Bible – The Storytela

Feb 15, 2016Feb 16, 2016

Life With My Boy: The Voice Of God

My son dreads cutting his nails, he calls the nail cutter ‘Cutting Wound’ and declares that it’s a dangerous object.

Or maybe I should say that he acts like he dreads cutting his nails when he is at home. This is because when I have to get an Assistant teacher in his school to help (after loosing several fights at home) he would sit properly, stretch out his hands without any tantrums, allow the teacher cut his nails and then say ‘Thank you Miss Alice‘ or ‘Thank you Miss Taiwo‘ depending on who is helping out.

One day, I insisted that he would cut his nails at home while he was awake and we struggled to no avail, so I decided to turn to the jungle for help one last time.

I told him he would go to the Jungle and live with animals, since he wants to grow claws in the place of nails. He kept laughing and didn’t budge. I took him out of the house to the staircase and locked the connecting gate. He kept laughing thinking it was a game. I then told him to walk down the staircase and out into the compound/jungle. As he began his descent, I made everyone go inside and then I made a very loud noise ‘moooooooooo’ (I sincerely didn’t expect this to work).

Next thing I heard was Ikem screaming and running up the staircase, ‘Mummy open the door, the Gorrilla is coming’, please open the door’.

I tried so hard to stifle the laughter, the gate had openings so we could see ourselves. I said I would let him in if he was ready to cut his nails. Anyways, it worked and we had a peaceful nail cutting session. Afterwards, I stuck to cutting his nails when he was asleep.

Fast forward to this weekend, we are his room working on his school project, and I noticed his nails were due for a cut.

‘Ikem, you need to cut your nails.’ I said

‘No Mummy, God said I should not cut my nails’. He replied.

‘Eh’?! I wasn’t sure I heard him well. ‘God cannot tell you not to cut your nails’. I replied.

‘I heard the voice of God, he told me not to cut my nails. Jesus said I should not cut my nails’. He replied smiling back at me.

‘Heyyyyy!’ I was short of words. ‘God can’t say that, it’s not in the Bible.’ I insisted.

‘The Bible of God says so, Pastor Chris said I should not cut my nails.’

Sincerely, I just left the matter at this point. To be revisited when he falls asleep.

THE END.

Aug 31, 2013Aug 31, 2013

Did He say it?

If He said it. Then you don’t have a problem.

If God has told you something about your life, be very certain that He would make it happen. Maybe it’s been ten years or more and you are beginning to wonder if it’s ever going to happen. Check out this verse;

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”

Philippians 1:6 KJV

God is not slow in delivering his promises. Sometimes we try to help him do his work and that’s when we get into trouble. Let’s look at the story of Abraham and Sarah. In Genesis 15, God told Abraham (then he was still Abram) that he would have an heir. However, ten years down the line, the heir was yet to show up so Sarah (still known as Sarai) decided to help out.

Pause…

Question: What is the difference between helping God and being proactive?

Answer: Your motive! What you do (your actions) and your attitude will align with your motive.

Are you motivated by fear? or are you being led by the Holy Spirit to take that line of action?

Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham out of fear. In her own words

“… behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing…”

But God had promised Abraham an heir and Sarah knew it. The Holy Spirit would not lead you outside of God’s word.

When God speaks to you, it is usually in line with his grand plan/master plan for your life. You need to have an understanding of that plan, when you do, you will not waste time on things that don’t matter, you will live with a purpose.

Abraham on his own part could have asked God if Hagar was the woman who would give birth to the heir. He also could have asked God if that was the time, he could have asked God how the heir would come, when the heir would come and where the heir would be born and God would have answered him.

Did God stop Abraham from sleeping with Hagar? No! Because man has a free will.

You see, don’t assume that God will stop you from walking outside his will for you, if you insist on doing so. It is your duty to follow God’s plan for your life, God doesn’t force people.

Now, ten years later, God speaks to Abraham and tells him when the heir would be born, who would bear the heir (his wife of course) and what the heir would be called (Genesis 17: 15-19). He also seals of his Covenant with him with Circumcision and then changes his name and Sarah’s name. Amazing!

Question: Why did it take God ten long years?!

Answer: There was an appointed time for the heir to be born.

” Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son” Genesis 18:14

Now, there was a master plan for Abraham’s life as shown in all God told him. His seed Isaac had a crucial role to play, all through to Jesus Christ and the Church (we are the seed of Abraham) so God had a particular time that he needed Isaac to come on the scene, just like there was a timing to the birth of Jesus and a timing for his ministry and his death. Not just spiritually but physically and politically too. There had to be somethings going on in the world to create the right atmosphere for the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now back to you, understand that you are not an ordinary person, you are important to God and that’s why he has taken time to make a specific plan for your life. You need to find out what it is by asking him. Don’t assume. If he has told you what, then trust him on the how and the when.

“And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken! For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him” Genesis 21: 1-2

Do you know that God actually came to remind Abraham nine months before Isaac was born that he needed to spend some time with his wife? (Genesis 18:10, my interpretation. Lol!) They were rather old at this time but the timing was right and the setting was right.

As human beings, we are usually in a hurry but no matter how much we hurry, we know that it takes nine months for a baby to grow and be born and because we have that understanding, we wait for the baby to fully develop and be born.

The same applies to what God has said to you or about you, there is an appointed time, a set time. It is important that you constantly renew your mind with God’s word so that you would know what is his good and acceptable and perfect will for you.

God bless you.

*Excerpts taken from Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional, www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

Aug 4, 2013Aug 4, 2013

Feeling Unappreciated?

Have you ever come to that point in your life when you’ve given so much of everything you’ve got, sacrificed so much and yet it seems no one really appreciates?

It’s possible they actually thanked you and maybe someone sang your praise, but that was all. You were left feeling so spent and maybe drained.

So what do you do at this point? Get angry? Feel bitter? Wish you had not done so much? Decide to be a bit more self centered next time?

Well, the truth is, if no one seems to appreciate what you’ve done, God does.

Yes he does.

The bible says that whatsoever you do, do it as unto the Lord and not unto men.

Did you see that? WHATSOEVER, in other words, anything at all.

The bible also says that God is not unfaithful as to forget your labour of love.

You see, God really does appreciate all that you do especially when you give so much to bless the lives of others.

And He would reward you! That’s the truth, whether you want the reward or not, God is a just God, he does not forget.

Also, you need to start appreciating yourself. Yes…

Praise yourself for being able to give so much and bless the lives of others even if they are your family members.

Joseph recognised that God sent him ahead to Egypt to be a saviour for Israel at the time of famine. His means of getting there was by no means funny.

Same with you. God has empowered to you to be a source of succor and strength to the people in your sphere of contact. Thank him for counting you worthy of such a task and trust in him for the ability to do it and do it well.

And though people may not go overboard to show they appreciate you, the truth is they do! They are glad you are a part of their lives and they would not want to do without you.

So when next you are feeling unappreciated, take a moment to think about the love of God, be grateful for the opportunity to be a blessing and also know that people are grateful for your contributions to their lives.

God bless you.

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