WIN 100I guess somebody has to truly encourage him/herself in the Lord today like David! And, I am saying this with every sense of seriousness, for I have, on many occasions, seen this refusal to rise up, leave the scene of our fall, failure, crisis or struggles, as the crime we often commit against ourselves. We are often too quick to give up on our dreams and purposes to become despondent! The truth is: I have learnt to cut myself away from folks who always talk about why they cannot do something new about their situations or conditions. When you are always explaining and attempting to justify the conditions you are in, when you are not radical enough to rise from your ashes when the baby is dead like a David, when you keep crying endlessly over the destruction of your Ziklag, I don’t have any more time to spend with you in your pity party club… I won’t allow you to drain my energy further… I have, in recent times, cut myself away from folks who are specialists in complaining and complaining endlessly…
Abraham and his men were not lamenting over the wells they dug without waters or the ones with waters that the people of Gerar fought over and took away from them. They did not get mad at God either. They kept digging new ones… They kept looking for and labouring to hit at another underground water… I want men with such ‘never say die’ mentality around me. The Bible says:
… but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all [1 Sam 30 v6b-8, KJV].
Some of us are so rigid that God cannot even update our files! This unwholesome rigidity always beats my imagination as folks attempt to hold themselves down to a revelation God has since updated longtime ago! Just imagine what would have happened to Isaac if Abraham had refused God’s update on the mountain! He would have rejected the ram; he would have claimed the Devil was trying to manipulate him; he would have gone ahead to slaughter Isaac! And, this is what happens in many situations. Folks telling me the reasons they cannot relocate to start something new. Folks claiming their long dead parents and relatives handed them some mandates to remain in a place or a trade… Folks even giving Jesus Christ excuses for the reason they have not been healed like the man at the pool in Bethsaida!
You know, there are folks who have learnt theology more than God like Peter to reject what God has cleansed as being perpetually unclean and untouchable!
Acts 10: 9b-28 … Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: 10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, 11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. 17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate, 18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. 19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. 20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. 21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? 22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. 23 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. 25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. 26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. 27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. 28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean [KJV].
Well, thank God, Peter eventually allowed God to update his theological file. Yeah, he struggled and struggled against God’s update, but he eventually accepted it. Some folks are too fixed and fixated in their ways and understanding that God cannot update their files… When I was leaving Methodist Church Ministry in 2008, somebody asked me: ‘But you said God Called you into this ministry?’ I said but God can also update my file! I remember a time my wife also reminded me of something so similar. I also simply told her: I believe you understand that I can change my mind! This time, I was not even ready to claim that God has updated my file. I simply told her I have the right to be flexible enough to change my mind on certain issues especially when they don’t compromise on the truth, virtues and values…
To be continued …
‘Bode Ojoniyi,
17 November, 2024.
