Word of the week
Psalm 52:8 NLT ‘I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.’
When you go to Israel, you will discover that mountains, hills, rocks and valleys mean nothing to the people of the land. There’s activity going on everywhere irrespective of the terrain.
The people of Israel defy difficult terrains to survive and thrive.
Whilst standing on level ground, you will look up at a tall mountain and you will see that people have gone there to build their houses.
I saw olive trees growing and thriving in the midst of rocks.
This goes to show that in the midst of difficulties, God can make you fruitful. In the midst of the rocky places in life, God can make you to thrive and be fruitful. When others are saying things are hard, don’t join them. God is not limited by terrain, weather or anything.
God is able to bring water out of a rock. If that is too much for you and I to imagine, God goes further to shock us by saying in His Word that He brings honey out of a rock. You can find this reference in Psalm 81:16.
So, on what condition will you be this olive tree thriving despite difficulties and the rocky places of life?
The answer is when you are in the house of God.
I invite you to know the Lord as your Lord and Saviour. Ask Him to come into your life. And be a lover of God, also be a lover of the house of God.
I pray that God will help you and I to grow and thrive despite the rocky places of life in Jesus Name.
Message of the week
Proverbs 14:15 AMPC
“The simpleton believes every word he hears, but the prudent man looks and considers well where he is going.”
I will focus on the b part. ‘but the prudent man looks and considers well where he is going.’
I was in Nigeria a while back and I wanted to put some entries in my small laptop that I use to write books. But I couldn’t find the laptop. I search for it but couldn’t find it. I called our house in the UK to ask my daughter to check it in the place where o normally put it but she couldn’t find it. Then, I remembered where I last saw the laptop.
I was in Heathrow scanning my stuff through the security machine. I must have been distracted. I took all my items, except my small laptop.
So, I called Heathrow, I was told to fill a form online to get the laptop sent to my home. Whilst filling the form, I was advised to insure the laptop. What? I was pondering whether or not it to insure the laptop. To be or not to be?
Then I remembered the laptop cost me £350. If I don’t insure it, and it gets lost in transit, I lose £350 outright. If I insure the laptop for £30, then I get compensated if it gets lost. But the question is: ‘will I lose the laptop?’ The answer is ‘I don’t know’. It’s a game of chance. So, I insured the laptop. It wasn’t just about the device. There was a lot of information in the device that I couldn’t afford to lose.
This adventure (or should I say misadventure) cost me £50 in postage and insurance.
I would not have spent £1 if I was paying attention and did not allow myself to be distracted.
Please pay attention to all that God has committed into your hands.
The world is full of noise and distractions. The noise and distractions will not get better. They will get worse but you must make sure that you pay attention.
When you don’t pay attention, you lose things.
When you lose anything, you are fortunate if you recover it.
Because there is a possibility of not recovering lost items, you must pay attention so that you don’t lose anything.
Pay attention. Don’t let your spouse be lost.
Pay attention. Don’t let your children be lost.
Pay attention. Don’t lose good relationships.
But if have you lost anything, there’s hope for you.
Remember the son of the prophet that lost the axe head. This story can be found in 2 Kings 6.
They were cutting down trees to build houses when he lost his borrowed axe head.
This shows that sometimes you may be paying attention and still lose something.
Believe me, not everyone that loses something is careless. This will help you not to judge yourself or others.
Back to the lost axe head, it was recovered because of the miracle performed by the prophet Elisha.
As you pay attention in the physical, ensure you also pay attention in the spiritual by being a prayerful person.
May God help us not to lose anyone or anything of value in Jesus Name and if we have may God set us on the path of recovery in Jesus Name.
