THE VALLEY MOMENTS

The word valley (according to English Dictionary for Windows Phone) literally refers to “a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river”

The valley moments stated here is a figurative expression of the word. Life as was once remarked by a singer is like an ocean; sometimes it can be calm (and peaceful) and at other times it can be devastatingly turbulent. Just like the ocean, different phases abound in the life of all men. The bible says as much in the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 Verse 1:

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”.

Man has a natural tendency to desire comfort at all times. We as believers often pray that we should never experience these ‘valley moments’. The truth is that these moments are inevitable! As sure as the sun will rise in the morning and the moon at nightfall is, so also are these moments.

One of the greatest apostles of the faith - Paul - urged his protégé; Timothy, in the book of second Timothy Chapter 4 verse 2; to be instant in season and out of season. This clearly displays that Paul was not oblivious to this fact. He knew for sure, that Timothy (as every other man) was bound to encounter this moments.

The fact that one lives a good, righteous and Godly life by all standards does not exempt you from passing through these moments. In fact both the; just and the unjust, the righteous and unrighteous, the Godly and ungodly, will experience good seasons and bad seasons. This is clearly spelt out by Jesus in the book of Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 45:

“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust”

The simple fact that you exists on this earth means that you are dead certain to encounter these moments!  

By praying against this moments coming, I daresay that we are praying amiss! This might be a bitter pill to swallow, to me inclusive (I must confess), but nevertheless it remains the truth.

Now, let’s see the assurances we are given in the scriptures when we encounter these moments. The book of Isaiah Chapter 43 verse 2 says:

“When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Notice how this scripture says “when” and not “if”. It implies that though we are certain to encounter this moments, he will not only be with us, but he will also ensure that we will come out triumphant and unscathed. Apostle Paul reaffirmed this in Romans Chapter 8 verse 37:

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”

Again the scripture says in the latter part of Psalms 30 Verse 5:                                 

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning”

There is light at the end of the tunnel. In fact a brighter light awaits us at the end of the tunnel than that we first encountered before we entered the dark moment. We can see this from the life of Job. After Job’s valley moment he was blessed beyond what he had before he went into that moment, Job Chapter 42 Verse 12:

“So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.”

Still in doubt? Then let’s read Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 Verse 8:

“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”

David says in Psalms 23 verse 4:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort”

This came from the mouth of a man I consider an authority on this subject matter. Let’s take a brief look at David’s life. Firstly he started off as somewhat of an outcast in his family. Even his father didn’t consider him worthy of greatness as seen in First Samuel Chapter 16, where Prophet Samuel was directed by God to go and anoint the next King from the house of Jesse. Jesse his father didn’t even line him up amongst his sons to be considered for the position, in fact he had written him off. In my book, that counts as valley moment.

Despite David’s faithful and diligent service to King Saul, he still considered him an enemy to be done away with and even sought to end his life. David was rendered an outcast for the second time in his life, this time an outcast from the entire kingdom of Israel (I Samuel Chapter 24). This was another valley moment.

Even when David was in exile, the Amalekites raided his camp at Ziklag and carted away with he and his men’s wives and possessions (I Samuel Chapter 30). This was yet still another valley moment.

Still, when David was even on the throne, his son (Absalom) usurped his power, overthrew his government and had carnal knowledge of his wives (II Samuel Chapter 15). Another valley moment.

Despite all these events, David still maintained his Faith, believe and trust in God. He came out more than a conqueror.

What am I saying in essence? Though we will encounter these moments, but as believers, God will turn our valley of trouble into a door of hope. Hosea Chapter 2 Verse 15:

“And I will give her vineyard thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.”

One might be tempted to ask why we even need to pass through these moments. But a simple quote (not from the bible) goes thus, “what will not kill you, will only make you stronger.” It follows that since we have been assured that we will come out victorious and unhurt, then it remains sure that these moments are only there to bring out a better and stronger ‘us’.

Our prayers as believers should go thus:

1.       Father turn the valley of Achor into a door of hope for me (Hosea 2:15)

1.       Father when I’m in the valley, be with me and comfort me (Psalm 23:4)

Image from: http://www.frenchmoments.eu/vosges/

THE MESSAGE THERE-IN

Biblical genealogies are areas of the scripture which most believers (I especially) often overlook. I often think that no insight or real lessons other family histories/trees can be extracted. Upon listening to Matthew 1 (from the bible experience audio), I realized that I couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I have read through it a couple of times, or should I rather say that I have taken a couple of cursory looks through that chapter in time past; and honestly, it simply bored me out, and I quite often drift off (mentally) while reading through such scriptures. On listening to it being read out, new insights just kept flooding in, and now I realize that I should have taken more than just a cursory look into scriptures such as this.

Romans 10:17 says: “so then Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”                         NIV puts it this way: “Consequently, Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ”

The scripture above looks pretty straight forward at first glance, but I feel it’s much deeper than it looks.

What is ‘the message’ being referred to above?

I feel the Holyspirit ministers’ messages into our hearts and soul; but how do we truly hear what he speaks?

When we read or hear (listen to) the word (about) of Christ – that is the scripture – then the message comes loud and clear to us. Christianity is Faith-based and the scripture says as much in Hebrews 11:6;

“But without Faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that e is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Pleasing God is our mandate as Christians (Matthew 22:36-37). If we can’t please him, then we have failed. Faith is not an option, but a must to all believers.

For us to build our faith, we must “hear the message” from the Holyspirit. To hear this message, the channel/medium is “the word about Christ”.

Now coming to the scripture under consideration (Matthew 1); in Verse 5 – 6 reveals something quite fascinating. You will notice that this genealogy (as was customary in biblical time) is replete with male members of the bloodline, but two exceptions pop out in Verse 5; Rechab – the prostitute of Jericho who saved the Israeli spies, and Ruth – who steadfastly and loyally stuck to her mother-in-law, Naomi, even after the death of her husband. This gives us a great lesson – God never forgets the good done. Diligence in seeking the lord never goes unrewarded (Hebrews 11:6).

Take note of verse 6 as well; it doesn’t mention Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother), she was rather referred to as – the wife of Urias, because it was referring to the sin committed! Two lessons can be picked from here; firstly, though God is a merciful and loving father, consequences for our sins and inactions still abound. God is a God of justice, and he certainly didn’t allow the sin against Urias go unpunished. God is very much able to turn what seems like a dead certain disaster into a jaw-dropping testimony. A union initially enmeshed in sin later resulted in an offspring who now was in the bloodline of Jesus!

Verse 19 shows us a lesson on being JUST.

God doesn’t just allow anything happen for the sake of it happening. The angel of the Lord could very well have informed Joseph about the conception of the virgin Mary rather than allowing him find out himself. God didn’t permit it to happen that way, because I feel he had a lesson in store that he wanted to dispense to us. Joseph I must say would have been justified to feel betrayed and to take due actions (by human standard). Joseph didn’t succumb to bitterness or discard his moral values. He still had the intention of treating Mary in the right way!

As Christians, we shouldn’t treat people badly because they treat us that way. We must learn to live above the world/earthly code, which dictates that we give what we get. Treat everyone right! Do good to all men when opportune and not just the ones who treat you right.  

Image from: http://hanoverlibrary.ca/free-genealogy-sites-tools/

PRUDENCE: A Key attribute in a God-given Wife

This brief note is inspired from RCCG’s Sunday school manual (2014-2015 edition), from the topic of 26^TH April 2015 – Knowing God’s will in marriage.

Proverbs 19:14 – “House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD”

QUESTION: going by the passage above, would i be right if I came to the conclusion that possessing prudence (as an attribute) is a true test of a Godly woman when seeking out a wife?

WHAT IS PRUDENCE?

Making use of my phones dictionary as a source, I pulled out these definitions;

1.     Discretion in practical affairs

2.     Knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; discretion; discreetness; circumspection.

From the passage(Proverbs 19:14), we got one word; from the single word, we have now gotten a collection of words, that might help us gain clarity and better understanding of what to look out for in a desired wife as a Christian man.

Note Prior to this moment, I have always thought that prudence only applied to financial matters!

Now let’s look up another definition of the word “prudence” as gotten from dictionary.com;

·        Prudence as a Noun: the quality or fact of being prudent or wise in practical affairs as by providing for the future.

The above definition is so very rich! It says “wisdom in practical affairs”. This implies that she must be wise in handling daily occurrences that we often encounter (not just in words, but in deeds).

It further goes on to say “as by providing for the future.” That means she must be quite adept at planning. She should be one that is able to take pre-emptive measures in case of any eventuality in the future.

Dissecting the word “Prudence”

To do this, we go back to our start up definition and treat the other words we came across.

PRUDENCE: knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; discretion; discreetness; circumspection.

·        Being Circumspect:  Heedful of potential consequences. This implies that she evaluates before acting or making decisions. She makes sure to weigh the pros and cons!

·        Discreetness: Subtly skillful in handling of a situation; delicacy; diplomacy; finesse. The foregoing implies that she must be able to quell any brewing storm or conflict. She mustn’t be a person easily prone to brashness or easily angered. Essentially, we are looking at a PACIFIST here. A DOVISH fellow I must add. She must therefore have the ability to rein in her emotions rather than being controlled by them.

·        Discretion: The trait of judging wisely or objectively. Again, this points to the woman’s emotional stability. In order to be objective, one needs to be able to put emotions to one side, and properly weigh the issues at hand without being sentimental or otherwise swayed my emotional triggers.

Can this single word be the ultimate key in seeking out a Godly wife? That is the million dollar question.

Image from: http://www.textgiraffe.com/Prudence/

I LOVE GOD!!!!

I love God, I love heaven.

I am on earth, I have to live on this domain for a short while, but this is not my home neither is it my desire, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I still have to exist here and carry out His purpose for my life.

To fulfill His purpose and consequently inherit the heavenly kingdom as a joint heir with Christ and many brethren, I first have to live in this domain.

I live in this domain, therefore I need certain elements of this domain for survival and relative comfort, but that doesn't mean I Love them or I am consumed by a quest to acquire them.

My Love ultimately is the kingdom not seen, but that doesn't imply that I should cease to exist on this plane or cut short my preordained lifespan……

Since I have to exist here, I must make good use of my existence here, by living positively and doing His bidding....

Image Gotten from: https://www.wordans.com/dieu+designs

STAYING ON THE PATH

In this present world, it is very easy to be swayed away from God and His precepts. Our only help is to HOLD unto his truth (Word) and ask for the Holy Ghost to continuously help and direct us from going astray. The Holy Spirit is there also to help us not to succumb to the Pressures of this world.

Spiritually speaking, we need to “stay on” the path and stay faithful to God despite pressures from others.

Below is a paragraph written by Jennifer Benson Schuldt of Our Daily bread devotional on 30^th of October 2012.

Today, just as in ancient times, people and circumstances may prompt us to shift our loyalty away from God and His truth. Yet, with God’s help we can hold fast to the word of life (Philippians 2:16). If you feel pressured to enter a dangerous intersection of beliefs;

Ø  Study God’s word

Ø  Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Ø  Ask the Holy Spirit for help (I Corinthians 2:10-12)

Ø  Then standfast with your fellow believers in Christ

Image gotten from: http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/how-stay-healthy-path

RUTH – A MODEL IN THE FAITH (Part 2 – Chapter 3 & 4)

v  Honor your Parents & Elders

One of the 10 commandments given to Moses was for us to honor our parents. In this instance though, Naomi wasn’t Ruth’s biological parent, but she became so by virtue of the bond formed between them.

One folly of youths these days is their penchant for disregarding the counsel of elders. We often equate intelligence for wisdom. Certain wisdom - I have discovered – is only gotten from a degree of experience which we don’t possess at a certain age. Tapping from the experience of the elders is highly profitable.

There are certain things that we might not understand, but once we’re clear that God has put us under a particular individuals’ (or group of individuals) care – be it mentor, parent or otherwise – and that the instruction given doesn’t go against God’s precepts; then we sometimes need to accept it as it is.

Ruth was instructed by Naomi in Chapter 3 Verse 1 – 4. Let’s read Ruth’s response;

⁵ and she said unto her, all that thou sayest unto me I will do.

Notice something; she (Ruth) didn’t question Naomi for a moment, because she already knew that Naomi had her best interest at heart and that God had placed Naomi on her path as a guide. We should learn to do this sometimes!

v  Do away with procrastination

Is it any wonder that Boaz was a successful man? Reading verse 18 of Chapter 3; we realize that Boaz was a man who got things done as soon as possible. It certainly feels like he was a man averse to procrastination, at least judging by the testimony of Naomi concerning the man in the stated verse.

v  Do what is right even if it seems like it is not to your favor

We often times bandy around the word “righteousness” without fully grasping its true meaning. Simply put, Righteousness dictates that we do the right things always.

Boaz would have obviously preferred that Ruth be married to him, but he nevertheless insisted on doing the right thing by first presenting the opportunity to the man who was more entitled than him (Chapter 3 verse 12). He set about doing this in Verse 1-6 of Chapter 4.

v  Your way of life can be a source of blessing to your offspring

In Chapter 4 Verse 14 -15, we see how the women pronounced blessings upon Obed due to the kind of person his mother (Ruth) was. This goes to show that it is profitable (not only to you) to live an exemplary, God-fearing life.

Image gotten from: http://www.lookandlearn.com/blog/2847/ruth-gleaning-barley-in-the-field-of-boaz/

RUTH – A MODEL IN THE FAITH (Part 1 – Chapter 1 & 2)

This write-up is the drawn out from the life of Ruth the daughter-in-law of Naomi as seen in the book of Ruth. Some lessons which I was personally able to draw out are written below. These are areas which we should as well strive to improve in our daily walk with Christ.

v  Lesson One: Strive to be a man/woman of your word!

Ruth made a sort of vow/promise to Naomi her mother-in-law in verse 16 – 17 of Chapter 1, and I’m certain that as I read through to the end of this book in the bible, I will find out that she upheld her promise.

One common thing I have noticed with the people of old, is their penchant for holding their words as their bonds. This is one attribute that seems to have deserted us. We need to re-learn this as a matter of urgency.

Prayer Point: Dear father, help me be a man/woman of my word, help me speak/promise only that which I will be able to do and which also falls in your Will for my life in Jesus name

v  Lesson Two: Loyalty does not go Unrewarded/Unnoticed.

Another trait that seems to be very scarce to the modern man is LOYALTY!

This is a trait that dictates you sticking around through thick and thin. The evidence of the lack of this trait/attribute abounds everywhere;

ü  Increase in the rate of divorce

ü  Church-Jumping Christians in search of quick miracles due to impatience

ü  Fair-weather friends

ü  Even political sycophants, as seen even in the Nigerian polity.

The beauty of this trait is that, though loyal acts usually seem to go unnoticed, they are actually never unrewarded. The one who matters takes notice. Therefore in due course, the act will soon be rewarded (by Him), as long as it was for a just cause.

You will notice that Ruth’s ACT of loyalty seemed to have only been between the two of them, news soon spread about this to Boaz, who duly favored her in no small measure (Chapter 2 Verse 11-12).

v  Lesson Three: Persistence pays

Ruth’s persistence as against Orpah’s  ‘quick-to-back-down’ disposition ensured that she got a passage into the fold of God’s chosen people. This is a great lesson for us believers, that though the world we’ve left behind when we accepted Christ might seem alluring, and all Logic might even point to the former life as a better option (Just as Naomi was trying to point out to her daughter’s-in-law), we must persevere and adhere to our initial commitment to forsake the old life and embrace the new life in Christ Jesus. Chapter 1 Verse 18 captures this.

v  Lesson Four: To reap doubly, your input is actually first required.

Ruth will probably not have come across her benefactor Boaz had she not opted to go out and work.

Without prompting, Ruth opted to go out and set about toiling, and that brought her to her place of favor.

To enter into our place of favor, we actually need to take a step – a step of faith you might say.

NOTE

The word enter in itself, is a verb that connotes movement of some sort. So you actually need to start “doing” and stop “idling”.

ü  God rewards us by enabling us eat of the “fruits of our labor”

ü  God is a God of Miracle and not a magician. He has set-out certain laws to govern the earth, and he honors such himself. One of such goes thus; in order to reap you must sow.

What God now does, is to set about multiplying your effort and giving you a bountiful harvest.

v  Lesson Five: Learn to be kind.

Boaz, as depicted in Chapter 2 must have been a kind-hearted fellow, who genuinely cared for the plight of others. It is not a surprise therefore, that they (Ruth and Boaz) happened to be in the family tree of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Christ Jesus as seen in the scripture remained eternally loyal to God. Philippians 2: 6-7 aptly captures this; “who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God

⁷But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

Secondly, there has and never will be a greater Love and sacrifice as that of Christ.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that individuals (Ruth and Boaz) who possessed such key traits as seen in Christ’s ministry happened to be in His bloodline.

Rather than our usual prayer of asking God to grant us favor with men and prayers for people to show us mercy, kindness and Love; why don’t we pray the following prayer for a change:

Father Lord, help me see the needs of those around me and grant me a loving and compassionate heart that I may go out of my way to grant them succor. Grant me the heart of Christ o’ Lord in Jesus name I pray.

Image from: http://www.truli.com/taxonomy/term/1081/en