Do you know your Daddy?

There’s an interesting story in Joshua 15 that you can easily miss or dismiss because the entire story is in 4 verses. Here we meet a lady named Acsah who is the daughter of Caleb.

I found such an enviable father-daughter relationship between those two. Caleb must have deeply loved her and she knew it very well. Her daddy decided that she wasn’t going to marry any Tom, Dick and Harry; he offered her to the man who would conquer a certain great city. So she ended up with the bravest guy who had strength and plenty of wisdom because he became the first judge of Israel.

After marriage, she asked Othniel, her hubby, to request her daddy for land. They got the land but it was kinda dry so she opted to go a step further and head back home to ask daddy for some water wells. Of course her daddy gave her what she wanted.

Here she was married to a brave and wise man who still wasn’t able to go ask Caleb for these things, but she could. It takes a daughter who knows she is loved and is very secure in that love, to approach her daddy confidently for anything.

We already have a Heavenly Daddy who tells us we can approach His throne boldly, He tells us to ask for anything in His name, He promises He’s with us always and has assured us of a love that’s beyond anything we can imagine.

But do you really know your Daddy? Do you understand how crazy He is about you? How He keenly watches every detail of your life and has planned everything beautifully to work for your good as you walk with Him?  Do you know what it’s like not to worry because your Daddy handles all your affairs?

Lotsa love from me to you!

Giants

Have you ever stood in front of a huge giant and felt extremely intimidated? You feel quite small and fear creeps in… that’s exactly what I’m staring at right now.

In this day and age, we probably never meet any person who’s a real giant but we have our own version. Situations or things that are so enormous that they intimidate us. Looking at them, you feel temporarily frozen and are not sure how to proceed; you feel helpless.

The worst giants are those that speak to you. They remind you how you’ve failed, how this has happened before and it will recur. They tell you you’re not good enough and can’t do a thing. They show you how hopeless it is.

These giants could be small things that gather up to taunt you all at once. It could be the thing you haven’t been able to do, the academic issues, the skin problems, the weight that isn’t going away, the work that’s piled up until it feels overwhelming, the broken relationship, attacks on your reputation, your struggle to live life right by God and a million other giants.

There’s a song by Casting Crowns that says:
“The giant’s calling out my name and he laughs at me, reminding me of all the times I tried before and failed. The giant keeps on telling me, time and time again, boy you’ll never win…”
Ain’t that the reality! But I love what comes right after that, speaking to the giant and saying how the voice of truth tells you a different story; the voice of truth says do not be afraid, the voice of truth says this is for my glory. Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.

So yes giants will keep intimidating you but remember that greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). He tells you:
Don’t be afraid, because I am with you. Don’t be intimidated; I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will support you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

Disobedience Costs

Today I had an interesting encounter and not exactly in a good way. I managed to wake up earlier than most days to spend time with God. Yesterday the same happened but immediately after that session with God, I went straight to bed and overslept until I almost missed my transport! So today, I resisted waking up because I told God it looked like it was doing more harm than good but I got up eventually.

After a beautiful session in God’s presence, I didn’t feel as sleepy as yesterday so I knew I could start my day. I felt a strong conviction to immediately start cleaning the house and get busy. I was happy about the prospect of a very productive morning… but I somehow found myself back in bed trying to convince myself that I’d just wait for a certain teaching on radio then get working. Bad idea!

The whole time I’d feel the Holy Spirit nudging me to do the right thing. I could tell it was outright disobedience but I went ahead. Long story short, I more than overslept. By the time I woke up, my tummy was feeling upset and that’s how I decided I couldn’t handle classes. So I missed classes that are compulsory and wasted most of the day. Had I obeyed, I’d have had a very productive day and I’d have been in school by the time the tummy issue started which would mean I’d have persevered then been okay. You don’t want to know the guilt and shame that’s been hovering around me all day.

It reminded me of King David and how he was at home while his army was out fighting during the season where kings were out at war. One act of disobedience caused him to be at the wrong place which led to exposure to temptation that he yielded to and which was further disobedience to the commands of God. Eventually, Bathsheba got pregnant and to cover the whole scenario, David had her husband killed at war.

You’d think the consequences of his disobedience ended with the guilt he felt or with his genuine repentance or after God’s punishment of taking the son they got with Bathsheba… but it went further. His son Amnon, ended up raping his sister Tamar then Tamar’s brother Absalom eventually killed Amnon.

Disobedience truly costs; it might be one insignificant consequence that you won’t even notice or one that follows you for years. When God asks you to do something, He knows it’s for your good and has your best interest at heart. You’re safe trusting Him and obeying what He says. Obedience is a sign of a surrendered heart and of faith in God. Allow Him to teach you day by day how to walk in total obedience. When you fall, His grace is sufficient but don’t abuse it by deliberately disobeying knowing that His mercy is new every morning.

Lotsa love from me to you!

Who exactly is Lord over you?

Like every other Christian, we’ll gladly mention how we love God and that Christ is Lord over our lives. We will sing songs about how we are fully surrendered to Jesus… but is that really the case?

Reality is that our words don’t match our actions. This week God was showing me how I was stubborn and disobedient. I consider myself a pretty good Christian since I spend time with God daily, He speaks to me, teaches me, pampers me and all that Father-daughter stuff. If He told me this a few years ago, I’d easily agree because I was seriously strong headed. After a lot of breaking and being moulded, I would think we’ve never been better with God.

He started revealing how He’d ask me to do things like waking up early to seek Him but I’d start rationalizing how that wouldn’t work because of various inconveniences. He’d tell me to fast and I’d argue most times how school was busy so what would be the point of fasting if I wouldn’t get a place to pray or the time? I’ve had countless moments of what I used to refer to as ‘negotiating’ with God. Which is just a fancy way of enforcing my way by trying to get God to see my point of view.

Now let’s get to you; you see that person who for some reason you say you can’t stand or simply don’t like… or the time you knew you needed to do something God had led you to do but have good excuses… or the person who you have a good reason why they don’t deserve your forgiveness… the list is endless.

The truth is that, Jesus isn’t really Lord in our lives. We like hanging out with Him, enjoy being loved on, are excited about the lessons we learn and the joy of being a Christian but we keep Him right beside the Throne of our hearts as we’re busy controlling every single detail of our lives. A Lord is someone with full control over you; they decide what you do, how you do and when you do. When they say jump, you don’t argue but ask how high as you already begin doing so. Our advantage is that Christ is a loving Lord but He’s still a Lord in the very sense of that word.

Check your heart today, ask yourself questions as you request the Holy Spirit to show you the absolute truth. Then choose to sincerely surrender to Jesus; do it daily, do it willingly.

Lotsa love from me to you!

When it doesn’t make sense

Do you have moments where your life feels like it has no meaning? When all the things you’ve failed at overwhelm you? When it feels like there’s no point to try because all efforts seem futile? And during this whole time God is quiet or feels like He packed and left.

You’re broken and there is absolutely no ray of hope. You wonder for how long you’ll be trapped in this cycle. It looks as if every time things appeared to get better, they still turned out the same. You probably conclude that this is how life will remain and that God is punishing you for something or gave up on you a long time ago.

I’ve been there… too many times!

Then I discovered that getting out of such a situation needs you to start speaking to yourself. Not like a crazy person having weird monologues but speaking to your soul and declaring truths that at that moment, you may not even believe.

Let me take you to Isaiah 43:1-5a… God says that He knows you personally because He formed you; He took His precious time to put you together. He has called you by name and you belong to Him. He promises that when you go through times that threaten to bring you completely down or overwhelm you, He’ll be right there with you to bring you through. Notice that He didn’t say you wouldn’t go through such times but He promises that even at those very moments, He’s there with you.

He declares that He gives people for your life and even nations. Imagine how special you’d have to be for you to be told that. Your life is extremely valuable to Him. Then I’m awed by how He starts that by saying how it’s because you are precious and honoured in His sight plus how loved you are.

So your life definitely matters and no detail escapes God! The same God who controls details that you’ve never considered: marking when the deer gives birth, providing food for ravens when their young ones cry out to God and hunting for the lions to satisfy their appetite (Job 38 and 39) If He can hear wild animals and even go hunting food for them, how much more do you think He takes care of your affairs!!

Psalm 139 explains how God understands the nitty gritties of your life. His thoughts toward you are too many to number; He thinks about you excessively! Yes, He’s figured out this entire life for you and had written every single day of your life before you were born. Nothing catches Him by surprise; nothing you do disappoints Him because He already knew it would happen but still chose to let that be part of your life story. He promises that every thing works for your good (Romans 8:28) and He doesn’t lie so if it’s in the bible then He’s definitely going to perform it.

No matter how you feel and how absent God seems; He is there with you and your life is definitely worth living out. He’s handling it all so just tell Him to help you see Him in all this as His peace and love surround you.

The Beautiful Rot

There are two types of beautiful rots, both have beauty and both have rot. They may sound similar but I promise you they’re quite different.
The first beautiful rot appears lovely on the first instance. You see how nice it looks on the outside and might even get captivated by it. Most people prefer it because it’s pleasing to the eyes. But underneath the surface lies an unbelievable rot. You can’t see it yet it exists. Maybe when you get close enough, your nose will first detect it but your eyes will disagree. It’s just a matter of time and that which was appealing to you becomes appalling.

The second beautiful rot is one most people shun. When you see it, you’d be quick to turn away because of how it looks. It is definitely not pleasing to the eyes and your nose might agree. It stays neglected by most and is bound by loneliness. It knows no real love because no one wanted it. However, on the inside it is blossoming. The beauty starts on the inside but can’t be seen. Like the first, it’s also going to be unveiled in a while. Only those who are very patient and keen enough to notice the beauty hidden within will appreciate it.

Two beautiful rots, one nasty one nice. In just a little while the world will know the truth and see the genuine beauty and the hidden rot.

Two beautiful rots, which one are you?

Lotsa love from me to you!

The Bad Good Guy

There is a certain category of (Christian) men that exist; the ones who are naturally very nice, extremely social, quite caring and most likely come with a dash of charm. They are such good company and conversations with them never end: you could chat all night (okay, half the night probably) and talk on phone for a long time. They exhibit such concern and care; they will check up on you and when you are not alright, they will shower you with attention.

They are the ones who: treat you right, know you well enough, can easily tell if something is wrong, occasionally tell you how much they have missed you whenever you go silent, tell you a lot about what is going on in their lives and seem to enjoy your company. These guys make you feel special and you get very comfortable with them. They are the kind of friends most girls desire. I myself have had a couple of them.

But… they are pretty dangerous!

Not dangerous because they are bad people but because of how good they are. I know you already have your eyebrows up; allow me to explain.

You see, this kind of guy will easily captivate you. You will insist on how you are simply friends and how it is a purely platonic relationship. What you do not realise is that with every act of kindness, every bit of concern, every phone call and every hour together, he is slowly creeping into your heart. The reality is that ladies get emotionally entangled faster than men so chances of you starting to like him are very high.

The danger starts when you slowly get towed in and when emotional intimacy starts building. After a while, feelings start developing and you realise you’re falling for this friend. Then the pain follows soon when you notice that he wasn’t treating you special but is actually like that with several ladies. This guy did not set out to lead you on then dump you; no, he simply is being who he is- the nice charming guy.

Several of his lady friends start crushing on him and he never understands why. Some of the ladies fortunately don’t suffer the same fate. A trail of broken hearts is left behind and he may or may not know but you can be sure he probably wouldn’t understand how it happened because he had no intention to date any of them; he was just being a good friend.

When I discovered how big a deal this was, I tried talking to some of my friends explaining to them how their actions were affecting ladies around them. Most of them couldn’t see it and none of them changed after that. Then it dawned on me that inasmuch as men are custodians of our hearts, we are the ones with the primary responsibility to guard our own hearts.

So then next time you have this nice, charming friend who is always offering a shoulder to cry on and feels like your absolute bestest friend. Watch out, don’t let emotional intimacy catch up. If he’s already gotten you emotionally entangled, then look for a way to explain to him how his actions are affecting you. If you can’t do that, then find a way to retreat and go get time to recover, even if it means letting go of a friendship.

Remember that above all, guard your own heart!

Loving Thyself

We all hear about the need to love others and numerous teachings exist on how to love your neighbours or your enemies. 3 days ago I was teaching my Sunday school children about loving their enemies and as far as I was concerned, I didn’t have serious enemies to try loving…

Until it dawned on me just now: what happens when you’re your own enemy? I know that sounds strange but I’m realising it’s possible; not because I heard about it but because I actually am the specimen. I am my own enemy!

Lately I’ve been grappling with some serious insecurities and after a day where those insecurities were triggered severally, I’d finally spent a few hours tonight in peace. Sadly, my source of distraction also became the reason everything started crumbling down again.

I don’t like myself… I just discovered that. There are elements about me that I like but there are things that stick out as a sore thumb. These ones overshadow everything else and have been causing me pain lately. I tried bringing them before God but I withdrew them quickly each time. My argument was that I’m the one who’s responsible for this and so I’m the one required to do something about the situation.

Which brings me to the reason why I’m writing this. I’m feeling terrified… well sort of. I’ve been talking myself down and disliking myself so much that now I’m even anticipating the same from people. I have put myself down, degraded my self worth, tolerated insecurities until I gave them power and permission to intimidate me. It’s no wonder I’m starting to fear people.

You see, I’m fighting myself and being my own worst enemy. I’ve spent enough time trying to learn how to love God and other people while doing the exact opposite for myself. Which means I’m actually frustrating any effort at loving because I can’t love others unless I’ve loved me.

This is the reason why Jesus said ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’. Charity begins at home. Most of all, you can’t give you don’t have. If I destroy myself, I will spread that stench and not the aroma of love because what’s within will be decaying stuff.

So this is not some self-centred mumbo jumbo or one of those selfish theologies. This is about learning how to be kind to ourselves. Stop being too hard on yourself! Show a little grace, show some little kindness and simply start showing yourself some love. Best thing you can do is to go surrender to the love that makes everything right. Let Jesus love away any insecurity and anything that causes you to dislike yourself.