One of THOSE days

Today has just been one of those days! This cliche phrase is often used to sum up a hectic, crazy, and horrible day. For me, it was none of the above but it has been one of THOSE days. Let me explain.

This morning, I woke from a bad dream. I realised that if I don't plug into God like really tap into the 'source of that life giving juice' according to Eshon Bombay, the devil was going to take me out like the certified sniper he is (1 Peter 5:8; John 10:10). You know when the breeze is blowing really cold and you need to snuggle up under your blanket? Well, I needed to snuggle up under the blood of Jesus because if satan caught me slipping, he will come for me, 'stumps' me, clean bowl.

So, I drew for my spiritual armour and took out my sword. I emerged myself in the Bible, devotionals, prayer and instrumentals- then I wrote. Thank God for the talent because it is so cathartic.

I saw this picture and I just couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. I just knew that God was speaking to me. There's that moment where your past just creeps up out of nowhere and just drop kicks you, I posted a whole long text on instagram. You just got to know that when your past comes a-knocking, God will silence that noise. The enemy knows that you are destined for greatness and he will try to trip you up with roadblocks, to slow you down and keep you from reaching the destiny God has planned for you. Just like Adam and Eve, he wants to lead you into temptation. When you've messed up and you're feeling ashamed, your natural inclination is to hide and turn from God and wallow in self-pity.

However, we should do just the opposite because then the enemy's voice of condemnation will drown out the voice of God calling out or rather it will cause you to want to ignore that voice because we feel unworthy to stand before God in our 'nakedness'. Do the opposite. Run from the devil and run to God. We have what Adam and Eve didn't have. Jesus died to repair that broken relationship, our sins are paid and we've been set free. Do not live in condemnation for what happened three (3) years ago that God has already forgiven. If you've confessed it, He has thrown into the sea of forgetfulness, don't go there digging it up with a shovel. Do not give life to dead situations! I repeat, do not perform CPR on your past!

That was my first truth of the day.

The next truth which I think blew me away was the fact that I saw Jesus in the Good Samaritan story (Luke 10:25-37). Let me explain. I thought of the man who was robbed and left for dead. While the scripture doesn't state this, imagine if the people who robbed him were his own people. Then, to add insult to injury, his own people even men of the 'cloth' crossed the road and offered him no help. These are men who knew the scriptures and the law of Moses and all the teachings and yet refused to offer a helping hand (much like many of us Christians).

Nevertheless, an unlikely candidate- a man of Samaria, who by the way was an enemy of the Jews (See the story of the Samaritan Woman at the well (John 4). Think about it, Jesus was rejected by His own people, betrayed by His own, and killed on the word of His own people. While the injured man had a rescuer, Jesus had none, He willingly drank that cup for our sake. Only a few people stuck around like the Marys and His mother and Joseph of Arimathea who asked for His body and prepared it for burial.

Sounds familiar?


The last truth of the day was about Saul or King Saul.

The verse in 1 Samuel 16:7 says:

"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (NIV).

This verse was speaking about another man who appeared to look like the next king but he was not God's chosen, an unlikely shepherd boy was.

Let's backtrack, Saul appeared to have the right characteristics, he was tall, well-built and handsome. He appeared to have the characteristics of a leader but he was really timid, coward and was a troubled man with lots of issues or insecurities. So much so, that when he was about to be anointed as king, he was found hiding among the baggage. It is when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him that he was able to defeat the enemy at Jabesh Gilead. But, like many of us, Saul got haughty. He took his eyes off the Lord and sought to do his own thing. His displeased God and ran when he should have stood up and fight.

In fact, his son Jonathan was probably more courageous than him. Nevertheless, because of his disobedience God numbered his days as king and named David as his successor.

When God has appointed you to do a job don't get haughty or proud, stay humble. Do not take matters into your own hands. Just as He can establish, God can pull down and remove your lampstand out of its place. Many people appear to have the right traits and characteristics and while we may choose people based on the outward, God looks at the heart. That is how He judges us, our motives and our actions.

There's so much more that I can say but just remember to keep your eyes on Jesus to weather any storm. God has revealed so much today and I'm thankful, keep holding on and keep pressing, Keep encountering God and seek to have fellowship with Him,

Grace and Peace.

Exhale. Inhale. Repeat. Just breathe.

For the past few days, I've felt so broken. You know that feeling where everything is falling apart inside but the outside appearance looks well put together. You're a really private person and perhaps it's just pride that keeps you from saying anything, so you fight the war on your own. Yes, depression rared its ugly head, death to that beast! Looks are definitely deceiving. I've got to stop running. That's the conclusion. I've got to stop trying to escape my feelings and deal with them. Not banish them into a deep abyss or the twilight zone but let God heal me then and there and move forward.

It's amazing how God always sends a scripture to comfort me during a season like this (Psalms 34:18 & Psalms 147:3). This is a season, and this too shall pass. A season where I feel like life is being subtracted from me. Everything I make two steps forward spiritually, the devil just pushes me back down the staircase and I've got to begin again. FAITH, I need to add faith to this here equation and fill up on prayers and the word. My soul needs to find rest my soul in Christ alone.

BREATHE, EXHALE, Face the demons and kill them with the word. Don't fight them on your own but let God war on your behalf. We often try to fight flesh in our own strength but that will get us killed on the battlefield. Put on your armour of Christ, not the physical armour, but clothe yourself in Jesus and go with God- like young David the day he slew Goliath. Have you ever sat down and reflected on that story? Or is it like one of those surreal stories we read, gasp in awe and forget it along the way? God chose to reveal himself in that way so that everyone would know God won the victory and not through David's strength, It's not by might, it's not by power but by the SPIRIT says the Lord. What was seemingly improbable with man and defied every human logic was made manifest through Jesus.

The God who caused David to slew his ten thousands, the God of hosts and Angel armies is willing to fight on your behalf. He's willing to wage war on your enemies, and to protect you from the arrows that fly by night (Psalms 91:5).

I will not fear for my God is waging war on my behalf. Let me drown my tears and fears in the river of Trust and let me walk upon the waves of Faith let me stare upon your person and not look down. Let me tightrope across the mountains of despair and rest in the valleys of comfort. Let me continue to trek up the rugged terrain of whatever problems and climb steep hills of doubt but dwell in the pasture and at the brook of grace in the Lord Jesus. Amen.