INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK: Just testify for the Lord!

“But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness at Rome,” – Acts 23:11

This was a painful and frustrating time for Paul. He was under arrest and uncertain of his fate. The bottom line is that the Jews wanted him dead – only that they did not have anything warranting a death sentence. Here he was in prison for professing the truth. On his own he was probably in despair and actually afraid because of the situation he found himself in. 

No man could rescue him here. No man could comfort him under these circumstances. But the Lord Jesus himself showed himself to Paul. Him alone could give Paul the courage he needed. He knows what we are going through. He knows our thoughts and He knows the intents of our hearts. He is the one to give us the rightful words of encouragement at any given time.

Sometimes we go through situations and we wish to have a certain answer. Sometimes we wish we could be delivered from the situation. Sometimes we wish we could be taken out, removed from the situation. We feel like we are better off without undergoing that situation. We worry about our own wellbeing. We worry about our own safety. We put our own interests ahead of anyone else.

There is something we can learn from Paul, a man who fought the good fight of faith in Jesus Christ. This is a man who devoted his life for the gospel since meeting Christ. This is “a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the Gospel of God.” He faced so many trials and tribulations but he was not interested to save his life in the midst of every tough encounter with opposition.

When Paul was in need of comfort the Lord was there to say, “Be of good cheer, Paul.” Regardless of the chains the Lord was there to say “Be of good cheer, Paul.” When there was no visible sign of relief the Lord was there to cheer him up.

Perhaps Paul could have wished for a miracle that will shake off the chains, open the doors for him and lead him out of the prison. But no; the Lord had a different game plan. In as much as the Lord was cheering him up, He was practically telling Him that he will stay in chains much longer.

The fascinating thing about this encouragement is that the Lord is revealing an assignment He has for Paul. Most importantly is that Paul proved his worthiness to carry out this assignment to testify for Jesus in Rome. He had a good track record for testifying for Jesus in Jerusalem. So Jesus encouraged him by saying that what brought Paul to jail is what he will have to continue doing even in Rome. Could it get tougher than that?

Paul was dedicated to ensure that whatever happens his conduct is worthy of the gospel of Christ. He bore witness of Jesus in Jerusalem and he was arrested, falsely accused of causing a rebellion amongst the Jews. It does not matter what life situations you are going through, you have to give testimony about the Lord Jesus. The Lord has pulled you through other tough situations and you trusted in Him. You will have to trust Him again.

You may be going through different stages in life, where life seems to be tough but you have to know that the Lord is with you and watching over you. He is keeping track of the way you conduct yourself. Do not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Just testify of the horn of our salvation.

Lord Do Not Pass Me By

“My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant ” – Genesis 18:3

“Pass me not , O gentle Savior,

Hear my humble cry,

While on others Thou art calling

Do not pass me by.”

“My Lord, do not pass me by” is a cry for help. A cry when you are in need, to the sense of desperation. A cry with the burning desire to get hold of that source of hope, a source of strength and source of life. A cry that is founded on the knowledge that there is no one to help you but your Saviour.

We have a Saviour and His name is Jesus Christ. There is no other name that can save us but the name Jesus Christ. When you are plunged in that miry clay, Him alone can lift you up. When you are drowning in the sea of sorrows or troubles, Him alone can rescue you. You need to call on Him, cry out loud, “Lord Save Me.”

The two blind men who were sitting by the road, heard that Jesus was passing by and cried out saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” They had that wonderful opportunity to receive the mercy of the only Saviour. It was so important for them not to let the Lord pass them by without blessing them. It was worth everything they were. The multitude tried to silence them but they had one thing on their mind, “Lord, do not pass me by!” They were blind, but they had a voice that was able to call upon Jesus as He passed by.

When Jesus passed through Jericho, Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, could not let this opportunity pass him by. Fully aware of his short stature, he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him because He was going to pass that way. He was short but he had legs to carry him up the tree. In his heart I believe he was saying, “Lord, do not pass me by!” and indeed he caught the Master’s attention.

When Jesus passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee, He entered a village where He met ten lepers. They changed their song and lifted their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Regardless of their illness, which barred them from being in contact with other people, they could not allow the Savior to pass them by.

Our Lord hears that humble cry. He is abundant in mercy, full of grace. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4:16).

There is one thing that was so crucial in the wonderful testimonies highlighted above. The awareness of who was passing by. The two blind men were aware that Jesus was passing by and turned a deaf ear to the crowd. Zacchaeus was a sinner, and he knew it, but he could not allow Jesus to pass him by. The ten lepers were outcast in society but could not allow the opportunity to receive merciful blessings from Jesus to pass them by.

When you are aware that Jesus is passing by, you forget about what people think of you. You forget your shortcomings. Your forget your position in society. You forget your usual way of doing things and you lay hold of Him. Deep inside you know that no one else can save you but Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

The important thing is to discern who has come to your shores. Abraham was sitting in the tent door in a very hot day. He discerned that the Lord had paid him a visit. “So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.” (Genesis 18:2-3).

It is amazing that when Abraham looked up he saw three men standing, but when he went to meet them he said, “My Lord…” His physical, natural eyes were seeing three men standing but his spiritual eyes were seeing the Lord. He discerned in his spirit that the Lord was standing before Him. He was aware that this was a special visitation.

I do not know who were these three men. Most likely they were angels. But according to Abraham, it was the Lord Himself. I want to believe these three men symbolized the triune of God, that’s why Abraham addressed them as “My Lord” and he addressed himself as His ‘servant’. Whatever the case is, Abraham was conscious of the presence of the Lord.

Abraham was not only aware of the presence of the Lord, he went out to meet Him. As the custom in those days dictated, a visitor would stand and wait for an invite to the house (or tent). Likewise, the Lord is in your presence but He is waiting for your invitation. He is waiting for your humble cry. He is standing before you, fully aware of your situation. Are you going to stand there and watch Him pass by or you will run to meet Him just like Abraham?

Coming to the gentle Saviour requires one to believe in Him. Paul says “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:10). Abraham was cognizant of this truth. He knew that the Lord whom he served is full of grace. That is why he asked, “…if I have found favor in Your sight…” Grace is defined as the divine favor towards man. This is the kind of favor that Abraham was asking from God.

What was the favor? “…do not pass on by Your servant.” Referring himself to a servant only reveals the humble heart of this man. Abraham was a man of God, who served God no matter what. A true servant of the Lord. He was making a humble request to his Master, the Almighty God.

Interestingly, God had purposed to come to Him. The Lord had no intention of passing him by. But He respects a person’s choice and decision. He is waiting for you to make a decision. Do you invite Him to save you? Do you allow Him to pass you by? My friend, I know that God has an answer to your troubles but He is waiting for your call. He is waiting for your invite.

When Abraham invited the Lord to his tent, He was actually inviting good news. God was there to confirm that indeed Sarah, despite her age, was going to conceive. “Is there anything too hard for the LORD?...” (Genesis 18:14).

My dear friend, the Savior is waiting for your humble cry. Call upon Him and say, “Lord, do not pass me by!”

INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK: Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!

"You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you,”
 -2 Chronicles 20:17

Our God is a faithful God. Our God is a loving God. Our God is a caring God. He knows His people and He always takes good care of them. He never disappoints. He is an awesome God.

So many times we try to fight battles that aren't ours. We try to use our own limited strength to fight a battle that is too big for us. We depend on our own limited understanding and methods. When we fail we get hard on ourselves. We shift blame to others. We even shift the blame to God.

When you walk with God you learn to recognize and listen to His voice. He is the one to tell you when to attack. He is the one to tell you to keep on fighting. He is the one to tell you to stop and watch. He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27). He is the Commander in our lives. We have to do whatever He commands us to do.

As I am writing this I hear the song by Jimmy Swaggart stirring in my heart 

"His voice makes the difference,  

when He speaks He relieves my troubled mind, 

it’s the only voice I hear that makes the difference, 

and I’ll follow one day at a time."

There is no way you are going to listen and follow His commands if you do not trust in Him. You have to believe that He is the good Shepherd and He will lead you to greener pastures. Along the way you will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It won't be easy and they will be many voices that will try to deceive you but do not be afraid, just listen to His voice.

We are always in a battle. Trials and tribulations are always looking to pull us down. Sometimes we even ask why bad things happen to good people. My dear friend, remember that there is the Word dwelling in you and it is because of that Word that tribulations or persecution will arise. We need the Lord to tell us how to approach the battle. 

I once said victory has been declared to our favour but we still have to go on and fight the good fight of faith. There are times when we don't have to fight at all but be still and watch God do His work. When the people of Moab, Ammon and others planned to attack Judah, Jehoshaphat, who was the king was afraid and set himself to seek the Lord. The people of Judah gathered together to seek the Lord's help.

God responded through Jahaziel. The Lord said, "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you,” (2 Chronicles 20:17).

Jehoshaphat encouraged the people of Judah to believe in God. He appointed people to walk before the army and sing praises to the Lord. Amazingly the enemies fought and killed each other. Jehoshaphat and his people did not have to fight but believed in voice of the Lord.

My dear friend, you may be facing a huge battle ahead of you, just position yourself, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. God is with you. In the presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy. God is in the generation (company) of the righteous.

Not very long ago I was facing a huge battle and I cried to the Lord. My heart was troubled and I was confused. As I was spending time with my loving Father, reading His word and praying, His Spirit comforted me and led me to Jesus words, "Have faith in God" (Mark 11:20). 

Things got tougher but those words kept ringing in my mind - "Have faith in God". The enemy was saying "it's not going to happen" but I believed in God. I chose to listen to the promises of God and ignored the lies of the devil. I came to a point that I will not even bother focusing on the spiritual warfare but instead position myself, be still and see the salvation of the Lord. In the process God changed my prayer focus. He revealed to me Paul's words, "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2).

At the end of the day God saved me from the evil plans of the enemy. I shall fear no evil!. The enemy did not give up the fight until the end but the Lord was victorious. At some point I was not in control and God was amazing as always. I sang a song of victory (my wedding went ahead as planned - in case you are wondering what am on about!).

My dear friend, whatever you are facing, know that you may not need to fight in this battle. Throw everything to God and position yourself, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord! 

Life, Oh Life!

I was walking, thinking that I know my destiny. I read so many books and articles on how to find the road to successful life. Tried so many methods on how to live my life. When all failed I decided I will live my life my way. Nobody will dictate to me how to live my own life. I pressed on in my own way. Little did I know that Jesus will come and say, "I AM THE WAY!

I discovered that this world is enveloped by so many 'truths.' Everyone claimed to be on the true side of life. I came to a point where I told people to hold on to what they held as the truth. Think about it, one will say if you love something let it go, if it comes back it was meant to be yours. Another will say if you love something keep it and nurture it. Both are correct. I was convinced that everything is the truth depending on where you stand. However, Jesus came and said "I AM THE TRUTH" - the same yesterday, today and forever!

Hey, have you noticed that life has been given all sorts of names? How many times have you heard the statements "life sucks!", "life is a b**ch", "life is not fair" etc? Did you know that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit? I did not know until I met Jesus who smiled and said, "I AM THE LIFE."

My dear friend, Jesus is the Son of the Living God and he boldy said, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

He is the only gate to get into the presence of God. "Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: TODAY, IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS," (Hebrews 4:6-7).

[Taken from my personal Facebook profile notes]

Thank You Lord For Your Mercy – My Personal Story

The prophecy pronounced

The Macmillan Dictionary defines mercy as the act of forgiving someone or not treating them severely, especially someone who you have the authority to punish. I like this definition because it clearly explains what God has done for me over the years.

As I was looking back in my life, I have realized that God has shown his mercy to me in a number of occasions. The sad part is that I disobeyed his voice and warnings. Although he had the authority to punish me, he saved me instead.

The story dates back to 2002 when my father passed away. He died on a weekend and his funeral was held on the following weekend. During the week preceding the funeral, a lot of people came to mourn and for prayers. This particular night, I knew there were people who had come for prayer. I was sleeping in my room and did not bother being part of the service (probably I needed some time alone to deal with the loss).

However, somebody came to fetch me from my room instructed by one of the brethrens who had received a prophetic message about me. Apparently this man saw a vision of me arguing with two young men over a petty issue and they eventually stabbed me with a knife. Other people in the room also concurred with this and one of them even said I will follow my father soon. The message was clear, I should pray for God’s protection and they prayed for me.

Days passed by, I was stressed and living in fear. I knew God was beckoning at me during that period but I turned a deaf ear to his voice. The same prophecy was related to me on two separate occasions in church by different people but still I could not recognize God’s voice nor take heed to the warning. I was against His instruction, “Do not despise prophecies,” (1 Thessalonians 5:20 NKJV)

For a while it died down and I was living my life as usual. Although I knew that God was the source of my strength, I never gave my life to him. Like a typical young man I experimented a lot of things with my life, thank God I was brought up with Christian values and I had sober morals, so I did not engage in some of the destructive activities.

Attacks confirming the prophecy

I thought the prophecy was gone and I was enjoying my life until I was harshly reminded on the 31st December 2007. It was around 7pm, a bit darker and I was with a cousin walking towards my cousin’s home in Manzini. Two guys approached us and they pretended to be starting a conversation with us. Before we knew it they pulled out knives.

My cousin managed to escape and suddenly I was surrounded by more than five guys. I looked around and all I could see were shiny objects in the air, some sharpened on both edges. I knew I was in trouble. One of them tried to stab me but the knife missed my shoulder by inches, it was like somebody pushed the knife away (I guess that was the hand of God!).

I didn’t fight back, they took away my belongings including about E600 cash, cell phone and a number of cards. I came out unscathed. Later on we proceeded with our plans to cross over to the New Year at Café Mogambo (an entertainment spot that has gained popularity for hosting massive end of year parties).

The prophecy was renewed. Somehow I knew I needed to give my life to God but I simply swept that away from my mind. It was a traumatic experience and I thanked God for the protection. But still I hardened my heart.

A similar occurrence happened again. On the 6th December 2008, at about 4am I was from clubbing and a friend dropped me at the gate at my cousin’s home. I walked past the main house to the one we use with my cousin. Somehow I went to the back of the house and when I came back towards the door, there were two men wielding their knives. I tried running away and raised alarm but that was a bit late. They got hold of me and calmly warned me against fighting back or I would be dead meat!

Again, they went away with some cash and cell phone. God was good to me because I was not harmed. But still I did not give my life to him!

It was a harsh reminder once again but God still showed his mercy. Since that incident, God was speaking to me strongly but still I continued to resist his call. In April last year something tragic happened. My mother was attacked by two thugs who stabbed her several times on the head and chest at a bus stop.

For some time I felt guilty that I was somehow responsible for this incident with my disobedience. It was like the people close to me are now suffering and that was much painful. Still God was talking. During a family evening prayer a prophetic word was pronounced to me. This time the message was straightforward, “Surrender your life wholeheartedly to the Lord.”

Hunger and thirst for God

By this time my ignorance had turned into greater hunger and thirst for the Lord. I had the longing for the word of God. Sadly, some forces were pulling me away from Jesus. I went to church but came back with emptiness in my heart. I would read the bible, I even downloaded some bible reading plans from the internet but still I could not understand what I was reading. I tried praying but I could not find the words. It was a heart-piercing experience.

I believe the Spirit of the Lord was already doing its work now. I felt a strong conviction to talk to someone and that person came into mind in a flash. I don’t think I had actually met this person at the time but we were good friends on Facebook.

I sent her a message on Facebook detailing my feelings. I think it was around May last year. She sent a short reply saying she will pray and return with a Word from God in three days time. I waited patiently and indeed after three days she came back with a response.

When you are hungry for God you wish to hear what God is saying to you. The response was,

“God says you need to separate yourself and reconnect with Him. You’re too busy at the moment. Make a conscious effort to spend quality time with Him. He loves and misses you too. I’ll be praying with you. Separate yourself.”

What a powerful message! Believe me; it did not make sense to me. I did not have the energy to go back and ask her to talk in simple language. The last two words stood out though, “Separate yourself.”

It took about seven months after this to finally surrender myself to the Lord Jesus Christ, allowing him to be my Saviour. The fight inside had intensified and I was helpless. Knowing what is the right thing to do but without power to get rid of the forces holding you back is such a strenuous battle. It is even worse when that dark cloud is still haunting. December last year my girlfriend was also robbed in a similar fashion – by two men carrying knives. It was so devastating that it was not only me suffering but the people close to my heart.

Jesus rescues me

I was in church at Madlangampisi on Sunday, 10 January 2010 when the defining moment came. The Reverend announced that the Word of God will be shared by a young man whom I believe is a testimony to God’s grace. He preached about the battle with sin.

Armed with my Contemporary English Version (CEV) bible, these are the words that touched my heart and I immediately opened the doors for Jesus to come in and dwell in my heart.

“But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus will rescue me,” (Romans 7:23-25 CEV)

What a timely Word! The procedure in my church is that after the Word has been dished anyone is free to stand up share. I am not sure if anyone understood what was happening or what I meant because when I stood up and read this scripture again. I remember saying “Jesus has rescued me!”

(I think one old man discerned this because after the service he came to me, put his hand around my shoulder and said, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”)

I was a new creation. The following day I had a four-hour long conversation with my younger brother who has devoted his life in preaching the Word of God. I did not tell him what happened in my life the previous day and we had a candid and deep discussion about Christianity and I asked all the questions I always had (and there were so many!). That is one of the discussions I value in my life.

Discovering my purpose

That marked the beginning of a new journey. I began spending quality time with my Jesus and marveled at how wonderful it is. I separated myself (yes, it made perfect sense now!) Each time I would pray and when I opened my bible the Holy Spirit would lead me to a scripture that answered my prayer. It was so encouraging. This one particular night I was crying out to the Lord to make me understand why he called me. The moment I finished praying, I opened the bible and my eyes were fixed on this scripture;

“If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me. If you utter worthy, not worthless words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them,” (Jeremiah 15:19 NIV).

I knew in my spirit that was my purpose. I believed that was the reason God was patient with me. He wanted to use me as his spokesman. A small voice kept on asking “are you sure?” I have come to realize that God has a way of confirming what he has said (in case you have some doubts). He confirmed this to me in a dream. In the dream I was invited to talk to young people. When I came in, the auditorium was filled to capacity with young people and when I opened the bible, you guessed right – Jeremiah 15:19 was on my face!

I have had an interesting spiritual journey thus far. It came to my spirit that I should share this testimony. Why? “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV)

God is a merciful God. I was disobedient and ignored his voice. He could have removed his protection and I would be history. Instead, he faithfully renewed his mercies every morning. However, not everyone can receive such mercy. “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy (Rom 9: 15-16 NIV).”

When you hear the voice of the Lord, you better obey my friend. God wants to use you for a specific purpose and if you trust Him with all your heart He will prosper you. He will fulfill his purpose for you. He cares for you hence he is protecting you. He is a patient God and does not want anyone to perish but everyone should come to repentance.

When you come to Him, He will renew you. He says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My Statutes, and you will keep My judgements and do them," (Ezekiel 36: 26-27 NKJV).

When we have come to repentance, let us remain faithful to him. “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily while it is called “Today” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin,” (Hebrews 3 : 12 -13 NKJV).

Thank you Lord for your amazing Mercy!

“Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”

There comes a time when you feel like you have had enough, when death becomes the best solution to your troubles. But it’s not over until God says so. You can pray that God takes your life away, unless he feels you have finished the task he has prepared for you on earth, he won’t take away your life. Instead he will show you how great HE is.

God knows the most important thing you need in order to continue with the journey. God is aware where you are coming from and he will prepare you to continue with the journey.

Elijah felt he had had enough and prayed for his death. God was aware that he had been on a day’s journey running away from Jezebel, and he was hungry and tired. He sent an angel to provide him with food. He went back to sleep.

“And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.” (I Kings 19: 7 -8, NKJV).

Even though Elijah was discouraged and had said “I have had enough” – God had much more in store for him. When you feel discouraged and want to give up, remember there is God who is above all situations. When you feel powerless, remember that God will give you strength.

When you are down, arise and do the will of God. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). God has a purpose for your life and therefore don’t give up before you accomplish what God has sent you to do. When you feel like giving up, remember these words - ’Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you!’ There are great things that God wants you to do.

The word of God will give you the strength to carry on with the journey, because he has sent you to do his will. Have faith in God and he will show you how great he is. All you need to do is to come closer to him and he will come closer to you.

The LORD said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” (1 Kings 19 : 11). He was about to show him how Great he is.

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” (1 Kings 19: 11 -13)

You see, sometimes God allows you to deal with challenges in life before he shows himself to you. This he does in order to show you that you are strong when you are with him. Because he was in the presence of the Lord, Elijah was not shaken by the powerful wind, earthquake and the fire. However, when he heard the GENTLE WHISPER, he covered his face because he was in the awe of God. His power is above everything!

There is nothing that will destroy you as long as you are in the presence of the Lord. Get back on your feet and continue running the good race. Elijah was lamenting that he had always been zealous for God but the Israelites rejected the covenant, broke the altars, killed the prophets and wanted to kill him also.

You may be blaming God that even though you have been faithful to him, you are having troubles that you cannot take anymore. Just know that God doesn’t want you to give up because of the trials and tribulations. He still wants you to persevere and finish the work he has sent you to do on earth.

In Galatians 5: 7 -8 Paul says; “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.”
It is not over until God says so… ’Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you!

From Absence of Inner Peace to Inner JOY

There is nothing that hurts like a troubled heart. You may feel like you have everything under control. On the outside you look happy and you seem to be successful in everything you do… but there is only one problem, your heart is not at peace!

You go to church and you come back feeling empty. You read the bible and you understand nothing at all. You pray and you cannot find the words. You feel the urge to go on but there are strong forces pulling you away. The more you think about, the more you get anxious.

Trust me, this is a very painful moment. You feel so sad on the inside and you start blaming yourself for this and that. You start pointing and naming things you are not doing well instead of counting your blessings. You sink deep into the sticky situation. The sad thing is that you never understand what is happening, You just become a slave of these forces.

From my experience, it takes courage to humble yourself and open your heart for the Lord and he will set you free. There is always that gentle whisper, that voice within you that tells you what to do and your role is simple, just listen and do what that voice is saying. The Lord will set you free.

It’s amazing how you feel the inner peace and joy inside. Someone wrote JOY can be described as putting Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last. I have realised how much this is true. There is no point therefore to go back. Galatians 5 : 1 says “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”