Zero Percent in Math

Today I want to share with you a lesson I learnt from my experience getting 0% in Math. For those who don’t know, I am a Petroleum Engineer. I would not have come this far without some passion for Mathematics. But once upon a time, Math was my weak point. Maybe I will share with you how I overcame that in another post. Let me not digress.

I was in Primary 4 then and we were learning division/fractions. It was the most difficult concept for me to grasp. Then we had a test. When I looked at the questions, for example 6 divided by 3, I told myself that these questions did not have solutions. The “problem” was unsolvable. So it was no surprise when the results of the test came, I had 0%.

My mother tried to explain the concept to me, but it did not stick. The teacher did the corrections but I could not fathom how she ever arrived at a so-called solution. My mind was made up – the problem was unsolvable.

But as I grew older, I realized the issue was not that the problem was unsolvable. The issue was I did not know the solution. Until I believed that there could be a solution and made effort to find that solution, the concept of division remained rocket science.

In life, I have faced a couple of challenges where it seemed like the problem was unsolvable. But each time I am reminded with the gentle words, “My people perish for lack of knowledge, is anything too hard for the Lord?” Until I run to the All-Knowing One, I remain in despair, depression and hopelessness. Thankfully, the 0% in Math also reminds me that the issue is not that the problem is unsolvable, but that I do not know what the solution is.

Have you ever been or are you in a situation where it seems the “problem” is unsolvable? Some issues may be impossible to the men, but with God nothing is impossible. It is never too late to seek the wisdom of the All-Knowing God. He says today, 

“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” [Jeremiah 33:3, NIV].

Be it a strategy, be it direction and guidance, be it a solution to an issue, the Lord has all the answers.

As you call upon Him, may He open your eyes and ears to receive His unparalleled wisdom and restoration.

Remain Blessed.

He Cares About Every Detail

I like it when I receive an apt word of encouragement, especially when I am waiting on God and I have alot of questions. I was reading the bible when I stumbled upon "The LORD your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little..."[Deuteronomy 7:22a, NLT]. I was concerned. We are speaking of a God who can wipe out a nation in one second. We are speaking of a God who had parted the seas, and had provided manna and quail for His people. I wondered, why couldn't He drive out those nations in one go to enable the Israelites have rest once and for all?

The verse went on as follows: "...You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you..." That was when it all began to make sense. Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save. He was more than able to drive out the nations ahead of the Israelites,but He did not. In His love, wisdom and foresight, He did it little by litttle. God cared so much for His people that He did not drive out the nations occupying the promised land all at once knowing that if He did that, the wild animals would grow in number and would threaten the safety and livelihood of His people.

 

There are some times when you may wonder why God is allowing a challenge to remain. You might be wondering why there are delays in seeing the physical manifestation of the answers to your prayers. It could be a small or a big issue, but you know God can handle it in one second if He chooses to, yet He has not done so. The passage today is a reminder that God cares about the details of our lives. He does not want the presence of the "wild animals" to interfer with the promised land, nay, the answer to the prayer we have brought before Him.

Do you desire something that God has not given? Are you praying yet it seems God has not answered? God has a perfect timing and may be concerned about the "wild animals", such as unforgiveness, unresolved issues of the past, self condemnation, double-mindedness, or some area of your life He needs to refine. Or He just may be waiting for the appointed time when the testimony will be ripe, while blessing you in preparation.  But no matter what may be the cause of the delay, He loves you and cares about every detail of your life. And He will not give you more than you can bear.

Remain blessed.

Mama’s Blessing & Mom’s “curse”

I am sure many of you have received blessings from parents and grandparents. You know they are powerful? Don't joke with them J. Let me share one of my experiences here.

When I got the first money of my scholarship in Uni, I bought Small Stout for Mama (grandmother). She blessed me saying, "You will be rich. You will marry a good husband. You will have plenty children. You will carry your grandchildren. You will be successful in all you do…" I also remember the day Mom said I should make soup for the house. I had a date. I abandoned the meal and went on my date. When I came back in the night, Mom was furious. She said, "You left me hungry and worried today. If you don't stop behaving like this, your children will treat you exactly like this…"

I remember vividly the night I thought was my last on earth. I woke up by 2 a.m. and my feet were frozen and numb. Inside my bones were biting me. Slowly I felt the cold and numbness creep up my limbs, and also move down from my skull. At a point the only part functioning was my lips and the heart. I felt once the numbness gets to my heart, it will be my end. There was no "NEPA" (light). Rain was falling heavily. There was no car to take me to hospital. No phones to call for help. After Mom prayed for hours and nothing changed, I gave her my so called last wish.

1. Bury me in purple
   
2. Do not make a ceremony out of it so you don't have to spend money
   
3. Please call a man of God to pray for me - I want to give my life to Christ so I can go to heaven.
   

Suddenly I remembered Mama's blessing and Mom's "curse". I told myself "If they must come to pass, I cannot die even before graduating from Uni. They must come to pass." With that confidence, I could listen to the silent voice in my heart that said, "Drink water". I was afraid because I knew that before most people die, they ask for water. But since that was the only option left and morning was not approaching fast, I muttered, "Water". They quickly brought bottles of water for me. After 30 minutes of drinking, I felt the urge to urinate. They carried me to the toilet. I urinated. The whole house started smelling of Ampliclox. Then I recalled that 2 days before, I had taken self-medication of Ampiclox for boil. I asked for the pack of the Ampiclox. Guess what I saw? It had been expired over a year ago and I had taken overdose. I started drinking more water. By dawn, the numbness had left my body and I was normal.

Mama's blessing and Mom's "curse" are good. They were sufficient for the days when I was not a Christian. But now I know there is a far more superior blessing. It is The Blessing of the Lord, which makes rich and adds no sorrow with it [Proverbs 10:22].

There is The Blessing out there waiting for you to tap into. It covers every area of your life, even areas you never imagined. It is backed up by the power of God.

You can find some of God's great and precious promises specifically for you HERE. Should you find yourself in any trying situation, remember The Blessing. Remember His word and promises. Do not forget that they must come to pass.

For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and do not return there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the hungry,

So shall His promises be that goes forth out of His mouth: it shall not return to Him void without producing any effect, but it shall accomplish that which He pleases, and it shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it [Isaiah 55:10-11 AMP Paraphrased].

Believe.

Have a blessed week ahead.

Pictures by Photobucket.

60km/hr on Third Mainland Bridge

We started our journey to the Murtala Mohammed airport, Lagos. I noticed that the bus was moving slowly. I wondered why. Was the bus having problems or was the driver waiting for another vehicle or did he want to prevent his bus from being hit? I kept on wondering while we were still in Victoria Island. But when we mounted the Third Mainland Bridge and we were still at the same speed, I became very concerned. The road was free - there was no traffic jam. I looked back; the luggage bus was behind us. We were not waiting for anyone. Bikes and taxis were now overtaking us. At this point, I could not keep my concerns to myself.

“Driver, why are you driving so slowly? Do you know we have a plane to catch today?”

“Aunty Rita, I cannot drive more than 60km/hr. Is it not one oyibo man that came and said we should not drive more than 70km/hr? If I drive more than 60, I don’t know when it will enter 70 and I will be sacked as soon as I enter 70. Please allow me to drive at 60…”

While the other passengers complained about the speed and why the company had changed the speed limit, I had to keep quiet. I slowly nodded with understanding as I flashed back a few weeks.

They were not there when our bus fell into a gutter because of speed. They were not there when the bus almost crushed another vehicle because of the rough driving. No, they were not there when we remained stranded for hours in the traffic while the patrol van tried to pull us out. The expatriates just arriving Nigeria were so scared because of the exposure. I am sure they felt they could become victims of all they had heard in the news about Niger Delta.

Most times when laws are given, it is for our own good. We should not focus of the consequences of disobeying but rather understand the benefits of obeying.

I am sure this incident was in response to my inner questions such as “Why are there so many ‘Thou shalt nots’?” “Why love your enemy and forgive someone who hurt you terribly?” “Why will some things be so pleasurable yet feel or be so wrong?” Eavesdropping on the law makers in my organization, I have realized that some of the laws they made were because people lost their lives or property in some preventable incidences. Sometimes, there has been bloodshed before the laws were made. Suddenly, I had a glimpse of what God plans for us.

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, plans to give you the future you hope for [1].

That is why He gave us His guiding principles contained in His word. And He instructs us thus, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” [2].

I love the prosper and succeed part but had questioned why there is a meditate and obey part. But as I continue this journey, I have to stop questioning and obey. I pray for the day I will utter “I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart" [3].

Have you ever wondered why there are do’s and don’ts? Why the ten commandments? Have you ever been concerned about laws? What thoughts have you come up with? For me, I am not asking again, not after realizing that “He did not put His laws to harm me or to deny me pleasure, but to protect me and give me peace”.

And I thank God for His Grace that remains with us even while we fall into temptation. However as we acknowledge that we have His grace, may we not take it for granted.

Have a blessed and fruitful week ahead.

Bible References
[1] Jeremiah 29:11 (Mixture of AMP and MSG versions)
[2] Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
[3] Psalms 40:8 (NLT)

Why His Words

Tom was addicted to alcohol. He came home drunk every night. He was aggressive. During the day, he was not productive. He was a Christian. On Sunday, he will go to church and always felt guilty after the sermon because he felt he was not perfect (and he would continue drinking after he left church). His frustrations grew everyday.

One day, he learnt there was a native doctor who could give him something to overcome his alcoholism. He visited the native doctor who gave him bitter leaf and told him to keep saying some words before he chews the bitter leaf. In his curiosity, Tom asked for the translation of the words he was asked to chant. To his disappointment, it was translated as “I will stop drinking!” He was expecting something thunderous and involving the mention of a god’s name.

"Is that all?” Tom asked.
“Yes, you can go now!” Native Doctor said.
“You won’t mix anything for me?”
Native doctor laughed. He saw that Tom needed explanations.
“The power to overcome the alcoholism is not even in the leaf or anything we mix. It is in the words you say. When you speak, the spirits hear and will back up what you say. We give you the leaf because you will believe that the leaf can do something after you’ve started saying the words” [Paraphrased].

This story enlightened the eyes of my understanding to know what the men of God meant when they preached. The word of God promises us that we shall have whatsoever we say [Mark 11:23]. It is the same principle the native doctor is working with, only that the power backing the words is different. So if I must say anything, why not the word of God?

Why His Words? Thank God His word is not mere word. I thank God that His word is backed up by power, a power that nothing compares to. This is the basis for the series on digging into the bible for the word of God to confess for any situation we face.

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 AMP

Hmmm, now I understand why a great friend of mine always got what she said, even though every time we thought what she wanted was not achievable.

Have a blessed day ahead, speaking positive words for you shall have what you say…

Temporary Challenges

All I need

The situation overwhelms me
The alternatives face me
The sardonic mock of those around me
Makes me want to give in;

I struggle within myself
About what is true and what is truth
Fear and doubt come over me
While the short cuts appear worthwhile;

In the midst of this war
I still hold on to you:
All I need is your word
That gives me hope to go on
Yes, all I need is your word
Which if I hear, builds my faith for today;

The situation overwhelms me
I am tired of “should I or should I not”
All I need is your word
To keep me focused on the right path.

The inspiration
Wisdom had been searching for a job for a long time,. While at the university, he always talked about the kind of job he would have. 2 years after NYSC, that job did not seem like it was forthcoming. He began to doubt the word of God he had believed in and the words he had spoken. He had written several tests, got up to the final stage, but on every occasion he was put on the waitlist. His friends labeled him a “nearmisser”. Some people felt there was a curse from home that prevented him from getting the best despite his excellent degree, grades and wonderful personality.

One fateful day, Wisdom got a call from a company. He was offered a good position within the company. When he looked at his offer letter, it was far below what he had expected. He took some days to think about the offer. He discussed with family and friends. Many called him greedy when he mentioned that he may not take the offer. After a lot of pressure, he decided to accept the offer. There was also a clause in the letter stating that he will be with the company for three years. Only death could separate him from the company. Out of desperation, he signed the dotted lines. Afterall, “half a loaf of bread is better than none”, he recalled a popular idiomatic expression.

The very next day, believe it or not, after Wisdom started work, he got home to receive a letter in his mail box. Lo and behold, it was a letter of employment from the kind of company he had always talked about. The letter was dated 2 weeks back.

I may have acted the way he did under similar circumstances. So could you. Some could say he was silly, how could he? Let’s not judge or bother about what could have been done. Let’s take a simple lesson from this.

I recall the story of Esau and Jacob [Genesis 25:29-34]. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. Under a temporary challenge, he made a decision that affected the rest of his life. That was the time he lost his blessings as a first son. You could say how daft Esau was, could he not bear his hunger? But there have been times when you get overwhelmed by a temporary challenge that you give in to an inadequate solution. Short cuts were more attractive. What everyone else is doing seems to be the right thing to do. The voice of the world overshadows the voice in your heart.

Deep down inside you know what you really want. Your idea of prince charming; that woman that is the bone of your bone; that relationship that does not leave you drained and inferior; that healing that does not send you back to the hospital next month; that child of you and your spouse; that job that does not test your integrity; that breakthrough in that which you have been committed to; that restoration that would bring peace to you. Who says you cannot have it? All those around you want what they think is best for you. Your Heavenly Father wants nothing short of the best for you [Jeremiah 29:11]. He is a Father that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you ask or think [Ephesians 3:20].

In the face of the overwhelming situation, do not give in to any inadequate solution. It will not leave you fulfilled or satisfied. It is only the blessing of the Lord that can make you rich (physically and spiritually) without sorrow added to it [Proverbs 10:22].

http://www.biblestudytools.net/Commentaries/MatthewHenryComplete/mhc-com.cgi?book=pr&chapter=10#Pr10_22

Take a word from God for today. Let your soul find rest in Him alone, for your salvation comes from Him [Psalms 62:1].

Happy Easter and God bless You!

Meditating on the Word of God

I Have Meditated

Forgive me Oh Lord
For I have sinned in my heart
I have filled my thoughts with things I should not
Creating no room for you to dwell in;

I have meditated on the words I heard on the news
Now abides in me the spirit of fear, not faith nor peace
I have meditated on the lyrics of that song
Now I lust after those things that erode my soul
I have meditated on those words said against me
Now inferiority, hatred and unforgiveness are growing in me
I have meditated on those material things
That rob me of my riches and your purpose for them;

Soften my heart that I may permit the entrance of your word
Let me love your word for their magical touch
Teach me how to meditate on them
And let my thoughts be acceptable to you.

The Inspiration
“You are the fattest, ugliest person I’ve ever known. If I looked like you, I’d kill myself.”
Imagine someone said such words to you, touching your most sensitive spot (you know how ladies can be when it comes to weight). I heard them spoken to someone. She wrote them down to remember them. She said them over and over again in her heart and to people she narrated the incident to. And do you know what happened to those words? A lot. 1. She started believing them. 2. She started having low esteem of herself 3. She hated the person(s) that said those words to her and all she wanted was to see their doom as well as take revenge on them. She wanted to hurt them terribly. She wanted to speak death upon their lives because she was so hurt. The list is endless. Every time she looked at the mirror, all she saw was the fat, ugly girl who should have long been dead because no one wanted to be like her. She failed to see the gorgeous eyes, the soft palms people always wanted to touch and the delicious meals she was known for. I’m sure the only things that held her back from suicide were the pain involved and the US visa lottery she had been applying for.

Let’s go over what she did with those words.
1. She accepted them.
2. She said them over and over again,
3. She read them (because she had written them down)
4. She gave them some thought when she was not doing anything (and even when she was washing plates or sweeping the compound, she had the ability to go over those words).

The result was that they became “alive” to her and resulted in other (negative) consequences.

What had been done with those words is simple – they were meditated on. The dictionary defines MEDITATION as the practice of thinking deeply in silence; serious thoughts on a particular subject that somebody writes down or speaks. Most places in the Bible where we come across the word meditation, from the Hebrew translation this means MUSING – to think carefully about something for a time, ignoring what is happening around you. God gave man the ability to make choices. For us to make choices we have to think. Therefore, every one of us can think and hence can meditate.

Meditating over words has the power to make words alive to you. The life in those words can affect your spirit, soul and body. Meditation can be short or long. The longer the meditation, the more powerful will be the resulting effect (I think). David said, “Let…the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD…” [Psalm 19:14]. He was aware that whatever we meditate on becomes alive and potent. Think about it – how many sins did you commit without first committing them in your heart? Before you told a lie, did you not think about it? Before you sinned, did you not think it in your heart? Thank God that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus [Romans 8:1], I was simply trying to give examples. Similarly, before you decided to look after orphans and widows (which God accepts as pure and faultless [James 1:27]) you thought it in your heart. Before the word “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” made sense to you, you had to think about it (or has this word not yet clicked in you?).

What are you meditating on today? What are you spending time thinking about? Are they acceptable in the sight of God? Are you thinking about the cares of life, the words someone said to you, the property you desire, the person you’ve placed in your heart above God, the things you don’t have or the past that HE has forgotten? Or are you meditating on the sweet word of God, the most powerful words you could ever know, the truest words you could ever hear, the word whose entrance bring light, the only word that became flesh? Meditating on the Word of God yields only positive things.

Take some time out today. Meditate on HIS word. Read it, think about it, and say it. The great news is that no matter what you are going through, no matter what you are thinking, there is a Word for you – a word that makes all the difference in the world.

The reason why we should meditate is clearly stated in Joshua 1:8. We are instructed not to let this book of the law depart from our mouth; we should meditate on it day and night, so that we may be careful to do everything written in it. The benefit of meditation is that then we will be prosperous and successful. What more can we ask for?

Finally, Brethren, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things [Philippians 4:8]. For me, one thing that fits into this category is the Word of God. I hope we share the same view here.

Have a peaceful week ahead.

Sharing something about my Love Letter

Love Letter from God

My Lord and My God
Oh! How you love me so
You’ve said it, you’ve shown it
But more importantly, You’ve written it down;
How I love your words, Oh Lord
In the love letter you wrote to me
You tell me just how much you love me for who I am
And you promise me what no one else can give me;
I read your love letter everyday
For the words are so sweet, they give me peace
I feel your presence through your words
And the sweetness of your presence I long for more and more;
How I love your words, Heavenly Father
A love letter that teaches, guides and directs
A love letter that gives me hope, encouragement and strength
A love letter that reminds me of your eternal love and grace;
My Lord and My God,
How I love you so
For touching my inner being so softly, gently and lovingly
With your love letter that’s new to me every moment.

The Inspiration
One of my blessings is having experienced life as an unbeliever and then walking with Christ. I can share with you how I viewed the Word of God, and I thank God that I can look back and shake my head with pity yet happy that at last I have found the keys to unlocking the treasures in life. Then, if I managed to go to church, it was simply out of boredom and I needed something to occupy the Sunday morning. I could sit under the nose of my Pastor hearing powerful words that simply fell beside me. It was as Jesus explained in Luke 8:12 “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved”. While my Pastor is speaking God-breathed words, I might be saying, “This man is such a talented man he could make a great actor if he had followed the right path!” Then when they say meditate on the word, that was a different story. How could I meditate on what I have not “heard” or read? I would say within, “Let this phase end let me go and do something worthwhile.” Jesus, thank you for salvation.

I thank God for HIS Word. The Bible is no ordinary book. It is not an ornament. It is life. It is The Word. The origin of the Bible is God Himself. 2 Timothy 3:16, tells us that all scripture is inspired by God [All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness]. In 2 Peter 1:21, we understand that each writer was "carried along" by God [For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit]. This means that God used each of the Bible's 40 authors, with their different cultural backgrounds, personalities and positions, to deliver His divine Word to all of us (http://www.allabouttruth.org/bible-origin.htm).

I take the Bible to be a love letter from God written specially for me. From beginning to end is a demonstration of HIS love for me and the person HE used to win my love. This same Bible contains HIS words of hope, encouragement, comfort, promises, blessings, instruction, revelations, sanctification, healing…, can I name them all? HIS words provide me with all I need for life and godliness. What more can I ask for? I love the way HE speaks. HE uses words like “Test me!”, “I know the plans I have for you…”, “You are a crown of glory!” HE is Perfect, HIS word is truth [John 17:17].

There is tremendous power in the Word of God [For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; Hebrews 4:12]. The world was formed by the Word of God. If God’s Word can create the universe, what is it that you need from HIM that cannot be got with HIS Word when backed by Faith? God speaks through HIS word. What excites me about the Word is that the same word HE speaks for a situation now can be used for another situation. It is new every moment. I remember when I did not have much money and I wanted to sow a seed. The Word of God came to me saying, “Do not be weary in doing good, for in due season you shall reap, if you do not lose heart” [Gal 6:9]. The key word there for me was “reap” and I sowed with expectation. In yet another instance I said, “Father, I am tired of this walk with you. The road is narrow and the journey has not been smooth (like HE said it will be!).” His Word came to me again, “Do not be weary in doing good, for in due season you shall reap, if you do not loosen and relax your courage”. From there I got the motivation to continue the walk with HIM (and I do not regret it to this day!)

Beloved, the Word of God is a treasure you should not let go of. There is no part of the Bible that is insignificant. God inspired it just for you to enable you live a prosperous and successful life [This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success; Joshua 1:8]. Open your heart and let every aspect of the Word come in and dwell richly in you. Always remember that there is power and love in HIS word. Hold fast to it, no matter what you go through. I can assure you, you will never have reason to regret holding on to HIS Word.

Have a blessed day. May you have a Word to go with you today assuring you of HIS presence.