Word of the week
And the Lord heard it
Numbers 12:1-2 AMPC
“NOW MIRIAM and Aaron talked against Moses [their brother] because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, Has the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Has He not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.”
About 14 years ago, I was planning a short trip to Dubai, a trip of about 3 or 4 days. Upon getting back from Dubai, I planned to go straight from the airport to my office.
My office then was in Islington and I had a former colleague that lived in Finsbury Park, just one stop from Islington.
So, I called my colleague, her name is Bisi, I asked if I could come to her flat straight from the airport, shower and then go to work.
Bisi agreed to let me use her flat in her absence, because she would be at work when I got there.
So, in order to collect the spare key to her flat, Bisi and I arranged to meet at Islington the following afternoon so she could drop the spare key of her flat for me.
Now, in order to get to Islington every morning, I had to go through a major station which is Kings Cross.
I had gone through Kings Cross so many times in the past.
But something interesting happened. The day after I spoke to Bisi. I met up with her coincidentally at Kings Cross station!
Before we spoke I had never met up with her at that station. And 14 years after, I never met up with her at any station since then!
What a weird coincidence!
But my friend and I both knew it wasn’t a coincidence. This was God’s way of letting us know He listens to every conversation. He was listening to how we planned to meet the following day and He arranged a better time and place for us to meet.
God indeed listens to every conversation
In the text we read, the Bible did not say God saw it. The Bible said ‘and the Lord heard it’
God listens to the conversations your enemies are having about you.
God listens to their conversations so that He can defend and fight you
He listens to your enemies conversations so that He can foil their plans
God listens to your conversations so that He can help you to make all your plans succeed.
Aaron and Miriam were gossiping about Moses. They forgot to factor God into what they were doing.
God defended Moses in his absence.
As God listens to the conversations your enemies are having about you, He also listens to the conversations you have about people.
God listened to the conversation of Aaron and Miriam and He judged Miriam with leprosy
Make sure that when God listens to your conversation, He has nothing to judge you for.
Message of the week
Peace and progress
2 Chronicles 14:5-7a AMPC
“Also Asa took out of all the cities of Judah the idolatrous high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under his reign. And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace. Therefore he said to Judah, Let us build these cities and surround them with walls, towers, gates, and bars.
One of the reasons you must give peace a chance is so that you can build.
The troubles that come against us don’t come for nothing.
They come to prevent us from building. They come to prevent us from making progress.
So you have to weigh your choices carefully when you face troubles or provocation.
You need to ask yourself:
Do I want to engage in this fight?
Or do I want to build and make progress?
Some people love to fight. They love to have the last say. They love to feel powerful by constantly fighting. They are always battling someone or the other. They are always having a bad day, so they want to make sure that everyone else must have a bad day.
As for me, I choose to build. I choose to make progress.
And because of that, sometimes I will play the fool and ignore that person that wants to engage me in warfare.
A few years ago, I had some troubles. I was facing some terrible provocation.
I wanted to fight. I wanted to claim my right.
But through the help of God, I discerned and I remembered that my son and daughter had very important exams that year.
I was trusting God that my son will pass his A levels and enter medical school that year.
I was trusting God for my daughter to pass her O levels and get into a good A levels or international baccalaureate program.
In short, I was in the process of building.
I could not afford to fight.
Many years have passed since that incident.
To the glory of God, my son has since finished medical school and my daughter has finished from the university.
I look back to that period in my life and I am glad that I ignored the terrible provocation that I faced then.
I want to encourage you to give peace a chance.
Don’t just keep fighting
Look around you.
Look into your life and circumstances and discern why the enemy is constantly provoking you to fight.
Could it be the enemy wants to steal your health?
Could the enemy be waging a war against your family?
May God give everyone of us wisdom and discernment in Jesus Name.
