September 6
In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. Ps 31:1-5 (KJV).
There are trying times in the life of every believer, as such a time it seems God is very far from us and like Jesus wept in the garden, Father; why have Thou forsaken me? We’re bound to cry but let us not weep like those who had no hope, for God has assured us of His ever abiding presence; that He will lead you continual and the end of our hope in Him (Isa 58:11; 1 Cor 15:12-19,58). The Lord is saying fear not, for I am they exceeding great reward, imagine also Jesus speaking to you right now saying, “Fear not for it is I; be not be afraid”.
Then with that confidence let us approach the mercy seat of God to be blessed and sanctified in His blood for strengthen and for perseveration. The Lord will strengthen you from Zion and you will glory in His name for ever more. Beloved, are you at ease in Zion? Remember, Christ did not pray that yea may taken out of the world rather that yea may be kept from evil. Is that your heart desire? What do you do when in your human nature you cannot comprehend all that is happening around you?
In the today’s message, the Lord has answers to all of that you might want to know. Come along, read and be blessed:
“Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar.” Psalm 120:5
As a Christian you have to live in the midst of an ungodly world, and it is of little use for you to cry “Woe is me.” Jesus did not pray O that you should be taken out of the world, and what He did not pray for you need not desire. Better far in the Lord’s strength to meet the difficulty, and glorify Him in it. The enemy is ever on the watch to detect inconsistency in your conduct; be therefore very holy.
Remember that the eyes of all are upon you, and that more is expected from you than from other men. Strive to give no occasion for blame. Let your goodness be the only fault they can discover in you. Like Daniel, compel them to say of you, “We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” Seek to be useful as well as consistent.
Perhaps you think, “If I were in a more favourable position I might serve the Lord’s cause, but I cannot do any good where I am”; but the worse the people are among whom you live, the more need have they of your exertions; if they be crooked, the more necessity that you should set them straight; and if they be perverse, the more need have you to turn their proud hearts to the truth.
Where should the physician be but where there are many sick? Where is honour to be won by the soldier but in the hottest fire of the battle? And when weary of the strife and sin that meets you on every hand, consider that all the saints have endured the same trial. They were not carried on beds of down to heaven, and you must not expect to travel more easily than they.
They had to hazard their lives unto the death in the high places of the field, and you will not be crowned till you also have endured hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Therefore, “stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”
In our difficulty moment in lives, we sometimes ask questions that deserved an answer that only the omnipotent can give. Have you been in such a state when all possible answer from your human reasoning cannot proffer solution? At such a time what you do matters a lot; it will either make or mar your faith in God. My suggestion is that you rest your case at the feet of the Jesus who has answers to every question; He will reveal it you in no time. Discover more:
“Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?” Job 38:16
Some things in nature must remain a mystery to the most intelligent and enterprising investigators. Human knowledge has bounds beyond which it cannot pass. Universal knowledge is for God alone. If this be so in the things which are seen and temporal, I may rest assured that it is even more so in matters spiritual and eternal. Why, then, have I been torturing my brain with speculations as to destiny and will, fixed fate, and human responsibility?
These deep and dark truths I am no more able to comprehend than to find out the depth which coucheth beneath, from which old ocean draws her watery stores. Why am I so curious to know the reason of my Lord’s providences, the motive of His actions, the design of His visitations? Shall I ever be able to clasp the sun in my fist, and hold the universe in my palm? yet these are as a drop of a bucket compared with the Lord my God.
Let me not strive to understand the infinite, but spend my strength in love. What I cannot gain by intellect I can possess by affection, and let that suffice me. I cannot penetrate the heart of the sea, but I can enjoy the healthful breezes which sweep over its bosom, and I can sail over its blue waves with propitious winds. If I could enter the springs of the sea, the feat would serve no useful purpose either to myself or to others, it would not save the sinking bark, or give back the drowned mariner to his weeping wife and children; neither would my solving deep mysteries avail me a single whit, for the least love to God, and the simplest act of obedience to Him, are better than the profoundest knowledge.
My Lord, I leave the infinite to Thee, and pray Thee to put far from me such a love for the tree of knowledge as might keep me from the tree of life.
Dearly beloved, join us to intercede for the family of the Agomo Oji as they lay to rest their beloved husband, father, and a great teacher of the Word, Mr. Oji Agomo (who incidental was my Sunday school teacher) who slept in the Lord recently. A man full of vigor for work of Lord and love for humanity, he raised great armies for the Lord and am convinced that his crown of glory awaits him. Pray that the Good Lord will strengthen them and cause them to see His out-stretched hand even in this trying period of their lives.
As we pen down today, may God give you the grace to run the race as one who has the hope of glory in Christ Jesus. Amen!
Remain blessed in the Lord.
Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu
