You are loved

1 John 3:1 New International Version (NIV)

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

You see, prior to when Jesus came to die for mankind, you and I did not have any part in God. We were foreigners, aliens.

Ephesians 2:12 King James Version (KJV)

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

There was no connection relationship, no connection, nothing between us and God. The only people God had interactions with were the Jews. Because unto them were committed the oracles of God(Romans 3:2). That means, they were the only ones He chose to speak to.

So, you can understand the apostle John’s joy when he exclaimed, See what great love the Father has LAVISHED on us, that we should be called CHILDREN of God! Because of Jesus, we’re no more aliens. Today, you and I can boldly say, Our Father, who art in Heaven. Let that sink in for a minute. The implications are impressive.

That one day, when you were still lost, ignorant, confused and headed for hell, God decided that it was time to save you, and then He caused you to hear the gospel message, gave you faith to believe the message, got you born again, and now you’re His adopted child, with as much equal right as His first born son, Jesus.

Romans 8:17 New International Version (NIV)

Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

That’s a big reason to celebrate.

With God, you can let down your defences

In the world we live in today, you always have to be on your guard. Like I read somewhere, “Love everyone, but trust nobody”. Such statements are often born out of painful experiences. We put our trust in friends and family, we hope in someone who we feel can help us, but sooner than later, those people fail us. The thing you ought to realize early is that, they all have one thing in common – they’re all human. Human beings are flawed, because man fell.

On the other hand, I can tell you from scripture that God is perfect. He never fails. My experience corroborates scripture’s claims. God is the one Person who won’t gossip about you; He won’t promise you something and then later change His mind; He’s not being nice to you just because of what He wants to get from you. When He gives you something, you can be sure He’s giving you something that will not bring you sorrow. All that, and we’ve not even begun to scratch the surface of His good nature.

Truly, God is love, there is no shadow of turning in Him.

God can become your best friend, if you let Him

Most Christians argue with evolutionists and atheists that God is real, that the Universe didn’t come about through accident, or random occurrences. That a sentient, intelligent personality created the world we live in. And they are right. I believe this too. But when I consider the way they relate with this Personality in light of this knowledge, there’s a dissonance.

A lot of Christians do not have a thriving, living relationship with God. If I told you that, rather than spending valentine’s day feeling lonely and sorry for yourself, you can have the best day of your life, you’d probably roll your eyes and wave me off. And that’s the problem.

It may sound corny but hanging out with God is a real thing. I’ve experienced it. In my line of work, I get to spend lots of time alone and I don’t have too many friends. Days can get really lonely, but I’ve discovered that by engaging God in my heart, the lonely nights have given way to exciting and adventurous ones. I’m serious, stop rolling your eyes at me.

Which leads me to the last point;

You’re not alone

Since you got born again, you have never been alone, not for even a second. You know what would happen if God left you alone for even a microsecond? We can only imagine the havoc satan would do. But God is ever on your guard. He’s never taken a break. He doesn’t need to – He neither sleeps nor dozes off.

God enjoys you. He enjoys being your Dad. He looks at you and He sees not what you are but all that you could be. He sees every gift, every talent, every grace He has deposited in you. He believes in your dreams. He looks forward to talking with you everyday (what Father wouldn’t?).

I remember the day I got back from work and I was so tired that i couldn’t even kneel down to pray. I just lay on the bed and suddenly i heard this gentle voice in my heart asking, How was your day? Listen to me, I’ve been born again for years, I’ve seen a lot of miracles and I’ve had many breakthroughs but NOTHING, none of those things, can compare with that day when I heard that voice. God was drawing near to me, showing me He really cared about working on our relationship.

James 4:8a New International Version (NIV)

Come near to God and he will come near to you.

With the voice came strength and joy and such a sweetness that words can only attempt to describe.

Truly, if you have God, you’re really not alone. In fact, you’re with the best friend and partner, anyone could have. Remember that the next time you see a Valentine message.

You have the best friend in the world!

Zephaniah 3:17 GOD’S WORD® Translation

The LORD your God is with you. He is a hero who saves you. He happily rejoices over you, renews you with his love, and celebrates over you with shouts of joy.

Desiring marriage is not a sin, after all, God designed marriage.

Genesis 2:24 – Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

But He designed it with a purpose in mind. Our desire and motivation for marriage should be aligned with God’s purpose.

In 1 Samuel chapter 8: The children of Israel were once again dissatisfied with God’s provisions and demanded a king to rule over them like the other nations had. Samuel was saddened by their request and he prayed and asked God for guidance. He tried to warn them why their request would not be what was best for them. However, they refused to listen and still demanded a king. In fact their response was, “We don’t care, we want to be like the nations around us.” (1 Samuel 8:20). God saw their request for a king as a rejection of Him.

Saul was made king but we learn that his legacy is hardly one we’d want to emulate as he was ultimately rejected by God (1 Samuel 15).

As we reflect on this story, we must ask ourselves, Why do we want to be married? Is it simply because we feel like everyone else is married (give us a king like the other nations) or we’re just tired of being single or is it because it’s tied to our ministry assignment? Do we really want to be in God’s will or do we just want a warm body to cuddle up to because society says we should be married by now?

God gives us the freedom to choose. We can choose His providential will or His permissive will. God is all-knowing:

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Even though He warned them, God allowed them to get just what they wanted. They got their king but it was not a blessing because he lacked divine approval.

Do you just want a husband or do you want God’s blessings upon your marriage?

Between David vs. Saul, what kind of man do you want to be the leader of your home? Saul was the king Israel chose and David was the king God chose for them.

Saul – Impressive stature; Experienced; Hardened heart; Resistant; Self-reliant; Spirit-possessed.

David – Unimpressive stature; Inexperienced; Heart after God; Repentant; God-reliant; Spirit-filled.

I think you will agree with me that indeed, it’s better and more reassuring to choose a mate from a biblical perspective, not a worldly perspective.

Don’t reject God while looking for a man. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:4-5)

God will provide all that you need including a husband if we just simply learn to trust Him and His timing. Some things are certainly worth the wait. Should that be God’s will for you, your husband will arrive right on time.

Proverbs 23:18 – For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

May this be our prayer: Lord, I don’t want a husband just because everyone else has one, I want what you have for me. I want what is needed to fulfill my life’s purpose. I trust that your will is what’s best for me.

A SMILE IS ALL YOU NEED…

smile not scorn

If you can’t wear a smile, then at least don’t wear a scorn.

A lot of individuals do not know that one issue responsible for their present challenge(s) might be something as simple as the scornful face they wear each day.

There is an invisible force unseen which pushes people away or automatically turns off a potential friend from an unsmiling face. This is due to the unfriendly aura they ooze whenever they direct their scornful faces at them either because they feel is being a disturbance or they feel is less intelligent than they are.

Are you weary or heavy ladened? Come unto me and I will give you rest! Mathew 11: 28

Smile, even if you are feeling blue, irritated or perhaps you cannot stand the slow pace at which other people grasp things. Why make them feel worse with your demeanor?

Now I’m not saying you should wear a plastic smile on your face, or fake it because a farce can easily be detected so don’t bother.

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks Mathew 12: 34

We could then also say ‘out of the abundance of the heart, the face smiles or scorns’

Be joyful, and it will show, no matter your present situation or circumstance.

Let your joy be contagious so it affects, and illuminates the people around you.

Do not allow scorn, which is always acidic, near anything good.

Please check your demeanor often.

Wanna know the source to unbridled joy?

The secret to a true smile and bright aura is the Holy Spirit. A daily walk with HIM keeps the scorn away.

The Holy Spirit resides in the heart of the joyful. And when you have HIM in abundance in you, you’ll surely attract the right people to you, even the bone of your bones and the flesh of your flesh.

So wear a smile now. If you don’t have it, ask the Giver to dwell in you, and then He will also make you a giver of smiles.