Choosing Your Inheritance

My Inheritance

I am nothing
But a reflection
Of who you are;
Created in your image
Called one of your own
Co-heir with Christ Jesus;
I have inherited
Your wonderful nature
Which words cannot describe;
I have inherited
Your gifts and abilities
To do your will on earth;
I have inherited
Your riches and glory
That they may know I’m yours;
I have inherited
All you’ve prepared for me
Before I was conceived:
I am nothing
But a reflection
Of who you are;
Having chosen
To partake of my inheritance
Through Christ Jesus;
And accepted freedom
From bondage
And negative inheritance.

The Inspiration
Ten year old Chijioke listened to his father talking about the land being an heirloom. It had been passed down from his great-grand father, to his grand father, to his father, and one day it would be his. He had an inheritance.

Ufomah’s grandmother was a single mom having only one daughter. Same with her grandmother. And then her mother. So as she reached her teenage years she awaited the man who will impregnant her and leave her as a single mom. She was awaiting her spiritual inheritance.

If we take a detailed look at our lives, we might be surprised to find out that there are various things (physical and spiritual) which we have inherited from our parents (and foreparents, any word like that?). Obvious are the physical traits – the eyes, nose, etc. Things inherited could range from wealth to character traits. My mother is one woman that loves fashion, clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, cosmetics, name it all. I have most of my sisters that inherited this from her. I called them “materialistic”. One day I realized that all my shoes looked exactly like what she wears, same with my clothes (So what should I call myself?). The truth was I had inherited this trait of hers, only that I had been trying so hard to suppress it. What happens if the traits we inherit are unhealthy? Are there things in your life which you have resigned thus: “that’s just the way it is in my family!”or “It is my destiny!” or “That is just the way I am!” Are you aware that anything you have inherited you can pass on to your children?

I like the statement by Stormie Omartian in her book “Power of a Praying Parent” where she stated that “Unlike physical traits, SPIRITUAL TENDENCIES ARE SOME THINGS WE DON’T HAVE TO RECEIVE.” As children of God who have accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we are not bound to the consequences of the sins of our fathers. This is because all our sins were nailed with Jesus Christ on the cross. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Jesus, because He was anointed to preach good tidings to the poor; He was sent to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to open the prison to those who are bound [Isaiah 61:1]. If there are negative character traits, health conditions, financial status, ways of life that you feel you inherited, be aware that through Christ Jesus you have been set free and you are free indeed [John 8:36]. It is something you need to go to God to in prayer.

Choose this day your inheritance, for your inheritance shall be forever [Psalm 37:28]. The right of inheritance is yours [Jeremiah 32:8]. The Lord is your part and your inheritance [Numbers 18:20], [Psalm 16:9]. You should choose to inherit the riches of your heavenly Father [Proverbs 19:14]. You should choose to inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world [Matthew 25:34]. You should by faith choose to inherit the blessings of Father Abraham.

Having chosen the right inheritance, remember to leave a good inheritance for your children and children’s children for a good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children [Proverbs 13:22].

Have a blessed day.

In Reality

Reality

I was singing and dancing on the clouds
Singing of the peace and bliss surrounding me
Dancing to the sound of joy and laughter
Feasting my eyes on plenty and abundance
Loving the sight of all creatures in unity
Life couldn’t be any better
This I thought as I picked up my ringing phone
And got a call that brought me back to reality
Making me realize that I was deep in a dream;

I was back to the hustle and bustles of my day
I was back to asking God for HIS word that I could meditate
I was back to facing the risk of complacency in my walk
I was back to Reality
I realized that sometimes reality hurts
Sometimes reality can make us forget all HE’s done
But nothing is too much for God:
Reality is HIS assurance of HIS love.


The Inspiration
I had just received a phone call. The words were, “Esuru, I am facing this situation. I need you to pray for me. I had to tell you because you are strong. Please pray for me.” As soon as the line cut, I burst out in tears. “Lord, I am scared and worried,” I cried, “Lord I am too weak to say a prayer.” I thought as a Christian I am supposed to be superwoman. I thought I would no longer feel pain. Jesus wept. I thought I could easily bring out the Word at every circumstance. That comes with practice. The human part of me had taken over. Reality had struck. Reality hurt. Reality was tempting me to say things I know I should not say.

It is in reality that we hear that a plane crashed with children in it. It is in reality that we hear of terminal diseases. It is in reality that couples fight over who should empty the dustbin just because they haven’t discussed sex and finances. It is in reality that Christians backslide. It is in reality that the past comes like an august visitor – but only with the intention to haunt. It is in reality that children are used and abused. It is in reality that poverty and addictions cohabits in homes. It is in reality that we see events that try to test or contradict the Word.

The greatest mistake anyone of us can make when “Reality” strikes is to let go of the steady, strong hand of God. It is at this point in our lives where HE outdoes any other thing HE has done for us. HIS strength is made perfect in our weakness. It is just another opportunity for HIM to show HIS awesome love towards us and HIS great power. God’s ways are perfect, HIS Word is flawless [2 Samuel 22:31].

We should not let the enemy steal our precious time nor kill our joy. We should not give into defeat. There is a new facet of God we can learn with each circumstance we face. So we need to run into HIS presence if only to hear HIM speak softly and tenderly to us…
“I will fight for you, you need only to be still” [Exodus 14:14]
“See I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared” [Exodus 23:20]
“So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” [Isaiah 41:10]
“I, even I, am the one who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake and remembers your sins no more” [Isaiah 43:25]
“Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear” [Isaiah 65:24]
“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” [Jeremiah 29:11]
“I am the Lord, the God of mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” [Jeremiah 32:27]
“Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away” [Matthew 24:35]

HE reassures us in our times of weakness, fear and doubt – if we listen. HE hears our whispered prayers. We might need to take further steps to seek our prayer partners, brothers and sisters in Christ, people in authority and loved ones to pray for/with us.

You are human when you respond as a human to the circumstances around you. But as you trust in God, you’d know that reality is where you taste and see the goodness of God.

Have a blessed day.

To Be Rich or Not To Be Rich

How I know you love me

I know you love me
What makes me convinced
Are the blessings before me
A pinch of your abundance and riches;
Wealth and health you did not withhold
Life and Smiles you make part of my whole
I own all good and perfect gifts that come my way
So much you give that I cannot repay;
I know you love me
I know I am blessed
I am convinced
Because of the riches you’ve given me.

The Inspiration
I had walked into the office when I heard some people involved in a heated (but friendly) argument. I did not want to get involved in such but I could not help overhearing what was the cause of the apparent inferno. The basis for the argument was that Jesus Christ should be the model for Christians, and while He lived He was not rich. Therefore, Christians should not be rich!

Whether or not I have facts to back this statement, I will state clearly that Christians are meant to be rich. We are princes and princess, the children of the Most High God, the creator of heaven and earth, who owns the earth and the fullness thereof; the world and all that dwell in it [Psalm 24:1]. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood [1 Peter 2:9], why then should we be living in poverty?

Before I start talking about why we should be rich, let me also point out that Jesus Christ was not poor (For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was RICH, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich [2 Corinthians 8:9]). HE was humble [Philippians 2:5 – 9]. Humility is an attitude. Jesus Christ taught us so many things while HE was on earth, never did He say we should not be rich. With His humble nature, He taught us not to worry about the future [Luke 12:29-31], He taught us what faith really is, He taught us that we have power and authority over the enemy, He taught us that riches and abundance comes from God. Having riches is not the problem. Being wealthy is not the problem. It is what you make out of that state and what you do with the money that determines whether there is a problem with Christians being rich. For instance we know that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil [1 Timothy 6:10]. It is not money that is the root of all evil.

I remember a statement my pastor made last week. She stated that, “The Devil’s greatest nightmare is wealth in the hands of the righteous!” This is simply because the righteous man knows what to do with wealth. He will use it for the things of God (as money answereth all things [Ecclesiastics 10:19]). Why will God withhold wealth from HIS children when HE wants them to live like HE does and use it to accomplish HIS will?

What has God promised you concerning HIS blessings? They that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing [Psalm 34:10]. The blessing of the LORD, it makes rich, and HE adds no sorrow with it [Proverbs 10:22]. If I say I am blessed by God, then I should know because I am rich, and the riches do not come with sorrow. Rich means having an abundant supply of DESIRABLE QUALITIES or substances. It also means possessing MATERIAL WEALTH. It also means marked by great fruitfulness and very productive. Child of God, you are blessed and you are rich. If you did not know, you know now. If you have not started enjoying your richness spend time with the Word and find out what to do to become rich. The secret has been revealed to us and it is in there.

Paul said in Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. He did not say some of your need. He said ALL. King Solomon talks about the gift of God when every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, HE has given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour [Eccl. 5:19]. This gift of God is for HIS children and you are one of them. David said “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” [Psalm 37:25]. God is faithful. HE will definitely supply all our needs.

You might say, “but Jesus said, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God’ [Matthew 19:24]”. But if you read just above in this scripture, it came after the rich man was told to sell his possessions and give to the poor. It clearly shows the attitude some people have towards their riches (and I’m using all the definitions of riches mentioned above, not only material wealth). Jesus was only telling the rich man what He should do to enter the kingdom of God, to be as a son. It is written in Psalm 41:1 – 2 “Blessed is he that considers the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and the LORD will keep him from the will of his enemies.” It is also written that, “He that gives to the poor shall not lack”.

Being a Christian is not synonymous with being poor. It is not a reflection of the glory of God. What we should learn as Christians is the attitude of Christ towards riches. This is a topic for another discussion. But I can quote Paul here, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” [1 Timothy 6:17-19].

Have a wonderful day and remember you are meant to be rich.

The Loss Causation Model

You Open My Eyes

You open the eyes of my spirit
To see new treasures
Along the path
Of my walk with you;
You open the eyes of my heart
And enlighten me
With the hope that surrounds your calling
And the richness that you are;
You trust me enough
To reveal your secrets and mysteries to me
Knowing I will use it
For the purpose you want of me;
You spend quality time
Teaching me
The Truth
And the truth;
And now I know
That my walk with you
Is forward and upward
With revelation and understanding.

The Inspiration
You have not heard from me in a while now. I was on a course. I didn’t have the best of internet connectivity. I didn’t have time at all. All I told God was, “You have taken me away from writing. I am not happy about it at all.” HE definitely replied but I was too stuck up in my emotions that I did not hear anything. HE must have said, “Wait on ME, I want to show you something!”

My course was on QHSE - Quality, Health, Safety and Environment. I learnt so much from the course and from the people I met. If I start on this, I will have another novel in the pipeline. I’m sure you’re not ready for that here. This message is a bit technical but if you are patient enough, you will get the treasure in this story.

One of the most important things I took out of that course was the Loss Causation Model. Before a loss occurs (Injury, illness, damage, loss in process), there are series of events that take place with a root cause that begins this series of events. The root cause is called a Lack of Control (Inadequate standards, lack of compliance for preparedness, knowledge and skill training, etc). This leads to a basic cause (or personal factor) such as lack of knowledge, stress, inadequate capabilities. This in turn leads to an Immediate cause (substandard conditions and actions) such as operating without authority, working under the influence of controlled substances, inadequate barriers. This then leads to an Incident – a fall, a strike, stress, or being in contact with an unfriendly environment. The incidence leads to the loss. The concept of the Loss Causation Model, hence is that when a loss occurs, we need to go back that chain, realize that the root cause is not the incident nor the immediate cause, and solve the problem from the root cause in order to prevent the loss from reoccurring.

Let’s take a simple example. Someone is hospitalized because of Malaria. That is the loss (time, money, etc). The Incident – being bitten by a mosquito with plasmodium. The Immediate Cause – Sitting outside in the evening without adequate protective clothing. Basic Cause – Lack of knowledge of the implications of sitting outside in the evening without the right clothing. Lack of Control – The information was not communicated (Lack of compliance for communication). Many a times, when handling a “loss”, we usually target the immediate cause. This is only a temporal solution. Going down to the roots is the permanent solution to the problem.

This Loss Causation Model can be applied to so many areas of our lives. Someone dies of lung cancer and we say the cause is smoking (that is the immediate cause) but in truth there is more to this. What about falling into temptation? A spouse cheats. We say it is because of temptation. Again if we look deep into this issue, we will find out that there is more to this. Unless the root causes are identified and treated, such things are likely to occur again.

I want you to open your eyes to look at the malaria example again. Loss - Someone is hospitalized because of malaria. Incident – Struck by the enemy (illness is not from God therefore…). Immediate cause – Operating without authority (if you went to someone’s land and started operating, the person has every right to do with you as he pleases. If you have authority, then you can even take the land from the person). Basic cause – Lack of Knowledge (My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge [Hosea 4:6]). Lack of Control – Inadequate Standards. Standard means the ideal in terms of which something can be judged; established or widely recognized as a model of authority or excellence. My Spirit is quickened.

God had years ago evaluated HIS Loss Causation Model and provided ADEQUATE STANDARD and basis for compliance to prevent loss in mankind. HIS Word (the bible which HE inspired) makes us compliant. HIS Son, Jesus Christ, is the Standard HE put in place to ensure there is no loss to mankind. All other means were inadequate. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and The Life [John 14:6]. Knowing the truth sets us free [John 8:32]. We will not be destroyed by lack of knowledge. Having Jesus Christ as your standard against loss and the Word of God to be compliant with, you do not find yourself in lack of knowledge that HE has died for you and HE has overcome the world [John 16:33]. This in turn eliminates operating without authority (Immediate cause) for we were given dominion over everything on earth [Gen 1:26]. We also have the power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt us [Luke 10:19]. Then we will not get struck by the enemy (this does not mean the enemy will not attack but our Standard, our Word of God, our authority will give us enough courage to face the enemy). That way, we are far from having a loss.

You might ask, “What does it mean when a loss occurs even though we have been doing things right?” This is not a time to blame God, yourself or “the people in the village”. Ever since God gave us dominion over everything on earth, the enemy has been trying to take it from us. The battle continues. What is true is that years ago God identified that the cause of loss/death is sin, HE sent HIS son to take away all our sins and die with them, and even when there is a physical loss, it is not entirely a loss because it was a spiritual battle fought and won, of which we enjoy the fruit of His salvation in the physical realm.

I could go on and on about this, but I have to stop here. I thank God that I learnt something about HIM from the course. I thank God for HIS infinite wisdom to put in place the Standard that will help us remain in check and prevent us from falling victims to loss.

Have a lovely day. You are a victor not a victim.

Mistaken Identity

I Look Just Like You

I look in the mirror
With my physical eyes
All I see is the same old,
Same old pretty face the world knows;
I fail to see
What my spiritual eyes see
The continuous evolution
To your image;
But my spirit is glad
That one day I will hear
I’ve seen you before
Are you not Jesus?
And then I’d be matured to know
It’s not a mistaken identity nor an insult
But the truth
That I look just like you.

The Inspiration
I was not ready for any inspiration. I had just walked past the pedestrian gate into the compound of the people I wanted to see. It had been a 3 min struggle to open that gate and I felt all my energy had gone into trying to force the gate open. The Rita of before would wear a frown and transfer all aggression on anyone that comes my way. But I remembered the words of my best friend before he travelled. He said, “smile”. So, I forced the smile. Then the strangest thing happened – a little girl ran to me and called me “Mummy”. I laughed and replied, “How are you? So you don’t know who your mummy is?” And as I walked off I said to myself, “this is a case of mistaken identity”. My spirit man replied, “Should your identity be mistaken, whose identity do you want to have? I want to be mistaken as Jesus Christ!” Then I listened to the words of my spirit.

Let me share the words of a friend to another (you know yourselves and as you’re reading this, please take no offence. Your names are withheld but just to let you know your words really got me meditating). The friend said, “I don’t want to share this problem with you because you are going to tell me exactly what Jesus will tell me. If I want to know how Jesus will react to this situation, I can always tell by the way you will react.” If anyone has told you this, please consider it a compliment and a blessing.

If your identity is mistaken, who do you choose to resemble (it is a choice by the way)? Is it Jesus Christ, who is a son of God like we are? Or a pop star? Or anyone around us that we idolize? Let me start with the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:12 which says “Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.” God’s word, which is also likened to a mirror [James 1:23-25], makes us understand Christ only dimly in comparison with how we will see and know Him when He returns and we are with Him face to face. The good news to this came with the words of John who said, “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but HE has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. BUT WE DO KNOW THAT WE WILL BE LIKE HIM, FOR WE WILL SEE HIM AS HE REALLY IS.” [1 John 2:2]

Let your spirit help you imagine seeing Christ and the moment you see Him you know Him because you are like Him. Right now, when we look at ourselves in the mirror we do not have complete knowledge of how He looks like (or how we look like). But we were made in His image [Genesis 1:27} and we are all sons of God, so we can be rest assured that we look like Him. As long as we have Christ in us, daily He is transforming us to His image.

What would it mean for your identity to be mistaken as Jesus Christ? It means someone sees you with characteristics that could only be likened to Jesus Christ (based on our imagination or what we know of Christ). It could be the way we talk, the faith we have, our approachability, our inner beauty, the compassion we show for others, our dedication to assignments he has given us, our integrity, how we show love, our moderation, our aura, self-control, thankfulness, our warmth, etc. The list is endless. But I wouldn’t call it mistaken identity anymore now that I know we look like him. All we need to do is reflect His character.

Beloved, I have learnt that we have what it takes to be like Jesus (there goes my favourite line again – He has given us all that pertains to life and godliness). Not only in character, but also in abilities [Power and Authority has been given to us – Matthew 28:18; 2 Cor 10:8]. This day, I choose to resemble Him.

Have a lovely day. As you reflect HIS character and glory, do not take it as mistaken identity when they say you look like (or are like) Jesus. That is what we are supposed to be.

Walk in the Freedom of Forgiveness

Unforgiveness

I long to have
A Perfect heart
But all I bring before you
Is a heart of stone
Encaged in a fort
Of unforgiveness;
I once asked
For your angels
To come break down this wall,
But now I see
It is up to me
To open the gates let your word melt my heart;
Only then when I stand before you
Only then when I say I love you
Only then when I say I reflect you
Will I know that I am true to you.

The Inspiration
If you’ve heard or read this story am about to share, it’s ok but I just have to talk about it because I remembered it this morning. I was in an airport. I saw a family consisting of four children (probably spaced 1 or 2 years apart). The eldest was about 9. One of her younger sisters (about 4 years old) fell down from her seat. Their mother was there. But it was the elder sister that carried her up, cuddled her, wiped her tears, said soothing words to her, and cheered her up, before handing over the now-happy child to their mother. What amazed me was despite the small age difference between the two (and they were almost same size), there was a powerful love that came out of the elder one, a love that gave her strength to carry her sister up. For some reason I tried to forecast this love 15 years down the line. I was expecting to see 15 times that amazing love. To my horror, I saw 15 times of unforgiveness. [I don’t know if there is a word like unforgiveness but I will be using this word a lot in this write up and I hope you understand what it means].

Let me describe in detail the picture of the 15 times of unforgiveness. I could see envy and jealously building up. I could see them quarrelling over who should get the bigger meat. I could see them fighting over rights and privileges. I could see them sowing seeds of hate because of parents’ favoritism. I could see them competing against each other rather than celebrating their differences and pursuing their separate goals in life. I could see them swearing before God and man that they will never speak to each other again because one had said a hurtful word to the other. I could see them plotting the death of the other (mere words and thoughts) because they were fighting over the same men!

I started this example with sisters and females, but that is not the start and finish of unforgiveness. The bible says “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city” [Proverbs 18:19]. It happens between brothers. It happens between parents and children. It happens between friends. It happens between acquaintances. It happens between colleagues. Something or some things would have happened to cause the resolve never to forgive the other. Then life goes on, not knowing we have hardened a part of our heart.

You might say, “Rita, you don’t know how much my mother abused me. Why should I forgive her?” or you might say, “That girl stole the only man I love and since then my life has never been the same!” (The way you want your life to be depends on you – your word and your choices. Don’t let Bishop T.D. Jakes hear you are still mourning that guy after 5 years…).You might say, “My father kicked my mom and all 8 of us children out of his house. Life has been difficult since then. I cannot forgive him”. My dear, I want you to know that forgiveness is a choice. You don’t have to feel like it. Joseph forgave his brothers [Genesis 50:15-21]. We can too.

Jesus Christ instructs us to love everyone, friends, brothers and enemies alike [Matthew 5: 43-48]. Peter reminds us that above all, we should love each other deeply, for love covers a multitude of sin [1 Peter 4:8]. How then can we say we love someone without forgiving the person? When Jesus Christ was teaching us how to pray, HE mentioned “And forgive us our sins, as we forgive EVERYONE who is indebted to us” [Luke 11:4]. I don’t know about you but for me, I cannot count how many times I have asked God to forgive me. And HE even forgives me for some things I do out of ignorance. HE forgives, forgets, and then adds blessings upon us. All HE asks of us is to forgive in the true sense of the word. He is not as interested in our gifts, offerings and acts of service as HE is in our forgiveness that is why HE said “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” [Mark 11:25]. In Matthew 5:23-24 HE said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you; leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Put yourself in HIS shoes. 2 of your children just had a quarrel and one is refusing to forgive the other. That one comes to you, begins to make a request and is also asking for forgiveness. Won’t you, with your earthly wisdom, ask that child to go and forgive his sibling?

I have learnt that the best way to be forgiving is to pray for the person I need to forgive (not praying curses but praying good prayer). This helps to soften my heart towards the person. I am still working on this area of my life with the indispensable help of the Word of God.

Is there anyone you need to forgive? Is there anyone that has something against you? Who is it so close yet your heart is like stone towards the person? Before you make your request to God, before you give your gifts to HIM, go and be reconciled with your brother. Even if he is far away, take the step of forgiveness in your heart. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you [Ephesians 4:31-32].

Have a blessed day as you walk in the freedom of forgiveness in your heart.

God is always with you

My Confidence

I drift across the ocean on a mere string of thread
I see the waves and tides soaring with their threat
I fear not their consequences so I smile
For, like always, you are by my side;
My thread shatters but I lose no hope
To say you’re aware, you show me stepping stones
Though slippery and faltering, they help me move
And should I fall, I know it will be back on you;
I must reach that point where the clouds and earth touch
And it’s gladdening to know you’re one I could wholly trust
So I remind myself of my confidence as I proceed
That I know you will always be with me.

The Inspiration
Our God is omnipresent. HE is everywhere. HE is here with you as HE is here with me. And you know what I love more? HE is not a dormant GOD. HE is always active even when we feel HIS presence.

I remember when I first read the poem “Footprints in the Sand” {http://www.llerrah.com/footprints.htm}. I became aware that during rough times the LORD is with us, carrying us, yet we don’t know it. We feel we are alone. Truth is we are never alone. God is always with us.

The poem above "My Confidence" came after I took a journey down memory lane from one of the milestones in my life. I began to see the presence of God in every area of my life even when I could not sense it. Everything was working together for my good. Then I could not understand why we were going through some certain paths. Then I could not feel HIS presence. I have asked often times in my life, “God where were you when this thing was about to happened? Why didn’t you do something about it?” The frustrating part was that I could not get an answer (simply because I was not tuned to hear HIM) and I could not feel HIS presence. Looking back now, I see HE is always there. Through the good times and the bad times. Through joy and sadness. Through sickness and health (and death can do us part if we continue living in sin J ). I recall a prayer by Stormie Ormatian in “The Power of Praying” where she stated “…In times of suffering of trial, I pray for an added sense of Your presence…”. This told me that GOD is always there. It is just that sometimes we cannot sense HIM. I learnt that instead of lamenting and asking, “Why Lord, Why me Lord!” I should simply ask for HIS presence when it seems I can’t feel HIM.

GOD Himself said “I will be with you: I will not fail you, nor forsake you [Joshua 1:5]”. I don’t know about you but I have accepted this Word and I personalize it. Not only is HE always with me, HE will never fail me (meaning HE will never disappoint me, prove undependable to me, or abandon me) nor forsake me (meaning HE will never leave me knowing that I need HIM and that I count on HIM). Even when you cannot feel HIS presence, HE is working everything together for your good. This is good news for us because the presence of God would never be withdrawn from us. God knows we need HIS presence at every moment in our lives, that is why HE assures us that HE is with us while we are with HIM. Jesus Christ promised us that “…I am with you always…” [John 28:20] and when HE was not physically present, HE sent the Holy Spirit, our Counselor, to come and reside in us. Let me try to apply small logic here; God is not a liar therefore if HE says HE is with you, it means HE is with you.

Take a moment to go down memory lane. Recall those moments where you thought God was not there. Do you still feel the same way? I hope not. I knowthat no matter where you are, no matter what you go through, HE will always be there with you. HE is one you can wholly trust.

Remain blessed in the Lord.