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What if everything works out for your good?
What if all goes as you planned?
What if your hopes and dreams come true?
What if it all turns out great?
What if everything works in your favor?
A lot of people have adopt a negative perspective of life.
All they see is the cloudy and gloomy side of life.
If you are among this category of people, you must decide today, to change. Wipe your mind’s mirror of all the stains which is hindering your eyes from beholding the light of divine hope God is trying to show to you.
Whatsoever you get from life depends greatly on how you choose to see it. And what you see not only depends on what you look at, but also on where you look from.
The time has come for one to stop blaming one’s government for one’s financial hardship.
The Bible tells us that though we are in this world, we are not of this world.
This means, that though we are in the government of our respective countries, we belong and are dependent on a higher government; the government of heaven.
This is supposed to be the standpoint of a believer when addressing the affairs of this world. Though there are circumstances we cannot avoid or change immediately, yet, we can always change our perspective.
Our perspectives can be changed to seeing a challenge, to seeing a phase life which will surely pass.
It was Chris Pine that said,
“The only thing you sometimes have control over is your perspective. You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.”
The Bible says, “As a man thinks, so he is” (Prov 23:7).
Your perspective will either become your prison, or your passport to greatness.
Begin to think positively. God gave us a powerful gift which is our imagination.
Begin to imagine beautiful things about yourself and as you imagine, desire, pray and believe they it will become your reality (Mark 11 vs 24).
That is how it works! The more you imagine these good things, the more your desire for them grows stronger. And burning desire is the trigger of fervent prayer.
Begin to confess positive things rather than negative things. The Bible is filled with positive confessions. Devote an hour daily to reading, Meditating on and declaring the promises of God to you.
Let them be your Perspective.
Start each day by confessing God’s promises consciously with faith in your heart.
Confess them at your place of work or during your lunch break. Confess them at night before going to bed and watch how your life will change for good.
Think positively and speak positively.
Let your heart be illuminated by your continuous gaze at the light of God’s promises.
Let your face be illuminated, by your smile of hope, and confidence, that no matter what you are going through, you are coming out strong.
Written by Tolu-Taiwo Victor
Tag Archives: Hope
HE CARES FOR YOU
We live in a world where everyone is trying to protect themselves. No one seems to care for the other anymore.
What everyone is more concerned with presently, is covering the nose tightly, to ensure it doesn’t sniff in an unseen virus into their system.
Times like this can be depressing. If one is not careful, loneliness and melancholy can seep into one.
Yet, now is time, when we rest in the assurance of God’s love for us. Men may have abandoned you, but God will never abandon you.
If God is concerned about me, then why is He letting me go through these things? One might ask Himself.
God has His reason for allowing us go through trials and tribulations. We might not know the reason, yet, we do know that at the end, we shall emerge greater and stronger than we were.
But you must not despair. Do not let the devil deceive you by telling you that God does not care about you.
Psalms 8:4: “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
I want you to note that when The Bible uses the word ‘man’ in the context of the aforementioned verse, it does not refer to the masculine gender alone. Rather, it refers to the Humanity in general.
There are two things which I would like us to take note of in the verse above,
1. GOD IS MINDFUL OF YOU
2. GOD CARES FOR YOU
God has revealed in several places in scriptures, how much He loves us.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34
Isn’t it a wonder, that the Holy God loves an unworthy man?
Isn’t it amazing that the King of glory cares for you?
He clearly says that he loves you! He cares for you!
God’s love for you is not based on anything you have done, or anything you are doing, or anything you will do. He just genuinely loves you!
He already loved you even while you are still in sins, weaknesses, doubts, fears, etc.
The birth of his son Jesus Christ, His death, His suffering, His resurrection, all of these are results of his love for you.
He does everything to have a relationship and communication with you constantly.
It is the reason why he tries to reach out to you despite how long you have rejected him, ignored his word.
But then, even as God is mindful of us, we have our response to this amazing love of God.
He is mindful of you, but are you responding to him?
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”(1Peter 5:7)
He cares about your happiness, faults, worries, your well being, family and friends. He is concerned about your finance, job, food and shelter, etc.
But you need to respond to the one who truly loves you and cares so much about you.
Matthew 11:28, ” Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Why then should you trust in men, and ignore God who is mindful of you?
Why then do you try to find happiness in material things, drinks, parties, friends, just to be satisfied?
The thoughts of you are in God’s mind always!
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man” (Psalms 118:8).
Your first response to God’s love is responding to his call of Salvation from sin and damnation.
James 4:-8: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
God cares for you, but you need to respond to His amazing love now.
You also respond to God’s love through faith. Faith is trusting in the love of God. Faith is assurance that God is with you even in the valley of the shadow of death.
It is one thing to know that God loves you. That is a fact. But you must receive this Fact and mix it with faith, if you’re going to profit from it.
Dearly beloved, will you allow fear and depression to obscure your positive perception.
Or will you choose to cling onto the love of God, even when circumstances point to the contrary.
God Loves You.
Rest in His Love.
DON’T KILL THAT CHILD!
Genesis 19:14: “Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.”
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes.
16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.
Abortion is now a trend in almost every country regardless of its legal repute. In fact, out of over 200 million pregnancies worldwide that is recorded each year, approximately forty-six million which is about twenty two percent , end in abortion.
Where abortion is legally restricted, botched abortions are a major cause of maternal death.
Young Ladies in particular are at high risk for unintended pregnancy, because they have limited access to enough funds, and are more likely to seek abortion than advanced women.
At another view of reference, most women above 25 years will only seek for abortion for two main reasons. One of which is pregnancy that resulted from illicit affair while the other is melted on the palm of poverty.
A significant percentage of those women who end up in the hospital with complications from unsafe abortion are young.
Young ladies may be afraid to tell their parents or guardians about a pregnancy and may attempt to get an abortion on their own accord. How be it such decisions are always a matter of life and death.
As Christians, we need to ensure that females most especially the teenagers, are well informed about unsafe abortion and the options available to them should they have an unwanted pregnancy.
Most often, the primary cause of pre marital pregnancy, is not in anyway far from self.
One of the primary causes is sexual immorality.
Although, it might have been said of Hagar that she wasn’t the one who made advances towards her master, Abraham, but without doubt her relationship with him ended her as ‘‘the other woman’’ and while she was sent away from the home she nearly disposed her child as a victim to death.
Your entanglement in sexual activities might differ from hers. It might even come in form of fornication or rape, which might eventually lead to pregnancy. And as a result, you want an abortion.
Listen, in this kingdom even when we walk on paths that resulted in falling short of Grace, there is yet a hope for us and that hope is the truth.
John 8: 32 ‘‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’’
Thinking abortion is a means of escape or a cover for your flaw is a lie. It will get you held in more shackles. Of a truth, illicit pregnancy is bad but the life of the baby wallowing in your womb matters to God just as the son of Hagar mattered to Him.
Beloved reader, it is only accepting the truth that will set you free. Drop the decision that propels lie. Do not kill that child. That life in your womb matters!
Abortion, simply defined, is murder. You made a mistake in getting involved with someone. Abortion will not eliminate that mistake, it will only compound it.
Hagar wanted to abandon her son to die, because she did not have enough to take care of him.
But God sent an Angel, and a well of water was revealed to her. That well sustained her and her child.
In the midst of the shame and financial troubles involved in unwanted pregnancy, God has a well He has prepared for you and your baby, to sustain the both of you.
All you have to do is Trust Him. Go to Him in remorse for your mistake. Seek for forgiveness. And decide to trust Him for a bright future.
Moses of the Bible days, was born in a time when Jewish male babies were being murdered. As soon as the government discovered you had a male child, they would take him from you, and kill him.
But Jochabed delivered a baby boy, and saw that he was good, so she hid him.
He was born in the time of turmoil, yet, she saw goodness in him.
He was born in the time when they were poor, wretched slaves, yet, she saw goodness in him.
She would have aborted him while he was in the womb, since male babies only caused trouble.
She would have gotten rid of him, herself. But she decided to keep him, and nurture him.
And that little boy grew up to be the Prince of Egypt and eventually the Great Prophet of Israel.
That seed you are carrying which you think is the fruit of your mistake, can also turn out to be the recompense of your mistake.
Don’t abort that baby! This is not all about being liberal or pro-life. This is about choosing what is best for your future and health.
Keep the Baby.
You can win this. At first, it will be hard, but with God on your side, everything will work out for your good.
©voicequo
©Nwodo Divine
© Koinonia Art
DEALING WITH PAIN AND GRIEF
If 2020 was to be classified as a movie, it would fall under the category of Horror and Tragedy. This year was definitely a hell of a year; full of ups and downs, pandemics, lockdown, deaths, inflation, hunger, loneliness and depression.
Many lost their loved ones. Some lost their businesses, their investments, their life savings.
Almost everyone lost something or someone precious this year.
Some have recovered, some are recovering, but there are those, who are still in grief, not because they enjoy grieving, but they just do not know how to come out of it.
As humans, our first impulse to the loss of a loved one is to cry bitterly, and experience pain and sorrow. Crying is good, and sometimes, healthy, but when it should only be a temporal reaction and not a permanent mood or temperament.
Many have lost hope of ever recovering from the grief they are experiencing presently; many have lost faith and the courage to move on, irrespective of the evils around them.
Maybe you fall into that category, or you know someone who falls into into that category, cherish this post, it will go a long way to helping you.
STEPS TO BREAKING OUT OF INNER HURT AND GRIEF
- IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE GRIEF:
Sometimes, engaging in a self-evaluation goes a long way in helping us come out of the shell of grief. Why exactly are you grieving? Who are you grieving? What are you grieving? The loss of a loved one? Poverty? Loss of Business opportunities? Identify the root cause of your grief, identify the root cause of your pain.
2. LET GO!
This is where the real battle lies in. There are people who know why they are grieving; they know they’ve lost a loved one, but they just can’t let him go.
They keep holding on to past memories and experiences with the one who they have lost. They imagine living with the lost one still present.
Some even sleep every night, meditating on the image and person of the lost loved one. One of the common mistakes people make in grief is that they blame themselves for the loss.
“If only I was there on time”… ‘If only I had enough money…’ they blame themselves for the loss. It’s time to man up and stop acting in such childish manner. It is childish to blame yourself for things that were beyond your control in the name of grief.
Let go, and move on. No amount of tears would ever bring that person back; no amount of tears would bring that business back; no amount of imagining would bring the late back.
It would only give you a false and unreal experience with the imaginative figment of that person.
These are hard truths I allowed to sink into my heart when I found myself slipping into anguish and pain. You can never be liberated from pain until you let these hard truths break those chains.
Let go! Let go of that past memory! He has left you, to join the immortals in the world beyond this world, you should equally leave him, by moving on with life.
3. ENOUGH OF THE PITIES
This doesn’t mean you totally forget about him, it just means you are strong enough to live life meaningfully, with or without him.
Sympathy and consolation is very important at the initial stage of grieving a loss. When others sympathize with us, it has a way of making us feel we are not alone in the pain we bear.
It helps us understand we are not alone in the grief we are experiencing.
But you can’t keep getting sympathies and pities weeks and months after your loss! You cannot afford to allow this.
As innocent as they might be, when allowed for too long, they form a dark, moody temperament in us.
A temperament that expects only pity from people; a temperament that wishes to display pain and grief so as to earn the sympathies of onlookers; a temperament that only draws close to those who can show pity on it!
This temperament will obscure your vision, destroy your creativity and clog your potentials!
It is the temperament that will render you emotionally unstable and mentally imbalanced.
Change your atmosphere. Surround yourself with creative thinkers.
Read books that will stir up hope and clarity of vision, and not poems that make you more depressed.
Delete those songs of hurt from your mobile phone.
Get your gadget filled with bright songs of optimism and love; start seeing the world from a more optimistic view.
3. DEVELOP FRESH, HEALTHY HABITS
Eat well. Medical research has shown that one’s habits have a high influence on ones disposition, whether melancholic or cheerful.
Develop habits that are healthy to both your body, mind and soul. Eat well; go on a walk at sunrise.
Develop the habit of ever confessing positiveness. Develop the habit of hanging out with intelligent friends and engaging in sound discussions with them.
Lastly, I want you to know that you can do all these and still feel the tinges of grief.
They do not eliminate grief; they do not remove grief, but they remove you from the grief. Do them consistently, and turn your world turn colorful again.
Before wrapping this up, let me show you something from the Holy Bible which will definitely be helpful to you.
2 Samuel 12:15-20
16 David prayed to God for the baby. David fasted and went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night.
17 The elders of David’s family came to him and tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to eat food with them.
18 On the seventh day the baby died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead..
19 When David saw his servants whispering, he knew that the baby was dead. So he asked them, “Is the baby dead?” They answered, “Yes, he is dead.”
20 Then David got up from the floor, washed himself, put lotions on, and changed his clothes. Then he went into the Lord’s house to worship. After that, he went home and asked for something to eat. His servants gave him some food, and he ate.
Bathsheba had put to birth, a lovely, bouncing baby boy for King David, a baby which came as a result of David’s mistake.
At birth, this baby boy was probably strong and energetic, full of so much potential, but days later, he became weak.
The little baby fell sick. The sickness was so serious, that David went on a fast to plead for mercy on the baby’s life.
Imagine how the King felt, seeing that baby, emaciating and slipping away from life daily. He must have loved that baby greatly, for him to have fasted and prayed fervently for the baby’s life. Yet, the baby died.
Despite the fasting, and the prayers, and the weeping in the church, crying to God to save his child, the child still died.
How do you think David should have felt? Depressed. Sad. Angry at God for taking his baby. Losing faith in prayers and fasting. The ordinary man would have felt these.
But not David; David was a man with a mighty inner strength to bear the greatest of disappointments.
As soon as he heard of the news of his child’s death, instead of lamenting and seeking sympathy, he washed his hands, worshiped the Lord and went to eat.
This is one of the greatest Bible paradoxes I have ever read. One thing we learn from it, is that in all things, we must give thanks to God. In pain and in pleasure, in the hills and in the valleys, in all things, we must give thanks to God!
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Shalom!
YOU VS THE STORM
What do you do when you find yourself amidst a storm?
Do you run away from the storm?
Do you let the storm engulf you or eat you up?
Or do you calm the storm, look for ways to calm the storm or call on someone to help you calm the storm?
Running away from a storm is not a good idea. Running away from the storm can save you, but not for too long.
Running away from the storm would only bring disparage in our hearts, because we will eventually keep running from it all the days of our lives.
There comes a time in our lives as humans when we face storms; a variety of unfortunate events and troubles. A storm is anything that comes to threaten your peace, make you restless, and give you instability by making you get stuck in sadness, displeasure or a deep kind of pain.
A storm can be anything; a pandemic, a disappointment, insurgency, insecurity, fear, lack of hope, poverty, injustice or whatever stands to disturb your peace.
During a storm, we’re likely to lose hope, especially when the situation is really intense or critical. We are likely to sink in to depression, lose faith and feel that we have lost it all; in the time of illness, pandemic, insecurity, the loss of our loved ones, poverty, rejection and pain.
But in the midst of these, I want you to know that there’s only one person, who can calm all the storms of life. His name is Jesus.
It was He who died for us all and He will always calm the storms in our lives if we call on to him!
In Matthew 8:23-27, His disciples were faced with a great sea storm while with Jesus. They were afraid, they were scared, they lost their faith and were already sinking in to total pain of the body and mind.
That illustrates that anyone can be scared in tough times and that it is not a crime to be scared.
Jesus was asleep, yet, they woke him up because they knew very well only him could calm the storm. When Jesus woke up, He rebuked the storm and it became still, and the disciples were at peace again.
Sometimes, even as disciples of Jesus, the storms of life can make us panic and anxious; you might be in such situation right now.
The storms of the virus, inflation and bad economic situation, might be so fierce that it seems like you’ll sink.
I have good news for you. Jesus is with you even in the boat! In the midst of the turmoil, the casting down and the streaks of lightning, Jesus is with you.
But Jesus will not calm the storm if you don’t wake him up! Our God never sleeps nor slumbers, but the sleeping of Jesus in the boat is an analogy from which we learn that God will be silent if you do not take a step of faith.
Jesus is willing to calm the storm in your life! Wake him up with your faith, with a cry of faith!
Give God a sign that you’re in for it, and don’t be discouraged while waiting.
He’ll never leave you nor forsake you. God says “I will be with you till the end of time” – Matthew 28:20. Believe it!
I know it’s tough. Maybe, you have gotten tired of hoping already, you don’t see any escape route but listen Jesus has not forgotten about you.
God still has your name in the middle of his palm and He is saying,
“I am in your boat! Do not be afraid! Wake me up! Call upon me and I will calm the storm in your life! I love you and I will always be with you!”
Don’t forget that you’re loved beyond measure.
May the peace of the lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen!
HOME
One day, I will fall in to a deep sleep,
Man will call it death,
They will say
“the devil has won again”
They will fill the air with cries,
Sorrowful music,
and tears will dance on their faces,
In their dinning tables,
They will share pain in broken plates,
Mourn like hope has departed from earth
And dance their heads to the deadly music of the night owl
But I,
I will call it freedom!
redemption and revival,
A journey to where I really belong!
Where peace lives
And joy dances with a crown on her head,
A home of kings and
Priestly people
Where my father resides
I will call it
Home!
*©fearless pen*
*#OshenGift*
H_O_P_E 🙏
Hopes and desires are stimulants,
They are positioned over the existing ignitions of time,
With beings brimming of light
They twang the apocalypse leading on relentlessly,
Mankind unto fate obscure.
Divinefavourmary ❤
A STRANGE LIFE
We are in a world where thorns and pain seems to be our daily bread; where sorrow is like a friend banging on the door, and we have no choice but to open up to it.
It’s a dark world filled with gross darkness, so much that we have to do almost everything with uncertainty.
“What if this is just the end of this strange life?”
Our trust and confidence have been taken for granted numerous times.
When we look back, it’s a big regret of so many wrong decisions we have made due to pressure and fear.
It’s pain in me! It’s pain in you!
It’s pain in us all!
“What if this is just the end of this strange life?”
While we live on, truth is, we have longed died inside of us.
Pain, fear and sorrow have put us in a place worse than the grave itself, a state of depression and confusion, and we count towards a time and a moment when we will finally live life or probably LEAVE THIS LIFE.
“But, What if this is just the end of this strange life we are living?”
Yes! It’s the end of this strange life friend!
A life without God brings all these; a life void of the presence of the Loving Father, full of grace and mercy.
So how about we come to the end of this strange life now,
How about we embrace the One in whom true life and peace dwells.
For strange life is a life outside the Lord,
But TRUE LIFE is one found and established in CHRIST JESUS!
Embrace Jesus now. Receive His true life and cast you cares upon Him!
Shalom
© Precious Wilfred.
News Feed or God’s Feed?
One of the great qualities a of Medical doctor is that he pays absolute attention to his medical books.
Whatever he sees in the Book, he practices in the Theater, whatever he sees in the theater, he goes back to study in his books.
The same with a law student. A Law Student does not joke with his books because he knows his success is tied to the knowledge he gains and practices from them.
Do you know that Christianity is far greater than these professions. Paul referred to Christianity as a ‘high calling’.
It is being called out of the world to have a relationship with God. Everything you ever need to succeed as a Christian is in a Book.
That book is called the Bible. The Bible is God’s manual to us on how to succeed even in the midst of darkness and enemies. It is one of the commonest, yet, neglected books.
Take a stroll within your church hall after the Sunday service and you’ll observe several Bibles littered on the ground, neglected by their owners. This shows the value that they place on their Bible.
The Bible is God’s letter to Believers. The Epistles of Paul, Peter and the Apostles are not really their Epistles, they’re simply the Epistles of God written to His Church through those men.
Neglecting your Bible is the same as neglecting the voice of God. This is because the Bible came as a result of God speaking to men.
God said to Joshua, ‘…. Ye shall meditate therein day and night, for it, thou shalt obtain good success’
God was telling Joshua, if you want to be successful, meditate on my word, that is the textbook for success in this Kingdom.
In turbulent times like this, the media is throwing poisonous diets to us through their news. They’re ever reporting news of death, tragedies going on around the world.
If you’re not careful, these things can cause weeds to grow within you and choke up your faith. Instead of giving yourself to negative news, why not give yourself to God’s own News.
Hallelujah!
The Media calls theirs, News Feed,
Well, after getting their News Feed, make sure you flush it out of your system and take in God’s own News Feed, the Bible. Every day with the Bible offers new information, new Instruction, new insight that has never been seen before.
Update your spirit with God’s Word. Hold onto it. Let God’s word become more real to you than even your situation.
Everything you’re going through has already been spoken about through His Word, it’s left for you to search it out and believe in it.
Act 27:25: “(Paul speaking) Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”
Paul was in a ship being taken on a journey. But on the way to their destination, a severe storm began. It was thunderous and frightening.
The men in the ship with Paul began to panic. From the look of things, they were going to lose both their properties and their lives. But at night, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Paul and gave Him a Word from the Lord saying, ‘Neither you nor the men with you shall lose their lives’.
This is a tough season for many, we’ve never had deaths like this in history. Here in Nigeria, death is becoming like a trend. In the US, Covid deaths keep getting higher. This is like a storm; a storm so frightening, that it seems we might all be destroyed in it.
You might have lost a loved one to it, and you’re wondering whether you’re next, do not be afraid. God has said in His word that He will shield you from the arrows that flies by day and the plagues at night (Psalm 91).
Like Paul, declare, ‘It shall be even as I was told’.
Believe that this situation shall end up as God promised in His Word.
In all, get addicted to God’s word, feed on God’s promises, hold onto them as an anchor, and in time, you’ll pass through this storm Hale, hearty and more stronger than ever.
God Bless You!
If you were blessed by this, please give it a like, retweet and drop a comment, I’ll reply right away 😊🙏🙏
The Late Dawn
Old age comes with weakness and frail mind
A time between adulthood and death.
When old age creeps on me
When wrinkles appears on my face,
When All my hair turns gray,
When life’s candle goes gloom,
When my eyes grow dim…
I will keep glancing
Never retiring but refiring.
Stretching forth my hands to finishing domestics work,
Rendering more service to the creator,
Telling life tales to younger ones, and also
Thinking positively the rest of my life with optimism.
I shall embrace you without fear
Because my adolescence and adulthood shall have been Worthily spent.
Come, the late dawn.
*Nkemjoy*🌹
8 Ways to Replace Life Hurts with Hope
Are you in a place of hurt and in need of God’s healing? Here are eight ways to find hope, when life hurts, based on Wounded Women of the Bible by Dena Dyer and Tina Samples. Are you in a place of hurt and in need of God’s healing? Here are eight ways to replace Life Hurts with Hope
8 Ways to Replace Life Hurts with Hope
KOINONIA ART 