There’s not a mountain too tall
There’s not a problem too small
That Jesus can’t resolve
In time He’ll get involved
Our God He cares about us

So wait on the Lord
Wait on the Lord
Wait on the Lord
And He’ll renew your strength

There’s not a light too dark
A journey too long to embark
Jesus will see you through
In time He’ll make you new
Our God He cares about us

‘Cause He’s ordering, He’s ordering your strength
You’ve got to wait, you’ve got to wait

• Wait on the Lord – Brandon Wilson

This is what my fiancé said to me, “This has taught me patience.”

The background story?

It was a simple renovation to a small apartment God had blessed my fiancé and I with. Or so it seemed. Our initial plan was to change all the windows and also give all the ceilings in the house a facelift. We wanted to change the ceiling from the original-styled plywood to a Plaster of Paris styled (P.O.P) ceiling.

I once heard someone say that construction work is never within budget. Can that usher over there hand that someone a microphone to repeat it?!!

I am convinced that two things never ever stay within a budget; a wedding and construction project budget. Lol.

The renovation project started small, and the plan was for it to stay small. However, before I could finish sipping my non-alcoholic sparkling wine, the budget for the project grew like a disrespectful forehead pimple that suddenly appears gets bigger when you have a hot date in a few days. No matter how much we sulked, the cost stayed and grew.

The good news is that the ceiling designs we chose for all the rooms including our small hallway were absolutely beautiful designs. But there was bad news as well. By the time the work was done, the ceiling in our hallway like my fiance put it, looked like “a monstrosity”.

Considering how small the hallway was, it looked like the Hulk in Bruce Banner’s clothes after transformation. It looked like “too much” in the small space.

The inflated balloon of our expectation for that hallway design popped so hard it was probably heard in the “multiverse” lol (I need to lay off this Marvel comic imagery). The other rooms had turned out perfectly. We expected that this last part (the hallway) of the project would be the final crowning glory, especially because it was the entry point into the house. But alas! the monstrosity stole our laughter.

I am not throwing my fiancé (now husband) under the bus but he entered into complaint mode. We started exploring all the options to remedy “the fault”. We considered removing the parts of the design from the ceiling that made it look ostentatious. “What do we do?” was the question. We were scared that we would be laughed at. We saw what looked like our dreams of a beautifully decorated place go down the drain. But like the pimple I spoke about, this too we could not remove. So we took comfort in the fact that we would own our mistake and brave it out as hardcore-we-don’t-give-a-hoot-what-you-think gang. lol. But we actually cared. Don’t buy our fake bravado.

Eventually, we just thought to ourselves, “you know what? perhaps the aesthetic was disrupted by the ghastly yellow and black wallpaper on one side of the wall and the wine-painted color on the other part of the walls” – features we intended to change but constituted the final stage of the entire project. So we decided to execute “Plan Mitigate”. We consulted with each other and some interior design blogging sites. We finally decided to go all white for the walls to match the white of the ceiling.

Good news! It turned out fantastic in the end. Once the ceiling lights were fixed, the distracting wallpaper and paint scraped off, and a new rich coat of all white paint applied, Voila! The true beauty of the ceiling popped. It stood there without all the distracting factors and it was a work of art. No more the monstrosity we had initially judged it to be.

Then my fiancé said, “I am so glad we waited. Imagine what we would have lost had we decided too quickly and interfered with the design. THIS HAS TAUGHT ME TO BE PATIENT.”

We learned a big lesson that day.

Anyone can be in such a place in life. In the small hallways of our lives, our issues, problems, projects, dreams and like matters may like the ceiling appear monstrous. They seem to overshadow the entirety of our existence. It can be a person who doesn’t behave the way we want them to. Or a season of pain, hurt, disappointment, and all the craziness of this life. A situation that looks ghastly at the beginning. Often, it becomes all we see.  Yet, the beauty of that situation or person may be obstructed by all the other things happening around us. Unfortunately, we may judge too early. Act too fast. We sometimes act based on the fear of the opinion of others; scared to be laughed at. Sometimes it simply looks bad from certain angles from which we look at it.

But! If you would give it time. Wait. Wait till the end. The diamond in the rough will shine ever brightly. The value of patience is indeed great. Our perspective is oft times the main issue and not what we are facing. We need to consider our perspective.

It is not easy to be patient. Especially in our present world where everything and everyone is on a fast track race. Our perspectives are so limited. We can only see from where we stand. Unfortunately, where we stand is not always perfect. We can make wrong or hurried choices if we do not learn how to wait. The right attitude matters. The right motive matters. The right perspective also matters.

With our humble ailing project, a little bit of patience saved us from a mistake. We managed to avoid a greater destruction. Yet often, the issues of our lives are much more complicated than this ceiling problem. They are the stuff that can make or break us. The stuff that stretch us to our breaking point. And we often want to resort to our own ways to resolve them.

When Abraham moved too quickly, relying on his own ways ahead of God’s time, he made a choice that has had generational impact. He bore a son out of works. He bore a son out of his impatience instead of waiting in faith.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land

Psalm 37:7-9

God wants us to wait. At the place of indecision, wait on Him. Why should we wait on God? First of all, he is not in a hurry. His timing is right. Secondly, he has the right perspective. He decides and designs all things from a position of perfection and so we are assured that we cannot get it wrong with him. We cannot lose when we trust wholly and completely in Him.

We have a perfect example; a perfect man who did not rush. He patiently endured having foresight of the end from the beginning. He already had a clear view of the grand design and the finishing of it. Therefore, He was unperturbed by the agitations happening all around Him. He trusted in His Father in Heaven – wholly and completely. He was unmoved by false accusations or praises. He did not judge by external appearances nor loose sight of what He knew to be the perfect end for Him. That man is Jesus Christ. He was never a step out of time. Every Christian is called to be conformed to His image; to focus on Him and imitate Him.

When He followed God faithfully until the very end, not seeking His own way, He finally declared “It is Finished”. Now His name is exalted above every name, having fulfilled the will of God for Him on the cross.

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Matthew 4:1-11 or Luke 4:1-13.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. ² For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. ³ During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
⁴ But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, ⁶ and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’
⁷ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’
⁸ Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
¹⁰ “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’
¹¹ Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus

As I lay on my bed and mulled this over, I compared the temptation of Jesus with another temptation story in the Bible that some of us may know well. The infamous fall of Adam and Eve (See Genesis 3). For those who do not know the story, satan, disguised as a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve to eat a forbidden fruit God had instructed them not to eat. Therefore, they sinned.

With this background, I decided to explore the two scenarios.

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:45 that Jesus is the last Adam. The perfect Adam. A life-giving Spirit. I compared these two Adams and their temptations. I have, on one hand, ‘first Adam’. First Adam was living in a beautiful and perfect garden. It had everything good. A beautiful woman (in my opinion, everything God made was good so I believe Eve was beautiful). In the garden, there were trees that produced all kinds of fruit which he could eat to his fill. He was in a fruitful green blossoming garden. Birds chirping. A beautiful breeze. A gentle brook. Colorful swimming fish wiggling their fins. Every kind of animal you can think of living in harmony and eating plants. No predators or prey. Perfection. (See Genesis 2).

Then I take a look at Second Adam (Jesus). He was in the wilderness. Dry, hot, and dusty. Barely any green trees to be seen for miles not to talk of fruits. No pretty birds chirping. No harmless plant-eating wild animals. Rather there were probably those who would readily have him for breakfast, lunch or supper. A blazing hot sun. Buzzing flies and biting bugs. Thorns and thistles. Snakes and scorpions. And hunger. His cousin John had previously been eating locusts from the same wilderness.

These two Adams find themselves in divergent circumstances. One (the first Adam) was in a place of plenty and the other (Jesus) in a place of want. The first was in a very comfortable place, and the other in a place you and I wouldn’t go for a holiday vacation.

We also have a third person in both pictures, “the snake” (the devil), who comes to tempt them. Now, something we need to take note of is that the snake is very deceptive (Genesis 3:1). His job is to twist the true picture of any circumstance as long as it makes God look like the bad guy. He is good at it. We have a multitude of people in the world today who have fallen for that deception. The Bible tells us not to be ignorant of his wiles (2 Corinthians 2:11).

The first Adam had so much! You and I can agree on that. He lived in plenty but in the garden of all that abundance, the snake deceived him so well that he overlooked all the plenty he had. He saw what He did not have. He only saw the one thing he could not have among the others that were readily his to enjoy. This picture was a lie. A fraud. A hoax. The first Adam had God as his father. He had everything because God is the source of everything. Yet God was transformed in first Adam’s eyes. Transformed into a wicked God who did not want to give him the best he deserved. So first Adam believed and accepted the lie and fell from his place of sonship because he trusted in the words of the devil over the word of God. He failed a test that ideally should have been easy to pass.

Now, this crafty serpent again shows up in a completely different scenario and this time around changes his narrative. He doesn’t show up as a lying snake this time. He comes as himself. For forty days he was on ‘Mission Temptation’. For forty days he attempted to get Jesus Christ to repeat the mistake of the first Adam. In his temptations, he tried to make Jesus, the last Adam believe another lie. Using the same modus operandi. The falsehood he was perpetuating was that even though Jesus had the right to plenty, God was making Him live in lack. Therefore, he incited Jesus to do something about the situation. Just as he did in the garden, he again comes with his word (a lie) to challenge the word of God (the truth). Luke 4:1-13.

Satan’s wiles:

a. Why was Jesus hungry from unnecessary fasting when He already had the power to turn stone into bread. I mean God was asking too much wasn’t He?

b. You are the Son of God. Why have you allowed yourself to be limited and belittled as a mere man here? Show God that as His Son you deserve better. you don’t deserve to be treated this way.

c. If your Father won’t give you what you truly deserve, I will. Just turn Your allegiance to me. Make me your god. I have what it takes to make you rule.

These are the same lies he sells to man over and over again and many fall for it.

But where the first Adam failed, the second did not. Where the first Adam was weak, the second was strong. Where the first Adam was deceived, the second Adam untangled the web of lies.

Jesus could see the value of God’s word beyond the present circumstances. That God would not withhold any good thing from him. Because as the Bible says in the same chapter, the Spirit of God led Him to that place of hardship. For Jesus, it was the will of God, and if it was God’s will, then it was good. He saw God’s love and faithfulness in lack and hunger. In a dry place. In a difficult place. He saw a garden of goodness in the word of God which He had heard and absolutely believed. He was sure of His place as the Son of God. He had nothing to prove of Himself except to trust His Father’s word and to do only what the Father had asked Him to do. Where the first Adam chose to live by the bread (the forbidden fruit) rather than the words that had proceeded from God’s mouth, the second Adam made a better, higher choice which set the pace for the redemption of mankind. Redemption towards a place where we can see plenty in the driest wilderness. He established Himself as one who gives life by upholding the truth unconditionally. Where God’s word is enough to sustain us whether we are in plenty or in want. For the word of God is what we need to live.

Jesus made a choice for truth. He believed in God’s word. His circumstances gave Him every reason to doubt, yet He trusted God in spite of it. He overcame the devil by the word of His testimony of who He believed God to be. True about His words.

So dear reader, it is not about plenty or the want. It is not about the circumstances you find yourself in. It is all about whom you believe. There is the truth, and there is the lie. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. He alone knows it, and it is through Him that we know it too. In this world full of falsehoods and deception. We need truth to hang on to. A foundation that does not quiver so that we can build our existence. Just like the two Adams, a choice is always available. And whether we like it or not, it is either truth or lies.

My fervent hope and prayer is that you would choose the one who is able to lead you into all truth. Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world.

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Yesterday the sky was bright and clear

I could see the sun and I could hear this song.

Faith flowed like a river free and deep.

Grace was not so hard to be believed.

But that was yesterday.

What was close enough to touch now seems a world away.

So what about this day?

Seasons. Beautiful. Unique. A Phenomenon.

Somewhere, someone wakes to a frigid January morning. Thousands of miles away, another wakes to the dry gusts of the East harmattan winds.

In no time, snow melts to beautiful spring flowers. Winds flee in the wake of refreshing rain.

Whether the seasons be four or two, we cannot deny presence or effect.

The hint of spring’s early blooms and the sweet smell from first drizzle of rain ignites hope in hearts dreary and scorched by the aftertaste of the previous season. The vivid colors of summer’s flowers which fall to call forth the bite of winter’s winds. The sign of beautiful beginnings, sad ends and vice versa.

Humanity has learned how to enjoy and endure each season…

The tan from summer’s sun; The grays of July’s rains; The fall leaves from autumn’s tall trees; tell the character of each season.

We weather the seasons…

Some days in cold, others in warmth. Sometimes bone dry, other times sopping wet. We fight not the seasons, for come they shall. We protest not the seasons, for in the flow of earth’s movement they demonstrate right balance.

Each season has its story…

Ask yourself. What story has this season for me? What message presents the changing times? Man seeks understanding of seasons and times. For it impacts the existence of those who have had its experience. Cold reminisces warmth. Heat reminisces coolness. 

Each season demands its actions. Every age unique in its requests…

Shall I learn to build a hearth when it is cold? Must I plant a tree in time against the blast of summer’s sun? What expected action?

To build or destroy. To plant or harvest. To sleep or wake. Long nights or days. To weep or laugh. In hunger or satisfaction. With many or alone. In plenty or want. No actions should be misplaced.

Wisdom is key to fully embrace the changing seasons…

So I weep not when I should laugh. So I reap not when I should sow. So I sleep not when I should wake. So I retreat not when I should advance.

…Wisdom for the seasons…

Whence shall I find this wisdom? From whom shall I hear it? Who knows the past, present and future? Who has such hindsight and foresight? Who knows today from yesterday and tomorrow from today?

…Only God can see that far away… 

He sees the future’s present past, the past’s future present, the present’s past future. He alone sees the past’s present future, the future’s past present and the present’s future past. Don’t try to wrap your head around it.  Only God can see that far away.

Though I gree the seasons carry me, I fault to depend on the flow of phenomena. Why respond to effect over cause? Why not lean on designer than design? From thence comes wisdom.

My arms are open wide to the seasons…

Today, a gentle breeze on my face as I stare at the setting sun. Tomorrow, an unmerciful iceberg sinking my boat at dead of night.

Yet, I have learned that with precious wisdom telling the wise whispers, the seasons will carry than destroy. Like a sturdy old oak of experience; an immovable mountain of strength. As ever present seas weather the weathers above ruin.

…Wisdom is key.

So, what say you, season? What secrets do you hold? What unexpected, unpredicted action? What habitual ways am I familiar?

I have the key to remain serene. Wiser with passing years. Enjoying the every encounter. Taking the long strides of time, till last season is mine.

I welcome the adventure.

Authors Note

Happy New Year Dear Reader.

Thank you for taking this tentative journey with me this year. For spending time to enjoy with me this treasure I have. This journey started very daunting, yet has ended with boldness from the Lord. I hope you have been blessed.

The craziness of year 2020 is beyond words. The losses, we mourn. The victories, we also celebrate. In all things we rejoice in the Lord.

Indeed we enter this new season with much confidence. Not in ourselves. But in Christ Jesus who is our wisdom.

We embrace the new adventure together.

The post Embrace Yours. Whatever the Ever-changing Season May Be. (Do you have the wisdom for your time?) first appeared on .

God is God and I am not.

I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting.

God is God and I am man.

So I’ll never understand it all.

For Only God is God.

The world would so quickly blame God for the things wrong with it.

The world would blame God for the actions of man rather than man for the actions of man.

The world would rather deny God credit for good yet quickly credit man for it.

The world would blame God for His supposed inaction and blame Him for His actions too.

The world doesn’t want to be controlled by God but accuses His lack of interference.

The world would rather blame God for the sickness in the body of a man rather than the man in charge of his own body.

The world would rather blame God for the ones born “imperfect” and ignore those born “perfect”. But wait a minute. It is man who looks on the outside and determines who is perfect. God looks at the heart and searches for perfection there.

The world would blame God for the nimble athlete paralyzed by the car accident rather than the careless driver.

The world would rather blame God for the sad plight of the innocent abused little girl rather than the evil inclinations of the pedophile who heartlessly abused her.

The world would blame God for hunger and starvation when man selfishly stores up wealth and watches his neighbor starve.

The world would blame God for inequality when man bends another under the whip of dictatorship and tyranny.

History has never seen an atomic bomb drop from the heavens nor biological weapons sprout from the ground.

Why is God blamed for the chaos in the world when the active participant is man?
Why is God blamed for the hurricanes and floods when man blows billows of C₂O into the atmosphere like chimneys from the 18th century; melting the ice caps in Antarctica like butter in a hot pan?
Why is God blamed for the wars and deaths of millions when men pick up the guns to fight and put refugees to flight.
Why do we blame God for the unfairness in the world when we are the ones doing it to each other?

Isn’t that unfair to God?

We would rather God be blamed and the world absolved from every wrong, yet, the world would take credit and God discredit for every right. If God is to blame for all the wrongs in the world then surely every good is also to His credit. Or?

Why would we deny God His existence because of how wicked man is?

How about the time He said do not steal? How about the time He said do not kill? How about the time He said do not covet? How about the time He said love your neighbor? How about the time He died for you so that you could be a different, better you? For that is what a good God that exists would do. He would tell you the right thing to do. He would show you the right thing to do. He will make Himself an example to you. Literally. So that our world can be perfect as we want it to be.

But the world would rather not listen. The world would rather not see. The world would rather not do it. The world would rather not believe. Instead it would choose to go after its own way. Steal. kill. Covet and Hate.

In the wake of indulgence in the carnality of true nature, and the fruits of carnal ways have yielded in the chaos that is our world, the most calculated worst of it all is executed. The world credits all the wrongs to God’s bank and blames Him for the negative returns. Wow, we love to play the blame game don’t we? But like Ola Rotimi stated, “The ‘gods’ are not to blame.”

Do you believe that our innate man is capable of goodness? Do you sincerely believe in a default state of good in man? Do you believe that the voice deep inside of man wants to unselfishly put someone else first rather than “myself”? “You” instead of “me”? Hahahahaha. Hilarious. Do you absolutely believe that the nature of man is love? Then why can’t man just be man? Why is it so hard to be ourselves then?

Maybe, finding an alien from outer space is a crucial turning point for humanity. For the alien will objectively examine the issues from an external point of view and let us see the folly of our flawed logic.

I always say to the God critics.
If God be a fickle of my imagination then I would make that imagination my reality for without it where is the good in me?

Would I rather deny God and place my hopes and faith in a man I so clearly see is flawed in too many ways?  Full of injustice?

You may say that the devil I know is better than the angel I do not know. Thank God I don’t have to believe that. Because man says so. I would say the angel I know is better than the devil I know. For I know this God. I know that He is good and the reason for any goodness in me; He is the reason we glimpse any iota of good in this fallen world. The only source of light in an ever darkening world. The only source of hope in an existence yoked with despondence.

I’ve trusted and tested and tried Him. I’m done playing the blame game and surrendered.

Please, leave me be in my “fool’s paradise” for I would rather have the foolishness of God than the wisdom of earth’s wise.

Awaken.

What convinces you that God exists or not? Share in the comment section below.

I want to hear from you. Please comment, share, like and subscribe to spirit awakenings. Be the first to hear and share!

The post Let Us Put the Blame on God. Shall We? first appeared on .

I’ve been changed, healed, freed, delivered

I’ve found joy, peace, grace and favor.

All my shame, guilt, sins, they’ve been forgiven

No more chains, fear; for my past is over

The analogy of the renovated wheelbarrow.

I really wish that there’s a “before” photo to match the “after” photo of the wheel barrow in the picture above. It will be the perfect picture with that addition. The name on the wheel barrow will be explained in the story I’m about to tell in the next few minutes.

Believe it or not, that wheelbarrow which we will call J.B (Jollof’s Barrow abbreviated) has been sitting idle in the front yard of my house for the past three years. It was given to us by a neighbor but, we completely ignored it because of its broken wheel. It has sadly endured all the elements of the weather and all too many unfriendly conditions. Stricken by sunshine, beaten by rain, cold to touch, scorched by heat, eroded by sea salt (I live by the sea), coated in dust, assaulted with trash. Subsequently, its coat of paint peeled, it lost its shine, and gradually deteriorated into a rusted, dilapidated mess. It has escaped the garbage van more times than I can count despite the numerous times we decided to trash it.

-Fast forward to April 2020-

We decided to start a house garden and an essential equipment was a wheelbarrow. Once again we remembered this abandoned ruin. Yet again, we decided it was finally time for it to go. “Trash the old, in with the new.” Yet, somehow a renovation of J.B was suggested and agreed. J.B was thrown into the bucket of my dad’s pick up. It went on a trip to the metal worker and the vulcanizer. To receive preliminary work. A change of wheel and tyre pump.

Then the real work began. Getting the rust off. I can say without exaggerating that it took about 2 to 3 hours for me to polish J.B. All the accumulated rust, dirt and old paint needed to be completely stripped off with sandpaper to reveal the clear metal underneath all the grime. The dust was cleaned off and new paint applied. Then viola! I got what you see in the picture above. A wheelbarrow that looked nothing like what it used to be. Abet you would buy it in the market without knowing that it was a rusted, condemned barrow destined for the dump. However, it is now a polished, black and beautiful, functional barrow fit to work in our house garden.

The interesting thing is that I was so proud of how transformed the wheelbarrow was that I wanted to place my identity on it. I wanted everyone to know just what I had been through to transform the wheelbarrow. I wanted people to see, “Jollof’s Barrow” and ask how the wheel barrow came by that name so I could share with them. Like I’m proudly doing now hahaha. Seeing that barrow everyday pleases me so much. I don’t dwell anymore on how it once looked. I’m so glad about how it looks now with my name on it. And I am looking forward to using it in my garden.

Of course this led to a revelation. Duh! Trust me, God uses everyday things to speak to us always, always, always. So keep your ears open to Him at all times. Anyway, I said to myself, ” If I imperfect Steph, believe I have the right and I am so eager to place my name, my seal or stamp on this wheelbarrow which I made anew, how much more God?” The work God has done in transforming our lives is far more exceedingly greater and perfect than what I did to that Barrow. He places His stamp of righteousness and perfection on us. The seal of His Holy Spirit.

If I felt such a deep sense of pride and joy toward J.B, how much more does the Creator and Savior of our lives feel much more holy pride and joy in transforming the lives, destinies and existence of mankind. He took our rusted lives, cleaned all the dust and grime and polished us. He made us brand new. Pause and reflect.

I was so pleased and eager to use the barrow because for it I gave of myself. My energy, my time, my sweat, my dedication. How much more is God pleased with us whom He has born again. How much more is He pleased to use us. He is exceedingly pleased. Glory be to God!

Mr. Mrs. and Miss Wheelbarrow. God is so proud of you as His handiwork. He loves you so much and wants to use you. If you didn’t go into the trash when you were dirty, rusted and dilapidated, you will definitely not go in there now that you’re made anew. Roll in that confidence.

Sometimes J.B gets dirty from all the work it does. I make it my priority to make sure it’s clean and in proper shape for work. As we give ourselves over to the work of Jesus, we get messy sometimes, but the One who made us anew has made it His responsibility to ensure that we are in the best shape for work.

Too often, we second guess ourselves and our worth. But we forget that He saw how imperfect we were “before”, yet He gave us a “now” in spite of all the bad things He saw. Our focus therefore should be on the opportunity He has provided for us to give ourselves over to Him completely. To be a part of the Faithful in His vineyard.

What am I saying in all this? You belong to God, the One who renovated your life and made you a totally different person the moment you believed in His Son Jesus Christ. You are worthy to be boasted of. I tell you, He has written all about you in His book, the Bible. You are the proud handiwork of God.

Isaiah 43:1-4. But now, God’s Message,
    the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
    the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
    I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
    When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
    it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
    The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
    all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
    That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
    trade the creation just for you. Amen.

PS: My nickname is actually Jollof. Lol. So that explains the name on the Wheelbarrow. The origins story of the name will come later. If you ask in the comments though I will share ;D

I want to here from you. Comment down below. Share. Subscribe to spiritawakenings so you’ll be first to hear. Shalom!

The post Born Again-Makeover Edition (The analogy of the renovated wheelbarrow) first appeared on .

Wait on the Lord. He knows what you need.

He will give it to you just in time. Wait on the Lord.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up with wings as eagles. Wait on the Lord.

Monday, 4th November 2019
Time: 7:30am

S: …What was today’s sermon about?

P: Praying persistently.

P: It Was taken from Luke 18

P: Where the Widow wanted Justice and Fair Trial from the Unjust and Wicked Judge…

P: She Persisted until She was Granted Justice

S: Oooouuuu yeah. That.

S: I really like that story (PS: check out Lk 18:1-8 for the story)

P: Nice

P: I love that Story too

P: We must not relent in Prayer no matter the circumstances surrounding us…when God wants to Act, He does it speedily. No matter the situation, When God decides to Act; it’s so swift

S: Yeah

S: I believe that

S: We just gotta wait

….But do we?

 Do we really wait? Do we want to wait/ Do we really believe? I often don’t. If God acts swiftly, why can’t He act now? Why won’t He act now? Now is the time I know I need it.

When we realize “how time flies” Don’t we want to fly in line with time?

Our thoughts crying, “A stitch in time saves nine, Lord! Make hay while the sun shines. It’s almost night.” “I don’t want to be left behind.”

“My blessing must be on time.

My healing must be on time.

My marriage, my work, money, EVERYTHING must come through…On time. In my time”

P: Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, Until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for The land to yield its valuable crop. Patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm because the Lord’s coming is near…

S: I love gardening. It teaches you to wait.

P: This scripture does not only encourage us to Wait on the Second Coming of Christ but also to Wait on Our Expectations after we have Prayed. The Farmer is a Perfect Example for Waiting on God for the Right Season.

Sigh. I guess he’s right

Have you ever seen a farmer dig out the seed he planted?

His beans not seen in ten?

His peas not seen in thirty?

His trees in two seasons?

He will wait.

Won’t we wait? Even if the time has elapsed for germination.

Won’t we wait? For the mystery of the seed’s transformation into a beautiful sprout from faith.

Won’t we wait? For the Designing Master to break apart and bring life out of our seed.

We should wait, because we are not responsible for the growth, but the wait.

We water and wait

We feel the sunshine and wait

We pull weeds and wait

We look and wait

We listen and wait

We pray and wait

We wait and wait

….then wait!

We see it. What we longed for, hoped for, prayed for. Trusted Him for.

The bud that breaks the surface of the earth. Eureka!

The bud that encapsulates the beauty of our faith. That Paul planted, Apollos watered, but Jesus Christ gave life, growth and reward. Selah

S: God is faithful

P: Always

S: He better come through for me

S: Because this girl is just about digging out the seed

P: He will always come through for His children

P: Don’t dig out the seed just Yet…

P: Help is on the way

P: Psalm, 117:1-2, “Praise the Lord, all you nations; Extol Him, all you peoples. For great is His love Toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures Forever. Praise the Lord.

S: Praise the Lord

S: Thanks P

S: Glad I had this conversation

He knows what you need and will give it just in time. This track is so groovy. Enjoy!

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I wonder why his words come to me now.

“…these streets remind me of quicksand. When you’re on it, you’ll keep going down. There’s no one to hold on to. There’s no one to pull you out. You keep falling. No one hears you calling. You end up self destructing .”

music by Akon – Ghetto

…Poetic.

How easy it is to feel that way. To be that way. Like you’re falling through quicksand. The more you struggle to get out, the quicker you sink deeper into the quagmire. You wonder how the ground began to swallow you up. You thought the bog was just a shallow puddle you could waddle through. Until it began to suck you into dark depths.

…Merciless.

You see solid ground around you, just beyond your reach, but you cannot touch. You can only watch as your world slowly disappears before your eyes. You start to fear, freak, cry, despair, accept defeat as you feel that slow sucking power of the ground that was meant to bear you up.

Is there really someone to hear me call? Is there someone who sees me struggling? Who sees me drowning in myself? Self- destructing. You are at your wits end and frustrated with yourself. You feel what Paul feels. You wonder why you don’t do the things you ought to but what you would rather not. Yet you know the answer…You are maybe tired of trying to do right. Trying to be on the straight and narrow. The perfect picture.

…You’re weary.

But there is someone who sees you falling. Who hears you calling. Who feels you worn out and exhausted. Who knows you’re giving up on yourself. Unwilling to hold on another second. There is someone who can pull you out. Don’t try to get out on your own. Your efforts will push you faster beneath the surface.

…Lost.

Cry out! Cry out to the One on solid ground. Shout, “Lord! Deliver me from me! Because me, hurts me! Me, destroys me! Because me, betrays me.”

He will come and save you. His word will draw you from the miry bog. Upon solid ground, you will stand. I wish we will stay on the path of life and not wander into the mysterious jungle. It’s allure is but for a moment.

…Fading away.

Leaving you empty inside. With tempting steps, sucking you into a lifeless, breathless, never ending pool of darkness. You wonder how you got so deep and lost.

…Far from the path.

I cried to the Lord and He answered me. No, I did not cry out like I should have. I whispered to the Lord. Right before I slipped into the darkness. “Lord, do something before I lose my mind; before I lose my love; before I lose my life.” He heard me. He gave me peace.

I am rising

Out of the sand, out of the dust, out of the mud, out of the pain, out of the hurt, out of this mess, out of the stress, out of the rain. I am rising.

To the One who gives us victory…

Over our selves. Over our temptations. Over our trials. Over our weaknesses. Over our thoughts of defeat. Over our sin. Over our choices of wrong. Over our emptiness. Over our sighs of hopelessness. Over our pride.

…I give my life

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