“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” – Philippians 3:13
Recently, I had an opportunity to have lunch with some music ministers who had jetted into the country from the US as part of an Africa wide Tour. These are not just some teenagers seeking an adventure. No! These are men who left their wives and kids at home to come and minister the gospel through rap in Africa. During our conversation I learnt that they had been on tour in the US as well for the last three months which meant they had barely rested. They were tired, but something kept them going. A hope to transform more lives through their ministry, that passion for lost souls as urban missionaries, that zeal for glorifying God! That kept them going. Incidentally the tour was themed MOVE!
Giving up is usually the easiest way out of any situation. However, if you have strong reasons for doing something you will find it hard to quit. A conversation with a fellow blogger got me thinking about why I started this blog in the first place. Though I haven’t blogged in a while I realised I cannot give up on Chosen & Royal, at least not as yet. If you were on the verge of giving up on something because of a few challenges, think again. Just “…run, so that ye may obtain.” 1 Corinthians 9:24
God bless you
“If you faint in a crisis, you are weak” Proverbs 24:10 God’s Word Translation
Many times we are tempted to quit whenever we go through challenges in our jobs, marriages or in other areas of our lives. We tend to question God just like the Israelites did in the desert when they were being pursued by the Egyptians. “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert,” they said to Moses. (Ref Exodus14:11-12) These people had agreed to the idea of going to the Promised Land until trouble struck. They were willing to go back and be in bondage for the rest of their lives. However, Moses admonished them to stand firm (ref Exodus 14:13). What followed was a big miracle. God used Moses to part the waters to create a path for the Israelites to go through. When the Egyptians continued to pursue, the sea went back to its place and they were swept away and died.
God has got you covered! When it appears all hell has broken loose, don’t panic, and don’t be afraid. Stand Firm on the word of God concerning your situation and watch Him unleash His master plan. Remember, If God says it, Believe it and that settles it.
God bless you.
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” – Hebrews 13:6 NIV
It’s the month of February. How far are you with your New Year’s resolutions? Some have even forgotten what they even set to achieve. Others tried, “failed” and have given up. Yet many others haven’t even tried, probably because of the huge mountain blocking their path.
I’m reminded of the story of Moses as he tried to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. [Ref Exodus Chapters 5 to 11] After God spoke to him, I’m sure Moses thought, “After all, its God who sent me, this should be a walkover, Pharaoh will agree instantly.” However it was not so, he had to go back to Pharaoh 10 times before he said yes. Moses did not give up. He knew how important it was for the Israelites to come out of bondage and he knew who was backing Him up.
On my way from work one day it started raining. We couldn’t see anything in front of us. Traffic was moving slow. Many were running for cover and some just walked in the rain; after all they were already wet. To my surprise, the rain stopped! Actually, it didn’t stop, because looking behind (200m away) you could see people running, it was still raining back there, yet this place was dry. The sun was shining! There was no sign of rain at all. I thought to myself God is amazing! This is kind of what happened in Exodus 10:22-23 -> So Moses stretched out his hand towards the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No-one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. Well my experience wasn’t really like that. But look at it this way, it rained in one place and not in another.
Why did I share this experience? Well when Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go, the Bible records in Exodus 13:21-23 that the Lord went ahead of them to guide them. It’s the same thing with your goals and plans today. God is willing to help you. So do not give up. Regardless of number of obstacles you face, God is available to guide you. You are not alone. Help is available.
“Has he ever promised and not carried it through” Numbers23:19 NLT
What do you do first when you are faced with challenges? Many times we complain and tend to think that God has forsaken us. I understand it might be a pressing situation but is that enough to doubt the ability of God to bring you out?
God said He will never leave us no forsake us. That gives us the confidence to say he is our helper. (Ref Hebrews 13:5-6) Has God ever promised something and not carried it through? So why do you begin to doubt God now?
I’m reminded of a story in the Bible, in Matthew16. Jesus was with his disciples and he warned them against the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees by talking about yeast. The disciples didn’t get it and so they thought Jesus was referring to the fact that they had no bread. Jesus responded, “Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? O you [men, how little trust you have in Me, how] little faith! Do you not yet discern (perceive and understand)? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many [[a]small hand] baskets you gathered? Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many [[b]large provision] baskets you took up? How is it that you fail to understand that I was not talking to you about bread?” Matthew16:8-11 AMP. Jesus couldn’t understand how the disciples could even consider lack of bread an issue if they were present during those miracles. In Shona we call that “Kukanganwa chazuro nehope” simply meaning forgetting about what happened yesterday with a night’s sleep.
Many of us find ourselves in this predicament. We forget all the times God came through for us before. God is the creator of Heaven and Earth. Is anything too big for Him? The next time you are faced with a challenge, do not despair! Count your blessings and begin to remind yourself of the great things God has done for you in the past. He brought you out in the past, so He will bring you out again.
Stay Blessed
