FLOWERS, LEAVES, OR FRUIT?

FLOWERS, LEAVES, OR FRUIT?

Mark 11:12-14 “The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to find out if it had any fruit. When He reached it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then He said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And His disciples heard Him say it.

          One question, can you recognize every fruit you see just from its flower or leaf? I don’t think so. Maybe verrrryyyyy few familiar ones.

The dictionary definition of a fruit is ‘the part of a plant that consists of one or more seeds and flesh, can be eaten as food and usually tastes sweet.’

Ever wonder why Jesus says in Matthew 7:20 that “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them”? Why by their fruit? Why not by their leaves, or their flowers?

Hold that thought.

          Its obvious that God wants to eat from my life. He has invested so much in my life. (Isaiah 5:1-6) Am I bearing fruit for His glory? Since He has invested so much in me, I really don’t have an excuse not to bear fruit for His glory. And if God’s glory cannot be seen in/through my life, then I am but wasting His investment in my life and therefore He has the right to cut me off.

          What do people see when they look at me from the outside? When Jesus sighted the tree, it looked very healthy and was full of leaves. But until he drew close did He realize that it bore no fruit. Then He cursed it because of its fruitlessness.

          I must not settle for carrying just leaves and flowers and bearing no fruit because then will Jesus cut me off. In John 15:1-8, it says that to show that I am a disciple of Christ, I must bear MUCH fruit. When I bear fruit for Christ, He in turn does a work of pruning me which in turn enables me to bear much more fruit.

          But then, HOW do I bear much fruit?

          Its simple.

          Remain and abide in the vine; Jesus. Because apart from Him I can do absolutely nothing! (John 15:5)

I must allow Him to prune me, no matter how painful it will be or how long it will take. The end result will be continuous fruitfulness.

My abiding in Him should be daily and constant. I must never think that I can bear fruit without Jesus as the vine.

          WHAT type of fruit am I to bear?

God expects me to bear good fruit to His glory. Galatians 5:22-23 outlines various examples; Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. When my lifestyle is daily patterned after Jesus Christ, the fruits will show. When I take on the challenge of the Great Commission, bringing people to God’s kingdom, I am bearing fruit. When others seek to please and serve God because of my lifestyle, I am bearing good fruit. It goes on and on!

God wants to eat from my life. But the thing right now is, flowers, leaves, or fruit? Which one am I carrying? And if I am carrying fruit, am I carrying good or bad fruit?

Hold that thought.

REFERENCES:

1.    OXFORD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (8^th Edition)

2.    The Holy Bible (NIV)

Away from the crowd.

Mark 7:33- "After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spat and touched the man's tongue." (NIV)
I felt it absurd the day my friend's father asked I and his two sons to read Mark 7:33 because we were gonna discuss it and pray about what we had learned. I wondered what we could learn from this verse. However, after reading it over and over, I saw the light in that single verse! It's amazing how much treasure can be found in three lines of Scripture. Reading this verse caused me to cast my mind back to various miracles that Jesus had performed. And then it clicked. For almost every miracle, Jesus had approached it differently. He either spoke a word, performed an action or did something really weird and unexpected. For example, in the case of the blind man in John 9, Jesus spat on the ground, mixed it with dirt and rubbed it on the blind man's eyes and he received his sight. For Lazarus, He only spoke a word and Lazarus rose to life. This discovery opened my eyes to see that Jesus deals with our various problems DiFfeRenTLy.. I must be open to accept the way in which He may decide to deal with me during my periods of hardship and challenges. The way and manner He may decide to use to deal with my problem may not be suitable and will seem weird and 'not usual', but Just like the Bible says, His ways are not my ways... What problems or challenges am I facing now? Jesus wants me to turn it all over to Him. He is aware of what I am passing through and has all the answers. I must never get discouraged no matter what. Another thing God opened my eyes to see is that sometimes God prefers to take me away from the crowd to properly deal with my problems. The man in Mark 7:33 received his breakthrough only after Jesus took Him aside, away from the crowd of people. This made me understand that God deals with me on a personal basis. Sometimes I need to move away from the noise and distractions of the crowd and be alone with my Master. Only then will I be able to hear what He wants to say to me and only then will I truly experience what He desires me to. Is God trying to get my attention? Maybe He is letting me go through this experience so He can get my attention and take me away from the crowd.
This now places the burden of how my personal relationship with Jesus is. First things first, do I even have a relationship with Him? If I do, can I boast of a thriving love relationship between me and my Saviour? God can only make me in the secret place of my communion with Him. He works better in the quiet of my heart. Jesus desires a lasting love relationship with me. Period.

Mark 7:33; the magnitude of what one verse could do.



References: The Holy Bible (New International Version)
Picture from: media.mgnetwork.com

The Spirit Of LOve...

Mark 1:12 (ISV) "At once the Spirit drove him into the wilderness."
I like to see God's Holy Spirit as 'The Spirit of Love.' In this spirit are contained numerous different attributes such as joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control, faithfulness, and yes, even wrath! All these attributes of the Spirit are wrapped up in word; LOVE.
The Spirit of Love drives me into different dimensions of God's wide and vast love, tempting situations inclusive. This Spirit drove Jesus into the desert to be tempted! Considering that Jesus had just been baptised and The same Spirit of Love had declared God's love for Jesus, this didn't seem very reasonable! Jesus was tempted with his greatest need at that point, food. He had been in the desert 40 days without anything to eat or drink and so bread was a 'good' temptation at that point! However, we see from that story that Jesus overcame the devil's temptation because the same Spirit of Love was present in Him. If the Spirit of Love is present within me, there will be no temptation that He will not help me overcome.
The Spirit of love should also be at work within me, driving me to recklessly abandon myself to doing God's will no matter the cost. Jesus went to the cross and therefore accomplishing God's will and purpose because the Spirit of Love was within Him.
The Spirit of Love drives me to keep loving God passionately. The book of Songs of Solomon expresses the passion and intensity of two lovers for themselves. It also describes how passionately God loves His bride, the Church. Only the presence of the Spirit of love in me can enable me love Jesus with passion and intensity continuously. Can I love God through the pain of failure or bad circumstances? Only the Spirit of love can drive me to do this.
The Spirit of love also drives me to the dimensions of loving God's Word. The Psalmist said in Psalm 119:97, "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long." I must constantly be in touch with God through His Word. I realize that I do not give enough time to keeping in touch with God through His Word. But, "What I love, I will have time for."
The Spirit of love at work in me drives me to obedience of God's commands. Ezekiel 36:27 "And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." Only the Spirit of love can drive me to obey God's commands.
Because I love God, I will seek opportunities to serve Him. The spirit of love drives me to do this without complaining.
And finally, The Spirit of Love drives me ultimately into a perfect love relationship with my Master. In this relationship, I will experience safety and security until He finally comes to take me home...
Is the Spirit of Love at work in me? Am I willingly allowing Him drive me to the different dimensions of God's love? Have I recklessly abandoned myself to God's will?
No matter the dimension of God's love that The Spirit of Love may drive me to, because He is present in me and with me, He will sustain me....
Thank You God, for The Spirit of LoVe...

God is God no matter what!

Daniel 3:17-18 says, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (NIV)
Polycarp (AD 69-155), bishop of the church at Smyrna was once asked to curse Christ if he wanted to be released from the Roman authorities. This undaunted saint responded saying, "Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" Because he refused to curse Christ, he was burned at the stake. Centuries before this incident, 3 young men, Shedrach, Meshach an Abednego faced a similar threat and still refused to betray their allegiance to Jesus Christ. They had faith in God regardless of the outcome of their situation. Similarly, they were thrown in the furnace but left unhurt.
I vividly remember when my father was brought down by Alzheimer's disease and how difficult it was even in giving him care. I also remember how we prayed and trusted God to heal him and restore him to perfect health. We had faith that God could heal him if He wanted to and that He could do otherwise if He chose to. We then decided to resign ourselves to God's perfect will. At the end of the battle, God decided to take my father away to a place of perfect rest. This meant his absence from us in flesh, but his presence with God in Heaven. It was so painful when he died, but we knew that it was all according to God's perfect plan.
These experiences have opened my eyes to see that in every circumstance of our lives as believers, we must display total faith in the One we believe in which is Jesus Christ. We must have faith in what God can do and most of all that He is God whether He delivers us from our present situation or NOT. We must have faith that He has the final say over our lives and that He knows what is best for us. We are only to make a decision to resign ourselves to Him and follow Him through it all. Is your faith in God dwindling? Be like the apostles and ask God to increase your faith! (Luke 17:5)
That is why He is God and will remain God! The day we we begin to understand His ways then will He cease to be God!
God IS God, ALL the time!!!









References: The Holy Bible, ODB (June 7th, 2013).

The Dividing Wall.

''The Messiah has made things up between us so that we're now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance.'' Ephesians 2:14 (MSG)
November 9, 1989 was a historical and unforgettable day in the lives and minds of the German people. On that day, the Great Wall of Berlin fell! The people of East and West Germany were now free to travel to visit each other after being separated by this wall for 28 years! A day later, bulldozers began to break down this wall of separation. I can imagine what a re-union it would have been for families who had been separated by this wall!
This story reminds me of something very important in my life. It reminds me of what the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ did for me.
Jesus Christ has not just broken down the dividing wall between the Jews and the Gentiles, but has also broken the one between I and God. Sin created a very huge wall between I and God but because of Jesus' work of redemption for me on the cross, this wall has been broken down and now I have access to God through Jesus Christ. But it sad but true that we Christians often re-build walls between each other when things go wrong. This happens when we do stuff like keeping malice, gossiping about each other and putting on the whole "i'm better than you'' attitude. This is not right! Our constitution (the Bible) as believers tells us that we are to bear with one another and be at peace with one another too (Ephesians 4:1-3). Now that the dividing wall between us and God has been broken down, we now belong to God's household (Ephesians 2:19). If this is so, then rather than building walls, we should make effort to avoid building any walls and to break down any ones that separate us through the help of the Holy Spirit. We must show the world that we are indeed of the same household.
Our unity as believers first comes from our union with Christ.
Let's go break down some walls ya'll!!!







References: Our Daily Bread 2013; The Message Bible.

Sin bricks...

Imagine every sin you committed was a small clay brick and everytime you committed a sin, it was labelled on a brick and hung on your neck. How many bricks would you have slung over over your neck now?
How difficult will it be for you to stand up straight speak more of walking?
It would be almost impossible to do either if you will agree with me.
This is the easter season and any true believer would know that this is the period when we remember Jesus' death on the cross for the sins of the whole world. Many of us see the beating and all the physical torture that Jesus endured as the real punishment for our sins. That is not so! If the payment for our sins were the physical pains thaaat Jesus endured for 3 hours, then it equally means that all we just gotta do is spend 3 hours in hell and we would pay for sins and walk out of hell.
However, the actual payment for our sins was the eternal separation from God the Father that Jesus faced for those 3 hours. At that point, Jesus faced the wrath of God. God turned His face away from Jesus because He at that point, bore the sins of the whole wide world. THAT was the payment for our sins.
Let's go back to the earlier illustration. Imagine the sins of the whole wide world, each labelled on a brick and Jesus having to carry ALL of it. That was exactly what Jesus did on the cross. He carried our sins, past, present, and future, and nailed them to the cross. He took my punishment and diverted Gods wrath towards me to Himself. Jesus has perfected for ALL time the payment of my sins. Now there is no more condemnation for me because I believe in Him. Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
What does the death of Jesus on the cross mean to me? Does it mean life? Or is it just a symbol or a story that thrills me each time I hear it?
All that comes to mind is this phrase in a song I heard that says, "Oh Lord, Oh Lord, what could I have done if salvation had not been free?" Jesus has done for me what NO man could ever do for me. All...for FREE....
Thank You Jesus!!!





References: Sulmane Maigadi, The Holy Bible (NIV)

Need an energy boost?

Isaiah 40:29-31, "He gives strength to the weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (NIV)
I remember very well in my primary school days, during sport programs, anyone who participated in any of the games got a spoonful of glucose not just as a reward, but as a boost for the spent energy. We all looked forward to getting glucose and having feeling the coolness of it on our tongues and relish the sweetness.
Looking back to my life, I have come to realize that life is a race. It is a continuous process which will not end until Jesus comes. You will agree with me that sometimes we get weary and tired and begin to feel like we can't go on. It seems like all our physical and emotional energy has been spent to the point of no remedy and then many of us tend to listen to our feelings and want to give up on life.
What difficulty are you going through in your life right now? What challenges are seeming to weigh you down?
Do not forget that even in the physical race, the journey is not entirely smooth. It may be rigorous and the runner may even encounter hurdles along the way. But does he give up? No! He has his eyes on the finish line and on the prize.
Do you need an energy boost? Is your strength failing you? God has been promised to renew your strength if only you wait on Him. This you can do in prayer and communion with Him. His arms are wide open when you are feeling spent and beaten. He is ready to refresh you so that you can walk, run, and even soar with renewed strength.
Do not give up. Keep the faith. It is not over yet. Keep your eyes on the finish line and the prize which in our case as Children of the Most High is the unfading crown of righteousness.
2 Timothy 4:7-8a "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness..." (NIV)
Need and energy boost? Go to God!!!




Reference: The True Images Bible. (NIV)

Be grateful...!

A song says, "Be grateful, cos there's someone else who'd love to be in your shoes... It's gonna be alright. Be grateful."
I'm sitting in my bathroom trying to soak my hurting feet in warm water but also complaining at the same time because I bought a new pair of shoes and I wore them for the first time that day and they hurt my feet because they were too tight. But then it struck me! It struck me that someone else somewhere had a much worse day because she didn't have even a pair of slippers to wear that day. I realised, that somewhere, some orphans didn't have lunch just because they had no firewood to cook with and no money to even buy some. And my whole thought pattern changed. I began to think of the the many miracles I experienced that day. I got up strong and happy, had enough to eat for breakfast, drove around and had no single accident, I came back home to a warm and cozy bed. Then I began to realize how ungrateful I have been for such blessings!
I looked outside and I saw how brightly the sun was shining. It wasn't too hot to burn me, it was just perfect. The trees were dancing to the heavenly tune of the wind, the little but hardworking ants were going about their normal business. I could see the awesomeness of My Father in display for me to marvel at, free of charge. Another song says, "What if blessings come through raindrops, what if the healing comes through tears... What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise"
I have learnt to be grateful, for everything that happens, in every circumstance I find myself in for but for His mercies, I would have been consumed. I do not deserve an inch of what I'm getting! Why complain over trivial things?
So, whenever I'm tempted to complain, I remember that there's someone else who's worse off than me.
Be grateful for family, for friends, for the good weather, for food, for that headache you didn't have today, for the smile and laughter you had today, for EVERyTHinG.
Even in that "bad" situation," just smile and say, "Lord, I thank you!"
Be grateful!!!

Is God's Word really relevant to my situation?

Is God's word really relevant to every situation i pass through? Cos sometimes I pass through some very challenging situations and I begin to wonder if God has a word for that situation. Well, lets see what God says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another-showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." (MSG)
This passage reveals the truth that God's Word is indeed relevant to every single part or situation of my life. From this I have come to realize that no matter the situation I am in, Gods word is relevant for that situation. Is it my sexuality, everyday life, academics, or my social life? Whatever it is, the word of God is relevantly sufficient.
Romans 8:28 says: "That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." (MSG) Indeed how hard this is to believe when i'm in a tough situation! However, this verse shows that God works out everything for my own good. I may not see this truth at the immediate happening of the situation, but if I have TRUST and FAITH in God, I will accept this truth with a proper attitude.
God's word is divinely inspired, it is holy, it serves as a basis for my belief, it is God's love letter to me! It reveals His heart to me and it reveals God's attributes of mercy, wrath, jealousy, (indeed!)kindness, love, and every every that makes Him who He is. It teaches me how to live a holy life and be fruitful for Him.
Hebrews 4:12 says: "God means what He says. What He says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey." (MSG)
God's word is powerful. It has the power to change and transform lives. What do I expect? His Word made the world. Amazing!
The Psalmist had to confess in Psalm 119:97-104 saying: "Oh, how I love all you've revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long. Your commands give me an edge on my enemies; they never become obsolete. I've even become smarter than my teachers since I've pondered and absorbed your counsel. I've become wiser than old sages simply by doing what you tell me. I watch my step, avoiding the ditches and ruts of evil so I can spend all my time keeping your Word. I never make detours from the route you laid out; you gave me such good directions. Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking. With your instruction, I understand life; that's why I hate false propaganda." (MSG)
How important is God's word to me? Is the music I listen more important than God's word? Is my work taking higher priority over God's Word? It should not be so.
Colossians 3:16-17 says: " Let the Word of Christ-the Message-have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives-words,actions,whatever-be done in the name of the Master, Jesus,thanking God the Father every step of the way." (MSG)
God's word must dwell richly within me everyday every moment. God's word should be my rest, my place of refuge and comfort. I must desire to study God's word. It is LIFE. Just like cars can't run without petrol, I cannot run without God's word as a Christian. I must not wait until I am dry and empty before I begin to crave the word. I must crave it earnestly everyday as I crave for physical food.
God's Word is LIFE.


Coined from: "Relevance of the word of God to challenges we pass thru" by Isaac Hassan.

The Val's Craze....

I sit, watching and thinking and it is just appalling the way people are going crazy for the celebration of this year's valentine. Eateries are now decked in red and boutiques have displayed the very best of their red colored products. Wow.
The whole craze for Valentine and having a Valentine got me thinking to myself and asking, "Infact just how did Valentine begin in the first place?" A little research revealed that although there are many stories behind Valentine, the most popular two are this:
1. There was actually someone known as Saint Valentine. During his lifetime, he performed secret weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to some Christians who were being persecuted. He was imprisoned because of this and it is said that during his time in prison, he healed the jailers daughter of her blindness. The story also goes that there was a romantic love relationship between them before he was killed. Legend states that he ended his farewell letter to her with these words, "From your Valentine"; which is often used today during the celebration.
2. The second story states that the ancient Romans celebrated a feast named Lupercalia supposedly on February 15 held in honor of a goddess. During this festival, young men randomly chose the name of a young girl to escort for the celebration. With Christianity adopting the holiday, it was the moved to February 14.
However, one of the earliest and most common symbols of Valentines day is Cupid, the Roman god of love which is represented by the picture of a young boy with a bow and arrow. It is also common to see the usual one we know, that is the picture of a heart pierced through with an arrow.

Enough of history. Let us look critically. Is Valentines day worth celebrating alongside the rest of the world?
Jesus gave us the great commandment which is to love one one another. John 15:12-13a says "This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the best way to love." (MSG)
People pay so much attention to planning the way they will celebrate their Valentine on February 14 every year. So much money is spent. In fact, statistics show that almost half of the population in UK spend about 1.3 billion pounds yearly on gifts and flowers for Valentine! If this is so, my question is, if so much attention is given to celebrating love on valentine's day, what happens to February 15 and 16 and the other days to follow? Is showing love to be restricted to just one day?
I also wonder what's so bad if I wake up on a random day and send a gift to my friend to show my love? Must it be on February 14? Can love be measured with gifts and sex? What happens when they are no more available? I also wonder why Valentine is is mostly directed to showing love to the opposite gender? It baffles me why today's valentine celebration does not end at giving gifts and flowers but extends to immoral acts? Today, in bid to express their so called "true love" to their partners, unmarried couples have sex and do lots of disgusting things. Boys who do not fear God take advantage of girls who do not know their identity and disvirgin them with claims that they are being shown true love. The questions are endless.

How do you see love? It is obvious that the way you look at love depends on who you are and how you see yourself. For example, if you look at love as being struck in the heart with an arrow, you may just be implying that you intend to have your heart pierced or broken. Or, if you see love as exchanging gifts and having sex, you most probably will get involved in such activities. But, if you look at love differently, as an everyday act which Christ commanded you to do, February 14 will not restrict your life of showing love.
Humans have been created to show and want to be shown love. However, this great vacuum cannot be filled by celebrating Valentines day. Love cannot be found in Saint Valentine. True love can only be found in the person of Jesus who is love Himself, who through His sacrificial death on the cross, brought redemption to mankind. This is the GrEATeST act of love ever performed in history.

The love of God can only be produced by the Spirit of God. Any other love other than this is not of God. Remember, it is only those that are led by the Spirit of God that are His children.
If the history of Valentine dates back to the celebration of the god/goddess of love, why would I want to be part of it in the first place? That is if I am truly a child of God and I truly appreciate His love for me. Jesus' love for mankind did not end at Calvary's tree. He did not think, "I will show them love today and that will be all." No!!! In fact, His love began at creation, and is still very much available to us every day! Jesus' love for us was sacrificial, unconditional, never asking for things in return. It was full and free. Most of the type of love celebrated today is conditional, with the guy buying the girl stuff and at the end asking for sex in return. Yes, this is the very usual case everywhere around the world. That is not true love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a says, "Love never gives up. Love cares more than for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love does not strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others,doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps on going to the end. Love never dies." (MSG)

Love never dies!!! Our love lifestyle should be an every day thing. This can only emanate from a heart that has truly experienced and received Christ's love.
Allow Christ to love you, so you can in turn love others everyday, in the right way.



References:
Wikipanion, About.com, The Message Bible, Mr. Ugochukwu Ogbonna, Miss. Patience Ododo, Mr. Iyare Osagiede, and Mrs. Esta Vihishima.

Walking with God...

Genesis 5:24 "Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he was simply gone: God took him." (MSG)
Imagine a 3 year old child walking on the road with his or her mom. What side of the road do you think the mother should walk? Should she walk close to the road and let the child walk by the gutter; that is away from the cars or vice versa? I believe we'll all agree that the mother should let the child walk far away from the cars and she should be at risk instead.
Walking with someone has great advantages. Confidence, security, and you cover great distance.
When with humans we are often worried about who walks at the shoulder of the road or the tip and about incoming dangers. However, in walking With God we do not need to worry.
However, In order to have an effective walk with God I must first agree to walk with Him. Amos 3:3 "Do people walk hand in hand if they aren't going the same place?" (MSG)
I must first recognize that God calls me unto salvation, holiness, and service to Him and mankind.
Secondly, I must respond in faith to His call and believe in faith also. Romans 10:9-10 (MSG)
As I respond in faith I must also trust Him with my all. Proverbs 3:5-8

What must happen as I walk with God:
Submission: If I must walk with God, I must allow Him take the lead, always. He must take the centre stage in my life, allowing Him handle every situation in my life. That is, giving Him a blank check over my life. Jeremiah 29:11 "I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." God has the master plan for my life. I must let His plan prevail In my life. Someone once said, "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans."
Obedience: It's one thing to hear a command and it's another to obey. Obedience keeps our relationship with God open and free. For Example: God related with Moses as friend to friend. Obedience to God is in my best interest. It is true freedom even when I do not understand.

There will be distractions:
As I walk with God there's a need for me to stay focused as the Lord takes the Lead.God has power over all things and therefore I must trust Him.

There will be talking and listening:
I must learn to do more of listening to God than of talking. As I walk with God, He's my friend and so I must learn to talk to Him about everything.

I must let God hold my hand:
I must never reach a point in my walk with God where I do not need God to hold my hand. Isaiah 41:10&14 "Don't panic, I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll be your strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you... Do you feel like a lowly worm, Jacob? Don't be afraid. Feel like a fragile insect, Israel? I'll help you. I, God want to reassure you. The God who buys you back, The Holy One of Israel." I must allow Him hold my hand and the journey will be smooth.

There will be pain, suffering, and fear:
These things will definitely come but I must endure because at the end there is reward waiting for me. James 1:2-4. When God allows me face stuff like these, He does that to strengthen me and prepare me for greater challenges. I must rejoice when I face challenges because God is planning something greater. He is refining me, to come out as Gold at the end.
Sometimes pain is necessary to get my attention. There goes the Story of what is done to a sheep who doesn't want to graze in a particular place. Its legs are broken and then it is not left to die but is Carried on the shepherd's shoulders until its legs heals and during that period, enjoys fellowship with the shepherd at that time. It ends up being the closest sheep to the shepherd.
Sometimes pain also tests our commitment to God.
Pain is necessary for growth. It humbles us to experience his great power an d grace as he works in us. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

There will be waiting:
Psalm 27:14 "Stay with GOD! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again. Stay with GOD." Psalm 40:1 "I waited and waited and waited for GOD. At last he looked; finally he listened." Lamentations 3:25-27
I must learn to wait patiently for God; He will never leave me hanging.

There will be warfare:
Ephesians 6:11-13 (MSG) I must be prepared always for battle. No resting because the evil one never rests.

There will be surprises:
I can never predict God's next move. I must expect surprises from God during our walk. Our minds are blinded by logic but Gods ways are not my ways so I must just follow Him and let Him take the lead.

I need to be humble:
James 4:6
Humility is very important as I walk with God. I must be ready for correction and be willing to accept correction and humbly obey God's commands. When I choose to be humble, God will supply grace.

I need to be hopeful:
Hebrews 11:1-2 "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we cant see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd." Lamentations 3:19-24
If I do not understand, I must just trust God and respond in faith. Romans 8:28 "That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." (MSG)

Walking with God assures me of Solace, peace, and good eternal destination.
It is continuous until I reach my final destination which is heaven.
Those who walk with God have nothing to regret but have everything to rejoice, including the good bad and ugly, the pain and suffering. God will never harm me intentionally. Lamentations 3:31-33.
I must not worry when I walk with God, He has got it covered. There is an expected end.

The journey of total obedience...

Matthew 4:1-4 "Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the test by fasting for forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread." Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth." " (MSG)
In the journey of total obedience to God, it is crucial that I must be prepared for battle at ALL times because the devil is out to question my identity at ALL times. I must know and remember who I am at ALL times so that the devil cannot have room to question my identity and succeed. He will always bring "if's" my way to question my identity such as, "If you are God's daughter, why is this happening to you?" The devil will challenge my identity In terms of my physical need like material things, food, my need for love and acceptance.
However, as a child of God in this part of eternity, I am in the wilderness which is my journey through life on my way to the promised land which is heaven. If I do not recognize this, I will grumble and rebel, and seek to prove the wrong things because the devil has succeeded in pushing me to. I must also have a knowledge of the WORD to be able to overcome when the devil seeks to question my identity.
Whenever I am in doubt, the will of the devil is clear, however, I must do the opposite because that will be obedience to God's will. If the devil wants me to cry over a situation,I must laugh to prove him wrong.
I MUST bear in mind that the road of obedience is one person on his own. My mother, friends and family are on their separate paths of obedience.
My life is a journey, with A LOT of distractions on the way. It is a test of my obedience to God who is leading me and when I make up my mind to obey Him to the fullest, He gives me grace and takes away my fear; taking me to the end of the journey.
There is beauty in total obedience to God. The whole host of heaven stand in ovation for just one person who chooses to obey Gods will to the fullest.
Obedience is not private. The whole heavens are with me in my journey waiting to celebrate me.
When I dare to make the choice to stand and damn the consequences, grace will be released to me from heaven.
The famous hymn says, "When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way. When we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
Am I ready to dare to make the choice to obey God till the end?

Extravagant Love...

A song I love singing says, "Jesus you loved me, when nobody cared you loved me. When nobody cared at all..." As I sang it out loud today, I realized the weighty truth in what I was singing. It dawned on me that I was nobody until Jesus came into my life and that He loved me so much He gave His life just for me. And what did I see? I saw that I am priceless and precious to Him and that He loves me, and that despite the fact that I mess up with reckless abandon, His grace is sufficient for me. He gives me fresh supply of grace every morning; more than enough to satisfy my voracious consumption of it.
Another song I love says, "Amazing love, how can it be? That you my King would die for me?..." Its amazing the type of love the Father has for me. Therefore, I must strive to live like that. Ephesians 5:1&2 says, "Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He did not love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that." (MSG)
In order to love like Jesus did, I must depend on His divine grace to enable me. I must keep the grace of God in sharp view everyday of my life, never letting it out of my sight.
I must remember.... "His grace is sufficient...."