us in the midst of the challenges and difficulties we are going through.

God always does what is right not what we want. He is always on time, not a minute early, not a second late. There is nothing we need that God cannot provide according to His will, in His own time and in His own way. He clothes the wildflowers of the valley and feeds the birds in the air. I am far more valuable that these. If this be the case, then I have no reason to be anxious or allow myself to be downcast or morose. I can be joyful in the knowledge of God’s unfailing goodness even when it may seem that it is not evident. So can you, because you count more to God than lilies and sparrows. You can abandon yourself in His loving care.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28)

The ability to make a deliberate effort to take note of, observe, focus and ponder on the goodness of God is a learned behaviour. You learn to do it. You commit to doing it.

Whenever the storms are raging, remember His constant presence and His promise never to leave you alone or forsake you. Whenever the clouds are heavy and dark, lift your eyes up to an altitude where you will see the sun is shining above the clouds. Let the brightness that sun illuminate the goodness of God in your life so that you can observe and take note of it. Make an inventory of the goodness of God in your life each day, and let the recollection of His acts of wonder imprinted in your memory ignite an abundant praise to God right there in the midst of the challenges—because God is good ALL the time.

As 2014 rolls to an end, I encourage you through the course of each day to pause, observe, and ponder on the many rich blessings being poured into your life. I challenge you to seek every opportunity to praise and magnify the name of the Infinite God without limit. Make a joyful noise of thanksgiving.

May the praise and adoration of our ever-faithful God flow continually from your mouth.

Ministering Gratitude in Difficult Times

Sometimes, life happens. And it happens in a way that we least anticipated. It happens and threatens with such ferocity that can rip a house off its foundation. It feels like a tornado just touched down at our doorsteps.

Yes, I am talking about those seasons in our lives, when everything appears to be as dry and empty as in a desert, and we feel isolated. Those seasons when things appear to be all jumbled and tangled together as in a wilderness. It is a mess, one problem after the other, one dead end after the other, and we feel lost. We cannot see a way out.

Even in the driest desert, if we look close enough, we will see a form of life thriving—junipers and cactus, for example. On a dry patchy land we see budding plant. There is also God’s promise that He will cause rivers to flow in the desert. In the wilderness where tree branches are twisted and tangled together, there is the promise of God that He will make a way.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1Thess 5:18 (NLT).

We are called to give thanks and minister gratitude to God in ALL situations. Definitely not FOR all situations. This tells me that in those difficult and challenging situations, I can give thanks simply because God is God and because that is the will of God for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And I belong to Jesus. I can also give thanks in that situation because I have the assurance of God’s presence. He promised, He will NEVER leave us, forsake us or abandon us. He is ever-present with us even when it seems imperceptible or difficult to believe.

The sweet deal is that whatever kind of storm is whirling and roaring around us, that storm did not catch God unawares. NOTHING, I mean absolutely NOTHING, catches God unawares. He knew about it before it came and it is already in His hands. If He allows it, then there is a reason and a purpose for that storm—that difficult and challenging situation facing you like a looming mountain.

It is at such times that I love to sing this lovely chorus:

My God is bigger than all my problems

Bigger than all my cares

God is bigger than any mountain

I can or cannot see

This is very true. God is bigger than any mountain. He is bigger than any challenge we may be faced with. He is bigger than any issue we may have to deal with. He is bigger than the fiercest storm whirling around us.

The Psalmist said, “I will bless the Lord AT ALL TIMES, and His praises SHALL continually be in my mouth” (Ps 34:1). He declared that he will speak constantly of God’s praise. Believe me, this was at a time when he was pretending to be insane so that he could escape from Abimelech. Through he was threatened with death, yet he purposed in his mind to put the praises of God upon his lips.

‘I WILL’ is a determined decision, so is ‘I SHALL.’ Therefore, it means that irrespective of what that TIME of life or season of life David was faced with, he made a determined and conscious decision that he WILL bless the Lord and he WILL ensure that God’s praises are in his mouth. Not complaints, not grumbling and not curses but praises.

I have to purpose in my heart that I will rejoice in the Lord when I am hurting, when things are not going the right way, and when I have no answers to the numerous questions pounding my brain until I feel the vein pulsating hard on my temple.  My heart will sing praise to God even when only groaning escape from my lips. When pain sears through the core of my being like a hot iron, even then, I will praise Him. Because, I know He is with me. Because I know He is a God of all-knowing and He knows where I am. Because my High Priest, Jesus Christ, is not unmoved by my feeling of infirmity. He hears the silent and unvoiced cry from the deep recesses of my soul. God has to find praise in my heart when my body is contorted in pain and my soul is troubled within me.

Ponder on these questions:

What are we seeing in the midst of the storm? What are we focusing our attention on in the desert of  difficulties ? Whose voice are we hearing in the valley of the shadow of death?

On Wednesday, June 5^th, 2013, barely a week after the amputation of my legs, I was wheeled out of the intensive care unit. I was taken to the regular ward on the 8^th floor—an internal medicine ward—the place where I had many frequent stays for over ten years managing the chronic respiratory disease I suffered from. The nurses knew me very well and I had become quite close to some of them. Tears welled up in their eyes as they received me. “Why this on top of everything she had been through? What has amputation got to do with the lungs?” These and more were the questions I overheard them asking among themselves.

Shortly afterwards, doctors came to evaluate my mental state. They told me it was ok to be angry or to cry if I felt like doing so. They wanted me to be willing to talk about how I was feeling about the situation—a case of being dealt with a bad hand, anyone would say. After all, I had many reasons to be angry, after twenty years of living with a chronic and debilitating respiratory disease, with my life literally hanging on a thread spun with spider webs during the later seven years, why should I have to go through another calamity when I just got a miraculous victory over the respiratory problem? I certainly had every right to throw mega fits of anger. But I did not.

They thought I was in denial. They thought I was depressed because I did not want to talk to them about my emotions and they recommended anti-depressants. It was not that I wasn't in deep pain in my heart over the loss of my legs. It was not that I wasn't even angry at some time. But it did not serve any useful purpose to discuss my emotions with those would not understand the position I had chosen to take or help me. I made up my mind a long time ago that I will not be a subject of pity. I refused to be a victim.

I had to tell my longest serving nurse, who was very upset that I could not confide in her that I had decided a long time ago never to give up on hope.

“J'ai décidé longtemps que je ne jamais renouncé l’espoir.”

I am not without hope. Because of all I had been through over the past years, I knew that to be alive at that point in time and breathing without any support or effort in itself is a miracle and a precious gift. Grace kept directing and leading me to focus on that miracle. That became the focus of my attention. It became my raison d'etre to give thanks and praise to God in the midst of the continuing storm. Grace enabled me to latch on the word of assurance God gave me a few days before the amputation—He has given me the Feet of Grace.

The grace of God is always abundantly available and sufficient for every storm, for every difficult situation and every challenging circumstance that we go through in life. But we have to choose to lay hold of it as if our next breath depends on it.

I've had many tears and sorrows,
I've had questions for tomorrow,
there's been times I didn't know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.

I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I'd never had a problem,
I wouldn't know God could solve them,
I'd never know what faith in God could do

-          Through It All by Andrea Crouch.

Dear Friends, when we know God is Who He says He is and we keep our focus on that, we are able sing praise and minister gratitude to Him in the difficult times. You can be assured that He is there in it with you.

I pray that these songs will inspire an outburst of praise where you may be right now.

For Every Mountain by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Through It All by Andrea Crouch and Cece Winans

More To Be Desired Than...

I recalled an incidence which occurred last summer as I prepared today's blog post. It was at a time when I was going through a rather rough time with my health and I had lost my appetite. At such times, I looked for sweets, chocolates and cakes to pep up my appetite. I have a favourite cake shop.

I could not immediately find someone to take me to this shop (my husband and the boys had to travel at that time), and there was no way I would send someone to get the cakes for me. I had to do the selection. So I decided to go myself. Accompanied by a friend staying with me and I took the risk to drive just to satisfy my craving for the Cartier Cakes.

Recently, I had reasons to evaluate my personal Bible Study time and for all the reasons that I may proffer, some genuine and some not tenable, I found that I lacked consistency.

Spending quality time in praise and in prayer was non-negotiable for me, and against all odds, I will make every effort to keep that time. I found it exhilarating just praising and worshiping God. However, over the past few months, I had not given the same attention to my personal Bible study nor had I made the same effort to spend time in God's presence, just listening to Him and hear Him speak into my heart. It has been sporadic and I know I have been drawing on the stores laid up much earlier.

"Speak to my heart," I have cried many times.

"Open my ears that I may hear Your voice," I prayed.

But how I could I hear, if I will not take time to listen?

How would I not miss the call in the midst of many distractions if I am not attentive to His voice?

Yet I know I need to have clarity. I need His guidance, leading and most importantly, I need to hear His instructions as He leads me in this new phase of my life and as His plans unfolds.

During the past week, I have been hit from different directions by messages declaring that it is not only important to speak to God through praise and prayer BUT it is equally important to spend quality time listening to God speak back to us. It is also important to make every effort to seek God's Word.

The guest preacher in church last Sunday said;

"God wants our attention."

"It must be the top priority in a believer's daily life to hear the voice of God."

"A disciple trains and disciplines himself to hear, know and recognize God's voice."

Solomon said, "O Lord, give me a heart that listens so I can judge Your people and tell the difference between good and evil …" (1Kings 3:9 God's Word Translation). Another translation says, give your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart that I may judge your people and discern between good and bad.

For us to discern aright, to make the right decision, and to walk in God's purpose and fulfil our assignment, we need to have listening hearts and ears that knows and hears His voice.

God speaks to us in many ways, through His written Word, in still small voice into our hearts and through the counsel of godly people He surrounds us with. It is important for us to know and to hear His voice for ourselves. A greater ability to recognize the voice of God is given when we spend quality time in His presence. The question is, are we spending enough time alone in God's presence to know and recognize His voice?

A few days ago, meetmeatthemeadows.com shared the verse below and it latched itself to my heart:

When I discovered Your Words,

I devoured them.

They are my joy and my heart's delight,

For by Your name, O Lord God of Heaven's Armies.

Jeremiah 15:16

Discover - to find by searching. Received by divine revelation. Requires diligent seeking, a desire for it and a devotion of time and resources to find it.

Devour - to eat hungrily. Consumed with eagerness.

Delight - brings joy and rejoicing. Received cheerfully and treasured in the memory. Digested in our mind, mixed with faith and carefully retained.

As I meditated and pondered on this verse, I realized that this should be our attitude and approach to God's Word. Something we diligently seek and search for. "Truth is like 'treasures hid in the field;' he alone who seeks it with unprejudiced mind finds it" (Pulpit Commentary). When we find it we must consume it hungrily. Why? Because it brings joy and rejoicing, a delight to our hearts.

"Your Word filled my heart with joy and happiness because I belong to You"

(NET Bible).

Ps. 19:10 says "Your Word is more to be desired than gold, even more than fine gold. They are sweeter than honey and the drippings from the honeycomb." Job said, "…I have treasured Your Word more than my necessary food." God's Word is food for our soul. It is wholesome, nourishing and strengthening.

Then came the questions:

Can I truthfully say with all boldness that I have treasured God's Word more than my necessary food?

Am I paying enough attention to listen to what God is saying to me through His written Word?

It was at this time that I remembered how I made a definite decision and the effort to go after Cartier Cakes against all the odds, and this gave me only a momentary satisfaction. It sometimes require a sacrifice of time to dwell in intimate and close fellowship with God to hear Him speaking to us. It take time to meditate on the Word and to lay it up in our heart but God's Word gives long-lasting satisfaction and it is of eternal value.

What is it that you diligently seek after each day?

God's Word is more to be desired than ___________ (fill in the gap as it applies to you).

Craving for you

 

Cartier-swiss.ch

Craving for you
was like a stubborn itch
upon my heart.
It won't go away.
Getting to you
was a risk I should not take
Yet no one could get you for me.

Against the odds
On this bright summer day
Heat soaring
Sun high in the sky
I climbed the hill
I crossed the river
In search of you
who my heart craves for.

With utmost patience I waited
to get close enough to you.
The final stretch was tortuous
At last, I made it through the woods
And there laid before me
An array of sweet temptations
A delight to the eyes
And satisfaction for a craving
Who could have selected you for me?
None but I.

Were I to desire You
more than I crave the sweet tempter
Were I to seek after You
with the same zeal
Then would I discover Your Word
And make haste to devour them
As one who hungers after Him
Who is an everlasting delight

to my soul.

© Irene Olumese (2013)

Speak To My Heart

In the last 2-3 weeks, I have been following a discussion on a Sista's blog (Uniquely Woman) in response to the question she posed, "What is the difference between your will and God's will? How do you know God's plan for your life."

There has been a lot of very interesting and illuminating responses to these questions. I have also spent time ruminating on the question. It reminded me of a statement I heard in a movie I watched several years ago.

Last Flight Out was presented by Billy Graham and World Wide Pictures. It was truly inspiring and a delight to watch. I highly recommend it. Dr. Mateo Barrero, a dentist missionary, said as he was dying: "There is no better place to be than in the center of God's will, except in His presence." It is a profound statement worthy of consideration, and it has stayed with me since then.

I am endeared to medical missionary work and would certainly love to be a part of one. This movie portrayed the dedication and commitment of those who are called to serve in this vein in remote villages, and the joy and hope they bring to many even in the face of life-threatening challenges. I will come back to this later on in this post.

In my post last week (I Am Chosen), I stated that "You are carrying a calling of God upon your life whether you realize it or not." Every Christian has a calling of God upon his/her life. We are given a set of gifts and talents, and taken through diverse experiences to prepare us stand in the place wherein we are called to fulfill a God-ordained assignment.

The question therefore, is how do we know the will of God for our lives and how do we know what we have been called to do?

God nudges us from within in the direction of His will and we are able to pick the nudging by the Spirit of God dwelling in us if we are sensitive to Him. This nudging can be so strong that you can not ignore it. The Bible says in Philippians 2:13; "for it is God Who works in us both to will and to do of good pleasure." It is so wonderful to know that the Spirit of God working powerfully in us causes to will, (to desire to do) the will and the pleasure of God. He also empowers us to do it, when we submit to His plans, will and calling for us.

God has equipped each of us with special gifts and skills we need to occupy the position He has appointed for us in His plan and for us to fulfill His calling upon our lives. He also goes to a great length to prepare us for our calling. We will experience the greatest blessings of our lives if we take steps to walk in our calling.

Therefore, it is of great necessity that each of us must earnestly desire to be in the center of God's will for our lives. I have heard many ask, how do I know His will and calling for me?

The short answer is, it is by dwelling in the Presence of God and seeking His face to know His plans for your life. And by listening to His voice speaking into your heart (Is. 30:21).

That is my earnest heart desire and the crux of today's message:

Speak into my heart, Lord God,

Let me hear Your voice calling out to me:

This is the way, walk in it.

Are we taking time to listen to His voice speak into our hearts? It takes conscious and deliberate effort to be quiet and to listen to God speaking. The only way we can walk in the fullness of His will and purpose for our lives is by taking directions from Him and that can only happen if we take time to listen to His voice.

Ps. 62:11 says "Once has God spoken, twice have I heard this, that power belongs to God." This is attentive listening. God is always speaking but are we listening, are we paying attention to His Voice?

"My son, pay attentions to my words, incline your ears to my saying" (Prov. 4:20). He speaks into our heart through the voice of His Holy Spirit, through His Word and through the counsel of God-fearing and matured Christians. We are assured of the truth of His Word. It makes assurance doubly sure when His word is confirmed in our hearts.

We can trust God to guide us into His will when we are in doubt and to strengthen us to do every good work He has called us to do. There is a song I learnt many years ago back in the University. I have not been able to retrieve the full lyrics but I do remember these lines.

I want to be in Your will, Lord

Doing only the things You want me to do

I got to set myself aside

And let Jesus guide.

Our will always will conflict with God's will except we submit it to God. Since His thoughts for us are always thoughts for good, to prosper us and to give us a hope and a future, we will do very well for ourselves to stay in the center of His will.

I am in that phase now, where I am waiting on God to unfold His plans for the next stage of my life. I am waiting on Him to speak into my heart and guide me in the way to go. I am waiting on Him to teach me what to do. I am waiting on Him to open the doors to me to walk in the fullness of His calling upon my life.

My prayer for you is that you will know the center of His will for your life and you will walk in it. being fully assured that He Who has called you is able to complete and perfect all that concerns you.

Back to the subject of medical missions and missionaries. There are many missionaries out there in remote places who are not only taking the gospel of truth to the people but they are also providing access to basic health services and to basic education. Perhaps, God is also calling you to go or may be to support those who working out there.

Operation Blessings International, the 8^th Mile Project in Nigeria are just some of those  doing fantastic jobs out there. If you can't go, you can support them through prayers and in tangible terms. Ask the Lord to speak to your heart about this and to show you how to go about it if this is His will for you.

I do pray that God will make a way for me to participate in such a mission someday; taking the Word of God to the people as well as assisting to provide services that will add value to their lives. It will be a dream come true.

You will make a difference to the lives of many people if you walk in the center of God's will and there also you will experience the greatest blessings of your life. Dear Friend, don't miss it. Stay in the presence of God and pay attention to His voice speaking into your heart. It is the best place to be.

Speak To My Heart By Donnie McClurkin

I Am Chosen

I am chosen

God's Hand is upon my life
I have a unique role appointed for me in God's plan

I am graced for my specific assignment
No one else can fill my role or take my place.

On my way from my hospital appointment last Tuesday, my husband was playing a CD of Bishop T. D. Jakes' sermon - You are chosen by God. The bit I heard of this sermon touched my heart and resounded in my spirit, and it confirmed the message I was preparing to share in today's post.

God Has A Plan For You:

For as long as you are here and not over there, God has a plan for your life and a purpose for you to fulfill. In His grand master-plan, which He foreordained before the foundation of earth was laid, God has a specific slot for you to occupy.

"…even as he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of His will…" - Eph. 1:4-5 (NIV).

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jer. 1:5 (NIV)

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" - Jer. 29:11 (NIV).

Without any fear of doubt or contradiction, I can say with boldness that you are not just here on earth aimless and without a purpose. God has a definite part for you to in His plan. He has a plan for my life and for your life.

Chosen And Prepared:

Having defined His grand plan, God identified the slot and place He wanted me to occupy, and He designed, created, and formed me to fill that position. He chose me specifically for a definite and unique assignment.

Unique. Each pearl bears the signature of the mother oyster.

I am God's handiwork (His workmanship), created in Christ Jesus that I may do the good works, which God has predestined (planned beforehand) for me (taking paths which He has prepared ahead of time) - Eph. 2:10.  I am chosen to do exploits for God. I am chosen to possess the land He has given to me for a possession.

I am chosen to be the wife that I am to my husband, and the mother I am to my sons. I was brought into his life for a specific purpose; to be a help meet for him, to be his one-woman-cheerleader. No one can take my place in his life or in the lives of my children. It is an only-me-can fulfill assignment, which I am honored to do.

My husband was specially prepared and chosen by God for me. God gave him the grace, resilience and inner strength to support, care for, cherish and bear me. No other person could have been to me what God has made him in my life. It is a calling.

While I was preparing for this post today, I stumbled on a post written by Audrey Joe-Ezigbo: "A Unique Piece Of God's Puzzle" and therein I found this quote from Bishop T. D. Jakes' book: "Life Overflowing" -

"We are chosen by God to be His precious children. We are wanted and valued by the Almighty King of the entire universe. God also chose you to be His child and to be part of the body of Christ on the earth at precisely this time and in precisely the location where you find yourself… With great determination, deliberation and design God has said, 'I want you. I’m going to use you for this particular job. I want your specific personality and your unique set of talents in this precise position at this significant time.'

The Lord has crafted you and formed you and shaped you. He has molded you and made you. He knows your strengths, your weaknesses, and your character, and He has caused you to be a perfect fit and a perfect tool for a very precise and important role in His plan. You have been chosen just as the cedars of Lebanon were selected one by one, for the building of Solomon’s temple."

"And he walks with me and he talks with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known."
He Walks With Me (In The Garden) by C. Austin Miles.

I have to be me. Pruned and shaped by God with diverse experiences to fit into the slot He appointed for me so that His grand plan may be complete. If I resist His refining and pruning, I will not fit into the role He has assigned for me. If I try to be someone else, I will become a copy of another piece of the puzzle and I will not fit into my assigned position. God needs me to be uniquely me. He knows my strengths and weakness, and He is using them for His unique plan and purpose for my life. I gotta be me!!!

So it is not with pride that I say I am uniquely me, chosen by God for a purpose but it is with every sense of responsibility, humility and in awesome wonder of my Heavenly Father, Who loves me so much as to appoint and prepare me for His use and for service.

He is Alpha and Omega. Within Him all things exists. He created the eternal jigsaw puzzle. He knows where every single piece fits. He created, formed and shaped you, so He knows exactly where you fit in His eternal plan.

God Will Go Before Us:

It is encouraging and exciting to know that not only does God have a plan for our lives, not only has He chosen us for a specific purpose but He promised that He will go ahead of us into that purpose and destiny He appointed for us.

Twice within three days, I heard these words ministered to me from different sources: "God will go before thee" (Dayspring Devotional and Meetmeatthemeadows.com).

"It is the Lord Himself Who goes before you,

He will march/walk with you;

He will not fail you or abandon you or forsake you" - Deut. 31:8

I shared these words with my two sons who were starting new academic year in College and High School respectively. I asked them to keep the word in view and keep themselves reminded of it as they go through the school year. With this assurance, I am persuaded that they can defeat fear and discouragement whenever they rear their ugly heads.

What a blessed assurance to know that we are not left alone to walk the path He has appointed for us but we can be confident of His constant presence with us. He promised to walk with us through the fire and through raging waters (Is. 43:2).

Because we are chosen, we have to walk a specific path to prepare us for the assignment He has designed for us.

"He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way…

…I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.
…I know that He is leading thro' all the stormy blast…"

"I Serve A Risen Saviour" by Alfred Henry Ackley (1887 - 1960)

The bottom line is that while we are still here on earth, God has a definite plan for our lives, it is for His grand purpose be fulfilled, for His glory to be put on display, for the gospel to be preached and for souls to be saved for His kingdom. It is not about us but it is about Him that we have been called to fulfill destiny.

You are carrying a calling of God upon your life whether you realize it or not. You are chosen to be the wife to that particular man because no one else can live with him and help him fulfill his calling but you. You have been chosen to be the husband to that special woman because no one else can nurture and cherish her the way God has ordained but you. God has available for you the grace to overcome in every situation and season that visits your marriage.

You have been specifically called to be the parents to that particular child, it may be difficult for now, but God is counting on you to be the best parents you can be to him/her. He has graced you with the strength and patience to reach that child if you tap into it. He is that situation with you.

In every situation God has placed us, He has a specific task and assignment for us to fulfill there. We must be very careful not to miss out on it, no matter how challenging and difficult the path we must walk to accomplish it.

You are uniquely you

No one else can take your place

God did not create two of you

You are not a duplicate

You can not do another person's assignment

Or fill another's role

Or walk someone else path.

You are created and chosen for a definite purpose

Walk in it and therein awaits you a glorious reward.

Pleased to share with you "He Walks With Me" sung by Anne Murray.