FROM GLOOM TO BOOM!
Today, we shall be looking at 2 Kings 4:1-7. By way of summary, a man from the company of the prophets died and left behind a wife, two boys and much debt. Soon his creditors moved to enslave his sons because of his unsettled debt. Subsequently, his wife sought and got help from God through Prophet Elisha. How? Her small supply of oil was miraculously increased and on the advice of the Prophet, she borrowed numerous empty jars from her neighbors, filled them with oil and sold them. And from this venture alone, she made a lot of money which enabled her to settle her husband’s debt, deliver her sons from impending slavery and yet had a lot remaining to support her children and herself for the rest of their lives. It is therefore not out of place if we conclude that God elevated her family from the state of Gloom to Boom.
There are many points that we can adduce from the account above but we shall consider only the following here.
1. It is profitable to fear God. First how can somebody fear God? Simply, by having great respect or awe for him. The departed feared God and his wife held on to this point tenaciously. It is also this point that gave her the audacity to seek help from God through the Prophet in the first place. If you go through the bible carefully, you will observe that great men such as Abraham, David, Job, Joseph, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, the apostles etc all feared God and in return, He delivered them from threats to their lives. Psalm 103:13 says: ‘As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him’. If you want God to pity and deliver you from threats to your life then, you must be prepared to fear him. In addition, he will empower you to dwell in prosperity and enable your descendants to inherit the earth (Psalm 25:12-13).
2. We should seek help from the right source. The woman did not result to self help neither did she ask anybody to help her. That was probably because she realized the folly behind trusting men. Prophet Micah made this succinct in Micah 7:5 where he said: ‘’Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a companion’’. This is an important counsel because most people, systems, institutions, governments etc will fail you when you need them most but God will never fail you for any reason (Psalm 46:1). Please do not leave certainty for uncertainty; seek help from the right source–seek help from God. The woman did and her life and the lives of her children never remained the same thereafter.
3. We should never underestimate whatever belongs to us. When the woman was asked what she had in her house, she said ‘’nothing except a little oil’’. She underestimated what she had. Meanwhile what she had though small, was given from above (1 Corinthians 4:7) and God is all the time in the business of using whatever he gives us which we sometimes consider infinitesimal to show his clout (1 Corinthians 1:27). Please never underestimate your unique potentials, idiosyncrasies, talents, educational and professional achievement(s), resources, health, position, business, ministry etc. Identify and hand them over to God for his exclusive management; be humble about them too and in the process of time, he will make use of them to lift you up (Psalm 147:6).
4. We must obey God at all times. The woman was directed by the Prophet to borrow as many jars as she could find, close the door after her children and herself, fill the empty jars with oil and then sell them. She must have realized that the prophet’s instructions came from God and she obeyed them fully. The book of Isaiah 1:19 says: ‘’If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land’’. The woman was willing and obedient and she became stupendously rich and her children were delivered from servitude forever. In the same vein, if you are prepared to obey God, you will boom hugely in life.
Please ponder on these points carefully and put them into active use. May the Almighty God uphold you with his everlasting hands throughout this month and beyond. May he also deliver you permanently from everything that represents the state of Gloom in your life so that you can Boom brilliantly in Jesus name. Amen.
NB. This monthly bulletin is three (3) years old today. To God be the glory.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Boom, Gloom
God is Still Working in The Dark
Today, we shall be considering the fact that God is still working in the ‘dark’; the dark in people’s lives. But before we proceed any further with this write up; let us take a good look at two sides of the word ‘dark’ so that we can better understand its significance. They are:
1. The absence of light.
Many untoward things happen in the absence of light. For example, visibility is poor, movement is restricted and crime may escalate. Also in the absence of light, Satan and his agents are at their peak maiming and killing people and destroying their properties. However, it is cheering to know that God is equally effective during this period counteracting their evil antics. Remember that He does not sleep nor slumber (Psalms 121:4). It is also on record that He performed many outstanding miracles in the absence of light (i.e. in the dark). For example, He created light in dark (Genesis 1:2-3), He sent Angels of death to visit Egypt in dark (Exodus 12:29), He sent a strong wind which divided the red sea for the Israelites to pass through in dark (Exodus 14:21-22) etc.
2. An unpleasant or a gloomy state.
Gloom is a major part of today’s world and it is visible everywhere you turn to; in individual lives, in families, in communities, in governments etc. All over the world, people now find it difficult to feed properly, to pay their debts and mortgages; job opportunities are fast shrinking and businesses cum investments are collapsing at an alarming rate. A glance at the state of the world’s infrastructures also connotes gloom. Schools are crumbling, health facilities are going under, transportation systems are deteriorating etc. Because of all above and a lot more, many people are frustrated and they believe that the easiest way out is to end it all up. Many people even query the relevance of God nowadays. To such people, I say please pause a little bit! God is still very relevant and He is actively working in the dark of our lives. Today, He is saying ’’Let there be light’’ in your situation and it will be so (Genesis 1:3) in Jesus name.
Friend, are you experiencing a ‘dark’ (gloomy) situation in your life at the moment? If you are then, I assure you that you are not alone; God is with you and you are bound to do well eventually but you must be prepared to endure to the end (Matthew 10:22b). Abraham Lincoln’s situation was probably worse than yours. For a substantial part of his life, very few things worked out fine for him but he endured to the end and became one of the most celebrated Presidents of the United States of America. Do not give up and please constantly remember that ‘’weeping may endure in the night, but joy comes in the morning’’ (Psalm 30:5).
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Dark, Darkness, Gloom, Gloomy, Hope, Hopelessness, State of Darkness
The Sun Will Shine Again
Some of my friends lost their relatives recently and in this write up, I want to identify myself with them in obedience to the instruction of Apostle Paul in Romans 12:15. That is: ‘’Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep’’. If you are one of the people rejoicing at the moment, I join you to give thanks to God Almighty. May your joy not be cruelly truncated in Jesus name. Amen. But if you are mourning the loss of a loved one, please accept my heartfelt sympathy.
Certainly this period cannot be fun for you and you must be very low in the spirit right now. Furthermore, you may have questioned God critically and you may even be at the verge of parting ways with Him. If this is the case with you, please hold on! Whilst it is normal to grieve (this is the price we have to pay for love), please don’t allow grief to steal your trust in God.
At a time like this, you may find the following bible passages helpful.
1. ‘’Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed’’ (Job 14:5).
God determined the life span of your beloved just like every other person’s and there is really nothing anybody could have done to prolong it. His or her assignments on earth have ended and the time to rest has come. This should be your joy!
2. ‘’Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the saints’’ (Psalm 116:15).
If God is celebrating the home coming of your beloved right now, then you shouldn’t mourn endlessly. Remember that at the appropriate time, he or she will rise up and be re-united with you in Christ (1Thessalonians 4:16-17). This also should be your joy!
Friend, I urge you to quickly wipe away your tears, brace up yourself and start to bless the name of the Lord. Please, I am in no way suggesting that complying with my advice will be easy but I am persuaded that it is possible to do so with the help of Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:13). And by His grace, the Sun will Shine Again and you will be happy.
Finally in Matthew 5:4, Jesus Christ said ‘’blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted’’. May the Holy Spirit comfort you therefore and may the joy of the Lord be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10) as from this time forth in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Bereavement, Encouragement, Gloom, Gloomy State, Sadness, The Sun Will Shine Again