By Bother Godwin
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? Mark 4:38
I have done it several times in the past. You may have done it too. When we tell the stories of our challenges, the impression is that we have done everything but the problem has lasted. We say things like I prayed, I fasted, I do not miss service and so on, but yet the problem remains. Although it is not stated in these words, the implication is that God is not true to His Word; “God, you cannot defend your people”. This is a complete lie. God is faithful and He will not fail in our time (1 Corinthians 10:13). A related idea is that God allows problems in the life of his children, so that he can teach us something. Why do you think that God will cause you to have an accident, so as to teach you? Is that how you do (Luke 11:13)? Do you cut off your child’s hand so as to teach him? Does it really make sense that God kills somebody’s child so that he can teach him? No. God is not an ally of the devil. The devil is the one that steals, kills and destroys (John 10:10). Friend, God chastens us but he does that with his Word (2 Timothy 3:16). People open the door into their lives for the enemy either by commission or by omission (Ephesians 4:27). At times we open the door to the enemy when we make decisions that are not in line with what God demands at that time. Note that some of these decisions might not be out rightly sinful but just wrong at that particular point in time. Remember Hezekiah in Isaiah 39: 1-9? At other times, people just refuse to take their stand.
Jesus told the disciples to cross the sea (Mark 4:35). He did not say; cross over as long as the sea is calm. Inside every Word of God is the power to fulfill itself when believed (Isaiah 45:23). That Word was enough for them to depend on, no matter the challenge that confronted them. God was literarily angry with Moses. “Why are you crying to me”, God asked him? Put what you have to work (Exodus 14:14-16). So Moses’ sermon of “God shall fight for and you will hold your peace” was not completely correct. It was time to speak and use the rod in his hand and divide the sea. Likewise the disciples accused Jesus instead of standing on what he told them before the storm appeared.
The man by the pool blamed every other people (John 5:7). “I have no man to put me in when the angel moves the water”. Always like that: blame, blame and blame. We blame God; blame our parents, our relatives and every other person but ourselves. The truth is that we need to look inwards. This may be hard for us to take but we need to have a changed mindset to be free. I will explain. We might not be the cause of the challenge but we certainly have a major role to play to be free from it (Isaiah 7:9, Matthew 9:29). If you think you have done all you can do, you have basically closed the door against your freedom.
Satan destroyed everything that Job had but Job said “the Lord gave and the Lord has taken” (Job 1:21). Was it God that killed Job’s children and destroyed all that he had? No. “But God allowed it” you will say. No. He did not. Heaven only allows what we allow. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19, New Living Translation). Job like most people today was praying and acting in fear. Here him: the things which I greatly feared have come upon me (Job 3:25). Now did you read Job 1:5? He was continually afraid. Fear, to the devil is like faith in God. Fear moves the devil. Now was God aware of what happened to him? Yes, but God only allowed what Job had allowed by his continual fear. There are examples of people who refused to take the usual. Jabez was one of them. God sent his prophet to give Hezekiah the death sentence, but Hezekiah brought his strong reasons (Isaiah 38). The widow refused to accept the death of her son (2 King 4:18-30). Friend, this is the point: the whole earth is full of habitation of cruelty (Psalms 74:20). Don’t just sit there and allow things to happen the way they want. If it is not good, it is not God. It is the violent that takes the kingdom by force. Set the standard (Jeremiah 50:2); bring your strong reason (Isaiah 41:21). Happy is the man that does not condemn himself by the things he allows (Hebrew 12:22). Stop allowing bad stuff.
But all things work together for good (Romans 8:26). Yes, it certainly does but it is to them that love God. What does it mean to love God? He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21). If you love God, you will obey him. It is obedience to God despite that challenge that will make the circumstance to work to your advantage. This means God will deliver you and honor you. The water will not drown you neither will the fire kindle upon you dress. God delivered Daniel and the three Hebrew children and honored them. They did not lower their standard; they did not abase themselves despite all the threat. Now think on this: there is a world of difference between the trials that come to us due to our belief in God (James 1:2-4), and suffering what has already been paid for by the blood of Jesus (Galatians 3:13-14).
Why do we need to renew our mind to God’s Word? If you think that God is teaching you for instance through sickness, you cannot take your stand and refuse it. Every sickness and disease was paid for because by his stripes we were healed (1 Peter 2:24). What we do is to stand our ground, and refuse the enemy from putting what has already been paid for on us. God’s grace was enough for Paul, but for what? If grace brings salvation (Titus 2:11) and grace is for all sufficiency in all things (2 Corinthians 9:8), then the grace was available for him to use and be free. Do you imagine that Peter and John had the lame man's healing (Acts 3: 6-7), and Paul did not have for even hmself? Paul was expecting God to take the stand he (Paul) should take. Grace is for freedom and not to endure what we have been delivered from.
Let God be true and all men liars. God is a loving and faithful father. He does not deserve any blame. You and I need to take responsibility.
In this Easter week, Jesus will show himself alive in your affairs by many infallible proofs.
By Bother Godwin
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