Word of the week
Psalm 4:1. KJV says, ‘Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou has enlarged me when I was in distress; Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.’
There’s a certain type of pain I’m not talking about here. I’m not talking about the pin of the loss of a loved one or the pain of sicknesses and afflictions. I pray that God will grant you comfort if you’ve lost a loved one and if you are sick, may the Almighty God make you whole in Jesus Name.
There are 2 types of pain
Voluntary pain – this is the pain you put yourself through deliberately. Examples are fasting, prayers (night prayers, inconvenient prayers)
The second type of pain is the Involuntary one – pain that is not of your making, pain that you didn’t plan, pain that you don’t want. I pray that none of us will know the pain of sicknesses and evil afflictions in Jesus Name.
Don’t be bitter because of pain.
This is where some people stop themselves.
There is victory embedded in every pain
But you must praise God, pray, fast, engage in other spiritual exercises and you will not be put to shame.
That scripture we read says that God enlarges us when we are in distress. This means that the time of trouble is an occasion for God to make you bigger and better.
Look unto God who is able to turn your pain to gain.
Look unto God and He will turn your pain to greatness.
I pray that you have a good week.
God bless you.
Message of the week
Exodus 3:6a NLT says, ‘I am the God of your father, – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
He remembers and cherishes people.
God is known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, centuries after their time on earth.
God is not a use and dump God.
Some people are use and dump people.
When they need you, they will be all over you,. But after they get what they want from you, you become irrelevant in their lives.
Life is filled with use and dump people
Use and dump people are wise in their own eyes. They feel they know it all.
Use and dump people don’t have long friendships. They are constantly on the move looking for new people that will ‘add’ (in quote) something to them.
Use and dump people are all about who can ‘add’ to them and not who they can add to.
Some children are ‘use and dump’ children. Once their parents finish educating them, that’s it. No more looking back to enquire about their welfare. No monthly upkeep. They give to their parents as convenient. Some children even now presume to know more than their parents.
Some wives are use and dump wives. Your husband contributed to your career and overall well being. When you were busy studying and travelling for work, he was busy taking care of the children. You are now somebody, you have money, you have fame and recognition. That husband has now become a loser in your eyes. So, you dump him.
Some husbands are use and dump.
Your wife sacrificed to help you to be where you are, but she’s no longer important because you’ve made it. She’s no longer beautiful. She no longer befits your status. Because you have now become important.
Some parishioners are use and dump people. The pastor that laboured in prayer and in the Word over them is no longer relevant because they are now comfortable or rich. That pastor no longer has the word, he no longer has the anointing.
A pastor friend of ours told us a story of a parishioner who when she got to his parish didn’t have much. She later went on to earn a 6 figure salary in dollars. One day it was the pastor’s birthday and this same lady said, ‘Pastor I hope you won’t complain about this gift I want to give you’. And she went ahead to give this pastor 50 dollars for his birthday.
Our pastor friend said his parishioners give him money like he’s nobody.
However, the way God works is mysterious.
This same pastor said that sometimes he gets calls from a person that is not one of his parishioners to pray for them. After the prayers, he could just get a bank transfer of 1,000 dollars from the person he prayed for. So, through such generous gifts from outsiders, he is able to meet his responsibilities.
So the needs of this pastor is being met, just not from the people whom he labours over.
Don’t be a use and dump person.
Never assume that someone’s usefulness to you has expired.
Cherish, nourish and maintain good relationships. You never know when you may need them.
I pray that you have a good week.
God bless you.
