Tag: God’s Wisdom

That Season of Life & Our Response

If your life is totally surrendered to God and if you are living in that intimate place with Him to the best of your ability, know that if people don’t appear to see or consider you or they ignore you then it is not the work of man but of God.

Consider David in the bible, he was left to tend to sheep and was not even considered as worthy to be called when Samuel asked his father Jesse to assemble his sons, one of whom was chosen by God to be the future king of Israel. God intervened and Samuel was called and anointed as king.

God has planned different seasons for us in our lives. Every season comes with God’s divine reasons for orchestrating events the way He does. As with the weather, “climatic” conditions in relation to each season in our lives differ. We need to be sensitive and take every season as they come.

When we are not the centre of attention, nor included among the good and the great our perception and understanding of such times will determine our emotional state, attitude and therefore our reaction.

May God help us to adequately discern the different seasons of our lives so that we do not fret or act on our own accord to our detriment but rather remain in His peace. Before people can see us as God does the timing must be perfect so that what they expect from us and how we respond is in line with God’s plan for us.

In order to respond to people and circumstances as God requires is only possible if we have a close relationship with God and we allow Him to take us through the different seasons of our spiritual development.

Let us rest assured that as in David’s case when God’s time for us to be taken out of obscurity, chosen from among many for a purpose, God will strategies to bring it to pass. After all He who trains us knows when we are ready to display His splendour. There is no need for us to help him do so.

All the seasons of hiddenness in God are good for us; David was tending to sheep, but what only David and God knew was that God was also tending to David’s character.

David had a good time in God’s presence; worshipping and fellowshipping with God in the stillness of the fields as a shepherd.

He was alone but not lonely. He had much time to sing and pray to a God he became confident was his “refuge and fortress” (Psa.91:2) a God he could trust.

Indeed, David had been in danger on more than one occasion as the lion and bear came to attack his sheep. God gave him not only supernatural joy which was his strength but also physical strength to fight and overcome the lion and bear. In the valley of the shadow of death, David said “I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and staff, they comfort me”. (Psa.23:4).

Onlookers including David’s oldest brother (1 Sam 17:28) saw him as this “good for nothing except for sheep” young boy. Other people’s perception of David did not stop him from fighting Goliath and killing him. If you know your worth in God and trust Him wholeheartedly as indeed David did, it should not stop you from pursuing and fulfilling your destiny.

In the fields as a shepherd boy, David became a profoundly God trusting, confident and fearless young man who was totally surrendered and reliant on God. He was therefore prepared for the next seasons of his life which included confronting and killing the giant Philistine, Goliath when no one could. He was also prepared for the many years of warfare with and affliction from enemies far and near. This was until he become King of Judah then Israel.

Even during those times of hardship fleeing from Saul and his son Absalom, David remained close to God. The solid foundations in God, built in the season when he was an inconspicuous shepherd boy were what kept David’s life from crumbling.

God longs to spend time with us daily to either revive us spiritually, impart his will or plans to us or both. But there are also prolonged times or seasons when there is more of a stillness in our lives than is usual and a pull towards focusing on our relationship with God.

It is important not to ignore these seasons which require more time meditating on scriptures as well as praying and fasting for renewal and growth necessary for the next stage of our lives.

Be blessed and highly favoured in every season of 2021

Deborah Esther x

©️DENyamekye

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Part 2 God’s Ways: Maximising His Glory in what appears to be delay or denial

While I was tidying up, I saw a piece of paper dated 18th April 2013 on which I had written the following:
1. A quote I had seen written on a board (daily quotes are written on it) at Tooting Broadway underground station that day “The greater the obstacle, the more the glory in overcoming it”

(Anonymous) and underneath I wrote:

2. “I meditated on the sermon on the subject of worship at church last night: “We have a God who is faithful whatever He has promised, He will fulfill or bring to pass”‘

I have a journal and at times I write things I need to remember for my journal on pieces of paper.

I knew it was not a coincidence I found the paper last night given I am writing this series on God’s glory maximised during the process of fulfilling His promises or miracles in what may appear to be delay or denial.

DELAY IS NOT DENIAL
For Glory maximisation: The Resurrection of Lazarus.
It is not surprising that Jesus would use the same strategy as Abba Father did (see Part 1), by prolonging the time in which he performed a miracle so as to reap as much glory out of it as possible. Jesus was simply affirming who He is, the incarnate Christ, God who came as man to redeem the world:Paul the apostle said
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation…” (Col. 1:15)

Jesus himself said “I and [my] Father are one” (John 10:30 KJV).

In his ministry, Jesus did what he saw the Father (God) doing and the Father was working through him to fulfill His will (John 5:17,19,30)

Having heard that Lazarus was sick, Jesus did not go to Bethany immediately, by the time Jesus arrived Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days (John 11:17). No one who knew he was sent for could understand why he had taken so long to come, after all he loved Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary. Even Mary told Jesus that her brother would have not died if he had come earlier.
Miracles reveal to the unbeliever that the God is indeed real and they testify that He sent Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ goal in his ministry was to glorify God and he chose at this time a strategy God also uses which would bring greater glory to God.

Jesus “stayed where he was two more days,..” (John 11:6) deliberately when he heard that Lazarus was sick
because the miracle of resurrecting Lazarus was a far greater glory inducing miracle than healing him would have been.

This is why Jesus said when he heard Lazarus was sick “this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby”(John 11:4 KJV)
We should be encouraged that as God is glorifying himself in all the earth, so he is also performing miracles in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones. There is also a lesson Mary and Martha as well as multitudes must have learnt following the resurrection of Lazarus as well as other miracles of God, which should also serve to assure us God is in absolute control in the worst circumstances. This lesson is that some situations get worst before they get better.
“The greater the obstacle, the more the glory in overcoming it” (anonymous -see point 1 above)

For Glory Maximisation: The 10 plagues prior to the Exodus.
To the naked eye, Pharaoh was extremely defiant and unreasonable in his reluctance to let God’s people go despite several tragic incidents (plagues) which were devastating to the Egyptians and their land.
However when God sent Moses to Pharaoh to demand that he let the Israelites go, God literally spells out what He was going to do and why:
“And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel [is] my son, [even] my firstborn. And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, [even] thy firstborn.” ( Exodus 4:21-23 KJV)
“And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.” (Exodus 9:12 KJV)
“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I [am] the LORD.”(Exodus 14: 4 KJV)
The evidence is therefore crystal clear; God allowed Pharaoh to refuse to release the Israelites from bondage each time until after the the tenth plague so that He would, during each of the ten times he sent Moses to Pharaoh, demonstrate His might and power. As a result the Egyptians suffered the consequences of Pharaoh’s hardened heart each time, the tenth and final one was by far the worst in that all the first born sons of the Egyptians died including Pharaoh’s.
The Lord plans to unleash vengeance on our enemies on our behalf and to deliver us from every demonic bondage because as His children and believers in Jesus we are his “first born sons” and so precious to Him.
It is worth noting that before Moses’ journey to Egypt when the Lord spoke to him, He mentioned that Pharaoh’s hardened heart would result in his first born son being slain (Ex. 4:23), Moses did not at the time envisage a prolonged nine plagues processes before this most devastating one of death to Egyptian first born sons.
As in this case, the Lord may ask us to do something but He may choose not to give us all the details of the time span, how he would do it or details of some of the joys or dangers and challenges we may encounter along the way but as Moses we must obey nevertheless because our lives or those of multitudes may depend on our obedience. Our obedience as that of Moses did although we may not be conscious of it often has eternal consequences and is for prophetic fulfillment.
Although the Israelites were doubtful and fearful revealed by how their suffering was intensified by Pharaoh at beginning of Moses’ demand he lets them go, the prolonged wait to perform His miracle of deliverance of His people was worth it to God. This is because through it He demonstrated that He was the one and only Almighty, Omnipotent God who Pharaoh, the magicians and gods of Egypt could not withstand or stop.
Our God is in every situation we go through. He sees, knows and cares. What appears to the naked eye or in the natural is often not what the full picture is or how it will remain permanently. 
In order to have God’s perspective of things or understanding of His ways, we must determine to stay as close to Him and Jesus Christ as possible through daily bible study, prayer and praise. The Holy Spirit is activated as a result and we become ones who walk in the Spirit with the gifts and fruit of the Spirit able to know God and have His wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

In addition, whatever the enemy throws at us will never derail us because our soul knows well that in every “storm” or unsettling situation God is at work in His supernatural ways we may not understand for however long it pleases Him to reap as much glory out of it as possible.

“We have a God who is faithful, whatever He has promised He will fulfill or bring to pass” (quote from a sermon see point 2 above).
I feel compelled here to include a link from my Poetry & Prose website/blog about the greatness of God and Christ as (Click) “The Almighty one: The I Am”
“You are blessed, determine to stay blessed”
Deborah Esther

Note: Part 1, posted yesterday 23rd October 

 Part 1 & 2 are excerpts from my book (Deborah Esther Nyamekye) God’s Ways Are Higher. 

Part 1 God’s Ways: Maximising His Glory- Delay is not Denial

God did not allow Abraham and Sarah’s old age to serve as an obstacle to prevent him in fulfilling His promise that He would give them a son. If He had then it would mean that He would be confining himself within the boundaries that the “natural” or carnal man lives by. 
This type of person does not live by faith in God and so the things (ways and acts) of God which are spiritually discerned are foolishness to them (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Perceiving things from a carnal “natural man” point of view means that the idea that a woman of 90 years old, which is an age well past menopause, can conceive is impossible. As the angel Gabriel told Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, concerning Elizabeth who was also past child bearing age “with God nothing shall be impossible”(Luke 1:37 KJV)

Our God is the great I Am, the Almighty God also called El Elyon, the Most High God, creator and possessor of the whole universe!! He is a “mountain mover”; no obstacle whatever it’s size is insurmountable by Him in the pathway of fulfilling His plans and purposes to the glory of His Name and Kingdom.

Therefore we serve a God who is as controller of the universe does what He chooses to do and when He chooses to do it. This is why if we choose to be as the Spiritual man of 1 Corinthians 2:15-16, walking in and judging by the Spirit as ones with the minds of Christ, we are guaranteed an understanding of God’s ways. True worshippers who worship God in Spirit and truth these last days are who God is looking for (John 4:24).

DELAY IS NOT DENIAL, BUT TO REAP MAXIMUM GLORY

It is worth noting that it took 25 years before the promise by God to give Abraham a child came to fruition. Abraham was called out of Haran and from among his relatives by God at the age of 75 (Gen 12:1-3) and God promised to make him a father of many nations. He was 100 years old when Isaac was born Sarah was 90 years old.

Through this incident we are given an insight into one of God’s ways rooted in His nature or thoughts (as He thinks so He is) which is how He strategises a number of times in scripture to prolong the waiting time for the manifestation of His promises or miracles so as to reap the maximum glory out of them.

imageIn the case of Abraham waiting for 25 years before the son of promise was born, this meant that the extent of awe of having Sarah give birth at an even older age than when she first heard the promise and the extent of shame rendered to doubters and mockers was far greater than if God had performed the miracle the year the promise was given or earlier than when it was fulfilled.

We serve a multi-tasking God who while reaping the maximum glory out of a situation through a chosen strategy will simultaneously be applying another strategy within the first also for His glory.

For instance, God also strategised that Abraham and Sarah would benefit during the waiting period for their child. They benefitted in that their faith, patience and preserverance in relation to God, His ways and acts were strengthened. God will use every opportunity to transform our hearts and minds so that we become more like Him through Christ Jesus.

By the time Isaac was born, Abraham’s faith and trust in God was such that he did not hesitate to commence the sacrificial process of Isaac, his much sought after son when God told him to do so. When he was about to kill Isaac, God provided a substitute, a ram.God’s command to Abraham was a test (Genesis 22:1) and he revealed to Abraham that he had passed the test in this manner:

“And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here [am] I…Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me.” (Gen 22:11-12 KJV)

God also foreknew that Ishmael would be conceived by Hagar Sarah’s Egyptian maid and Abraham due to impatience while they waited on God to fulfill His promise. Therefore while to the natural mind Ishmael’s birth was an accident, in God’s supernatural plan it was not. Ishmael’s birth and therefore destiny as a means through whom nations would be born (Abrahamic inheritance, although different to that of Isaac) was God’s will otherwise He would not, in His sovereignty have allowed it to happen.

Despite challenges, impatience with God and testing along the way, Abraham prevailed and was imputed with the righteousness of God as well as an all time recognition as a world renowned man of faith.

Abraham must have been filled with awe and thankfulness (although scripture does not state this) when he contemplated not only what God had done for him and Sarah but how He had done it; God reaped more glory before multitudes out of Abraham and Sarah’s prolonged wait for the promise than if God had done it another way and it included increasing this couple’s knowledge of the thoughts, strategies and actions of the God they worshipped.

As children of God, we ought to be encouraged by this as we live our Christian lives because at any given time, God has our destinies perfectly marked out. 

Also as long as we continue to partner with Him, He will fulfill His promises to us no matter how long it takes while removing every obstacle and reaping as much glory out of the process as possible.

You are blessed, determine to stay blessed!

Deborah Esther x

©2015 Deborah E. Nyamekye 

Tomorrow: Part 2 God’s Ways: “Maximising His Glory in what appears to be delay or denial”

These series are excerpts from my book (Deborah E. Nyamekye): God’s Ways Are Higher (Amazon books online)
 

Wisdom Speaks at Summer’s Berthing

Welcome Summer! Yesterday 20/06/2016 the first day of Summer, inspired this poem.

✝Wisdom Speaks at Summer’s Berthing:

Whether the sky’s face is grey and its tear drops fall daily on the earth as though in remorse,
Summer is on her berth and is here to stay her course.
It’s a season we judge not by her countenance whether bleak or gay.
Her worth is vast and more precious than meets the eye so mortal man is not fast to judge.

Listen to Wisdom speak.

Wisdom proclaims her breaking forth is as the dawning of a new day;
An era to arise and shine as the sun does beam it’s rays on a Summer’s day.
A time to wear a smile of contentment and be clad in the cloak of gladness sown in Spring from a tapestry of God’s victories in the Autumn of oppression and the Winter of discord.

Wisdom speaks of her as the season to reflect on God’s truths so as to deflect from falsehood, discard the unproductive and disregard the immotive.
By her, productive and active shall you be. Able to invest and harvest not in haste, but in God’s heartfelt rest.

Listen to Wisdom speak: “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.”(1)

His speech of renewal at Summer’s berthing until she departs, is what Wisdom hears from Father in every season and sees Him doing for whatever reason.

“Wisdom is the Principle Thing” (2) Listen to Wisdom Speak.

©Deborah E.Nyamekye 20/06/2016

Scriptural inspiration: Quotes no.
(1) Ecc 3:1-2 NLT.
(2) Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7 NLT).

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