“I don’t know what is going on with my life. Nothing seems to be working. Everything around me seems to be collapsing. Whenever I try calling upon God it seems there is an imaginary ceiling and my prayers seem to be bouncing back on me like an echo. My debtors are out for my neck and I don’t have anything to sooth their demand. I can hardly sleep,” whimpered Nimrod over a cup of coffee one cold Tuesday evening.

It was tough for me finding some words of comfort for this dear friend and brother in Christ. All I could do was quote Isaiah 3:10 and pray with him that he may find comfort in the Lord. I perceived that what he needed was a concrete answer to his predicaments, not another sermon.

Nimrod was going through what I now know as death season. Many of us often wonder where God is at the darkest hour of their lives, and why He allows it to happen to them. They even start naming and fighting whatever spirit they can imagine that could be related to that ‘thing’ without realizing that it might be the hand of God they are fighting.

Personally, I asked God those questions and He answered in a way that proved how foolish it is to do that. He answered with some questions: Where do you think I was when my Son was being crucified? Where do you think I was when my faithful servant, Job, was going through tough times? You have chosen to follow Christ, voluntarily, but are you ready to follow through, every step of the way, up to the shameful death on the cross with Him?

That is where the phrase ‘death season’ came from. There comes a time in life of a believer when nothing seems to work, both spiritually and physically, and if anything seems to do, it works against him or her.

W e are the followers of Christ and we should be ready to walk with Him all the way, even to the cross of shame through to death and tomb (John 11:16). We have no option but to follow on, knowing that His plan is the best for us even when we don’t see the sense in it, especially when we compare it with Jeremiah 29:11.

Apostle Paul had embraced this truth when He scribbled to the saints in Galatia, “…I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20) that is why He was audacious enough to tell the elders from Ephesus: “…But none of these things move me, neither do I count my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify fully the gospel of the grace of God…” (Acts 20:24)

Well, I understand that the Gospel is the good news, but there comes a time when good news seems to be clothed in a sour shell. Time comes when, apparently there seems to be nothing good in the good news. At that moment in time it is prudent to understand and embrace the fact that The Lord is with you. The Lord told the people of Israel the reason why He took them through the wilderness for forty years from Egypt to Canaan, an eleven day trek thus: “…And you shall remember all the way which Jehovah your God led you these forty years in the wilderness in order to humble you, to prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not…“ (Deuteronomy 8:2) Understand that the Lord knew what was in their hearts, but He wanted to prove it (that which was in their hearts) so that they would know what was in their hearts through squeezing it out and laying it bare before their eyes.

In order to embrace it further and in a better way, picture it thus: A mother giving her sick child bitter medicine. The child kicks, screams and tries to spit out the strange tasting concoction in protest. The mother is evidently appalled by the child’s reaction, but because it is the only cure for the ailing and wailing little wonder in her arms, she is left with no option but to administer the medicine to the child. The longer the child protests the sicker he gets and the more it appalls his mother because she knows what is best for his quick recovery.

This may be one of the many ways to look at the death season in a positive way. Look at Micaiah (1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18). Why is he in prison? Why do you think he is slapped by Zedekiah? Isn’t God powerful? Why does He allow John the Baptist to be imprisoned and later beheaded for speaking what God has told Him to speak? Can words kill? Is the tongue of a prophet a sword that he suicidally wields against himself?

There are two different ways of looking at the aspect of the cross. One is active and the other is passive. The active one says: “since He is my Lord, and He demands that I follow Him, then, out of love, I should follow Him even if it is to the grave so that I may resurrect with Him in glory.” Those who follow this route have this as their maxim: No gory no glory, no pain no gain, no shame no fame.

On the other hand, there is the passive way. The passive one says: “He died my death. Because He died the curse of suffering is broken, and therefore I can live a full life in Christ. He loved me so much that He chose to die my death on my cross. Why then should I take up the cross? I should just live in worship and love for Him instead.” It gives its followers have these as their principles: His gory my glory, His pain my gain, His shame my fame.

When the first thesis is followed without love and grace the end result is legalism. On the other hand, if one takes the second argument without commitment it leads him or her to antinomianism. There is no extreme in the Christianity that is good, especially if it is used to prove a point or two against a certain portion of Scriptures and if the motive thereof is wrong. We should, instead be more eager to find a biblical consensus from the Word of God, and from the Spirit of the living God.

Back to the point, why do Christians go through tough times? I dare say this, and this is Jack: never ask God ‘why’. Job of old, in his miseries, was always eager to appear before God and present his petition to Him, but when God appeared and challenged him to stand like a man and answer some questions, all he could do was say “I have been hearing about You, but now my eyes have seen You” (Job 42:5). In my ignorance, I asked that question, and true to His nature He gave me five reasons from the Bible and asked me who between me and Him was wiser. You can be sure that I was left dumbfounded.

Death season can be a distressing and discouraging time, especially if one does not know how to deal with it. Let me share with you some of the nuggets that God has humbled me with.

The first thing, and this is very critical, is to make sure that you are on the right books with God. Righteousness cannot be over- emphasized. It will give you boldness to face whatever is thrown at your face without flinching or batting an eye with the knowledge and faith that the Lord is with you on this matter (Proverbs 28:1). The moment you start getting offended at the Lord’s dealing, you give the devil a landing beach from which he can conquer the rest of your spiritual life.

That brings me to the second point, which is: keep your heart. The Scriptures teach us to keep our hearts (Proverbs 4:23). We ought to keep our hearts from offences especially when we perceive the dealings of the Lord to be unfair or unjustified, lest we become like Naomi, (whose name means pleasant , beautiful or comely) who chose to change her name to Mara (meaning bitter or bitterness) because she thought that God had dealt with her bitterly enough to remind Him always with her name (Ruth 1:20). Remember the name represents the character of the person bearing that name.

Open sea swimmers and surfers know that as long as you keep your head above the waters, chances of drowning are minimal. Likewise as long as you keep your head chances of depression are minimal.

Three of the prophets in the Bible suffered depression. They looked at existence and devalued what God had entrusted them with and desired that God may take their lives. Moses (Numbers 11:15), Elijah (1 Kings 19:4) and Jonah (Jonah 4:3) were their names. Hence the reason why I am stressing that we keep our heads afloat in the times of storm. Your head might be the only head that is sane in the world you are living. So keep it.

Then, of paramount significance, keep the hope alive. Job 23:8-10 shows something that we should embrace. It reads: “… Behold, I go forward, but He is not there; and backward, but I cannot see Him; on the left hand, where He works, but I cannot behold Him. He turns to the right, but I do not see Him. But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold…” This righteous man from the east is in a dilemma. All his friends have deserted him, and the few who have been left are busy talking him into admitting that he has sinned so that they have something to explain away the painful season that Job is going through as punishment from God.

In the Scriptures above he is saying that He can’t find God. It is pitch dark in the soul of a man or woman who confesses that He cannot find God. But he refuses to throw in the towel because there is something he knows, and that gives him hope to carry on. He knows that omniscient God knows his path. And that path will lead to glory and splendid beauty like that which emanates from gold.

Also, and this is very refreshing to some, it is always expedient to be with people who love you unconditionally. I call them encouragers. Everyone needs a Barnabas, especially in times when he/she is weak, to encourage and strengthen him or her with words of comfort. You will understand that such people are very instrumental though they may not be public figures. Ministry goes beyond preaching in public. It can be done through a whisper of “God loves and cares about you, and so do I,” or something like a smile. If you are an encourager, may God’s love be abundant to an overflowing level so that you will be as pivotal as you can be in times when someone is going through things that he or she cannot understand. If you are in difficult season may you find comfort from the Lord of all comfort and also a shoulder to lean on from your fellow believers.

What if even those whom you thought to be your encouragers desert you? Sometimes it is difficult for them to accept the situations you are in. Remember that these are people, not angels. They have their own fears, and can, out of insecurity or ignorance or any other reason that human beings possess decide they have had enough of your woes. The question comes: how do you deal with desertion at the time when the warmth of your brethren is needed badly?

The first thing is to make sure that you have the right attitude towards them. They don’t desert you because they were not really there for you but because they have limits. Remember that they can go with you thus far; and not farther.

Then at least go a notch farther and learn to trust in the Lord your God alone. “And they that know Your name will put their trust in You; for You Lord has not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10)

God has all along in the history of mankind proved to be the trusted friend, especially in times when one is in such darkness that he/she cannot tell between an eye and a nose. Job of old said, “Though He slays me, yet I will trust in Him: but I will maintain my ways before Him.” (Job 13:15 KJV.)

And, in His time He sends someone to come to your rescue. Let us look at what happened to Jeremiah when he prophesied as the Lord had commanded. In Jeremiah 38:1-13, he was arrested and thrown in a dungeon by some chaps with the consent of Zedekiah the king. Then Ebedmelech, one of the king’s servants saw the mischievous deed and sought the permission of the king to have Jeremiah out of the dungeon, owing to the fact that it was cold and there was no much food in Jerusalem. His request was granted, and together with thirty soldiers they rescued Jeremiah.

Jeremiah was rescued using worn out clothes and ropes by putting them under his arm pits so that he could be pulled out of the soggy pit. The ropes are the bands of love and cords of man (Hosea 11:4) which are used to pull him, and the rags which are used to support the man of God are the eon proven doctrines of the Word of God.

I have, for a long time, believed that ministry is not just preaching; rather it is the releasing or sharing of the abundant life of Christ in us through a channel called love. Hence Ebedmelech and his troop of thirty soldiers give us anatomy of what ministry is all about.

There will be an Ebedmelech appointed for your rescue from the dungeon of troubles. He may be the most unexpected person to come forth with such a burden for your rescue (Ebedmelech was a mere eunuch in the service of Zedekiah the king in the palace), but God’s ways often confuse our expectation, anyway (1 Cor 1:18-21).

Conclusively, whatever comes, in times when you can’t see any flickering hope, there is only one way to go. Hope against hope like Abraham.

There is no way you are going to remain in the death season forever. There is resurrection for you. Since we are following the footsteps of Christ to death, then the same way He resurrected we shall resurrect with Him (Romans 6:5-8). Seasons are never permanent. Don’t settle in the death season. There is resurrection for you and glory in Him, you who has chosen to die with Jesus (John 11:16).

…For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall rise on the earth at the last; and even if they corrupt my skin, yet this: in my flesh I shall see God… (Job 19:25, 26)

This mind is also characterized with simplicity. This is portrayed by the way a person behaves when s/he is elevated to a place of higher responsibilities and where s/he is living in more prestige than before. Let us have a look at what the Bible says concerning this in 2 Corinthians 11:3. “…But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, so your thoughts should be corrupted from the simplicity due to Christ.”

This is a mind that chooses to trust God for anything and unquestioningly obeys His commands daily, not for its gain, but in the knowledge that by this it is glorifying Him, which is its main purpose. It is a mind that knows that it has power that is work within (Ephesians 1:19). It is also a mind of positive progress (2 Peter 1:5-7).

It is also the overcoming mind that was with Caleb and Joshua in Numbers 14. This mind muses something like this whenever the enemy takes control of the inheritance of the children of God: Can I ignore the giant sons of Anak and go on to possess the inheritance from my Father? The Lord has promised me victory concerning everything that is mine. Therefore I must deal with the enemy nice, fast and square and move on to take the inheritance. They don’t belong to him; they belong to me.

It is imperative to note that the mind operates like the computer processor. They say “Garbage In Garbage Out”. The Bible admonishes us to “set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.”(Colossians3:2, World English Bible). If we care to be feeding our mind our on the things that are true, honest, right, pure, lovely, virtuous, of good report and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8), we will win this battle.

In conclusion let us endeavor to have the spiritual mind, because only then will we be able to have full access of the mind of God through the Holy Spirit. The soulish and the carnal mind can only have partial access to the thoughts and plans of God, but for the spiritual, only God can limit the access according to His will. Let us do away with anything that defiles our mind, since it is Central Processing Unit of our whole being. In other words, watch out what you watch and think about what you think. It will help you manage and tame your tongue (James 3:2-12).

Remember that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7a).

The only one thing that God requires of us is to turn away from our wickedness since Israel had been taken into captivity because they had rebelled against the LORD their God, and done evil in His sight. They had been warned, but didn’t take heed. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; therefore be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19).
In response to the call we can only appeal to one another: “Come and let us return to Jehovah. For He has torn, and He will heal us; He has stricken, and He will bind us up” (Hoseah 6:1). You cannot afford to be left behind in the wilderness.

Well, Jayne must be having some genuine reasons for all this. Three years ago, she was joined to Ian in a holy matrimony. However they are no longer together. They fell out citing irreconcilable problems. She, together with her former husband, has been a devout Christian in a Pentecostal Church, but nowadays she is not sure of anything about it.

Ian has his own side of the story. He claims he was not to blame.” How can you live with someone who is always complaining?” he asks. “I tried to hold it together but it couldn’t work”.

Ted has become a workaholic. Over a year ago, he wed a beautiful Joanne in one of the famous churches in the city, but now they are divorced. What happened? “We couldn’t put up with each other,” says Ted.

Joanne on her part says that Ted is the kind of person one can’t trust with one’s life. She adds that Ted and her were incompatible. “We were like water and oil. The things I felt when we were together were rather burdening, and so I didn’t have any other alternative but to walk out of his life. Thank God I didn’t conceive.”

>Cold Hearts
This is what is happening in the lives of many young people nowadays. The situation is deteriorating by the day. Sometimes ago I heard a young chap saying,” If this is what marriage life has to offer then I wont marry.” The hearts of many have waxed cold. Why?

As well as marriage life being not a bed of roses, it does not have to be such a rough ride of life. Unfortunately, to some the situation is almost hopeless. God made us simple but we have made ourselves so complicated that it is almost impossible to get rid of the complexes in life.

Look Before you Leap
Personally, I reckon that most of us jump into relationships without first considering their emotional maturity. Usually, we are not sure whether we can look right down in our hearts and examine our feelings. It is true that we Christians should be led by the Spirit, but let us look at the components of the heart. The heart contains the soul (human spirit) and the spirit (whether evil or holy). The soul contains intellect (power to know and think), will (power to choose), and emotion (power to feel). Allow me to major on the emotional part. How do I know that I am progressing emotionally? These are some of the guidelines.

Sawing Sawdust
Deal constructively with reality. Don’t saw sawdust. There is no need to mess with things that are already messed up. One should know that there is always a chance to complain about the nasty reality around him or her, but he or she is mature enough to meet the situations with what he or she has and what he or she can do. Learn to live without being overwhelmed by the anxieties around you. If fate offers you a lemon make it lemonade.

Have the Capacity to Change
The irreconcilable problems often come from irrational view of life. Always have the capacity to change. Remember that we are living in a world different from the way it was yesterday. One should have in mind that he or she is not too mature to change. Be ye transformed (changed) by the renewing of your mind. Sometimes it is good to change your emotional frame-up to accommodate your friend or spouse.

Tension and Anxiety
Let us be free from unnecessary tension and anxiety. All of us have neurotic evasions in form of unreasonability, irrationality, illogic, aggressiveness, passiveness, fear, lonesomeness, or blaming someone else. It is justified to have a little ’noble discontent’ or ‘righteous indignation’ or the anxiety to do things when we feel they ought to be done, but when these things climb to an unreasonable point there is a maladjustment which should be sorted out and solved. Even Jesus Christ got angry and flogged the money mongers out of the temple of Jerusalem but He didn’t use any angry word.

Giving
Find more satisfaction in giving than in receiving, as it is more blessed to give than to receive. We started our lives as receivers but for those who are mature have learnt the power and joy there is in giving. You don’t have to give materials only. Giving a grieving friend a shoulder to cry on can be satisfying. However, the most important aspect in giving is the attitude. This always gives the motive a foundation; whether weak or strong. If the attitude is positive then the foundation is strong also.

Be Social
There is so much learning in relating to people. This is where one finds the difference between liking and tolerating. Usually we can acquire the combination of honesty and fairness, dependability and willingness by sensing and hopefully trying to assess them within ourselves when we are relating.

Dealing with offences
In relating with others it is important to note that the one with whom one is relating with come from different backgrounds and hence they have different priorities and attitudes. In such case they are bound to offer differing opinions over some virtues which one holds dear.
Most of the time one is going to be disturbed by the things that one hears or overhears other say about him or her. I, for instance, may do something wise and someone will be quick to say that I am wise. The next day, I may do something else that is stupid according to another and he or she opines that I am stupid. The point here is: whose report will I believe?
Offences occur when we believe in other people’s opinion over us. People’s opinions, as we have seen, fluctuate as they are influenced by the actions of the person in question.
The way out of this is to treat critics with love as if all of them mean good, although some may be there to harm your emotional frame up, and then weigh your action according to what they are saying about you. If there is something that needs to be done on your part, do it, but don’t always be influenced by their opinions, especially if all they have a habit of ranting against you.
Moreover let us be influenced by the report of the Lord (Isaiah 53:1). Also let us borrow a leaf from our Lord Jesus Christ. At one time Jesus went to Jerusalem and did some mighty miracles, such that many people believed in Him. But He was not of the kinds that are flattered. He knew people; mostly they are influenced by the actions. The most important thing is: hear them out, examine your motive, but don’t believe their opinions on you. Know what God has called you to do, do it, and move on. Time is too short to whine over others’ opinion over you.
Hostile Feelings
All of us were born with hostile feelings. If we recognize these feelings we stand a better chance to handle them. When we have guilt feelings it is because we have been forgetful, nasty, thoughtless, or outrageous towards someone. This is called self-defeatism. Often we refuse to let ourselves succeed by holding to the guilt feelings. Frequently we turn our hatred to ourselves or our families, friends, colleagues at work or bosses without being aware of it. There are many disguises of this hatred and hostility such as shunning responsibilities, negligence, rejection, thoughtlessness, unfaithfulness and forgetfulness. We may control these hostile impulses by forgiving others and ourselves and keeping in our mind that a soft answer turns away wrath. In case of some friction it is always good to aim at ventilation and not conquest. “Be a light generator, not heat generator.”

Love
How big your heart is is determined by how unconditionally you love. Our Creator has given us love and He expects us to share with others. Christ said that we love one another so that we may prove that we are His disciples to the world. If love covers a multitude of sins the way Scriptures record, then we will not have so much family break-ups. However, the genuinety of love varies from relationship to relationship. That is why instead of covering the weaknesses of our loved ones most of us expose them. We have become troubleshooters, majoring more on the problems than on the progress.

However, all is not lost. Everything can be taken away, but one thing- the last of human freedom- to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance and to choose one’s way out. If you have chosen the “I-want-to –improve” attitude then you are on the right path. Right attitude always precedes right actions. You can now start working on your emotions. Consider that it is God who wants us to mature up in all things.

The LORD declared something to Jeremiah concerning the nations that would dwell together with Israel in Jeremiah 12: 17 that is a bit troubling: “And if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith Jehovah.”

Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for being so much attached to the sinful habits that they couldn’t even discern the servants of the LORD who had been sent to come and destroy the sin.

I believe the only way forward is to detach ourselves from the sin and the sinful nature, so that in case the wrath of God explodes it won’t blast us away together with the sin. Those secret habits you hold dearly will destroy you if you don’t let them go.

… Don’t Let Anything Hold You Down

When he was young, an elephant was tied to a peg. He tried to pull the peg off but due to his feebleness he couldn’t. Now he was grown up, but still felt he couldn’t set himself free. Though he had grown stronger and more bulky he had given up any attempt to break free because he was still banking on the past. He was beaten once and rendered shy the rest of his life. The great jumbo stayed tethered there because he thought he wouldn’t be able to break his way to freedom, just as he hadn’t when he was young.

Most people are like that elephant. We dwell on the past failures and fail to see the future that God has prepared for us. One of the things that Jesus promised was tribulations (derived from the word troubles) in this world, but He urged us to be of good cheer because He had overcome the world. We face so many challenges, and we ought to keep our sights on God. Purposeful people focus not on what they are going through but where they are going to. There are times when we feel defeated. Defeat is a temporary condition, but giving up is what makes it permanent.

A story is told about a man who caught a bird and tied a string on its leg. Whenever the bird tried to fly away the man would pull it down. Don’t let anything hold you down when you want to fly away. God changes the saying ‘Once beaten twice shy’ into ‘Once beaten twice strong’.

Gospel of John 5:5-7 records a dramatic lesson for us. The man is giving excuses for not being healed. For thirty-eight years, the man has stayed there reassuring himself that time and chances happens to everyone, and so his time has not yet happened.

When Christ appears to him he starts reasoning with his predicaments unaware that his time to walk again has just happened. “Sir, I have no man to put me in the pool when the water is troubled.” In other words, he is claiming he can not be healed because he has no helper.

The second thing he says is that while he is about to step in the water another one steps down before him. What he is trying to express is that he is not as qualified as others to receive the healing.

Those excuses blind the man from perceiving that his miracle is just a “Yes” away from him.

However, Jesus tells him to rise up and walk. Despite all the excuses, he is to learn the lesson of obedience as the only way to activate his faith in God. If he had stood his ground and said, “You have eyes to see that I cannot” the Bible would have recorded another thing altogether. But thank God that the man obeys and thereby receives his healing.

Problems and weaknesses are not excuses to your pursuit of your dream and destiny in Christ. Look at Paul in prison. He is in chains, yet he says the Gospel is not in chains. He is in pain yet through him God heals many. He is in wants yet he makes others rich. Yes, you can overcome! Yea, you can win, despite being widowed, orphaned or maimed in the recent political crises (in Kenya and Zimbabwe).

Breathe, can you? That means that you have a future. The reason why they call it past is because it is exactly that, passed. We have no control over it, but we have control over our future. And it starts here: with the next step; next breathe; next beat of your heart; next turn of your head; next thought that is crossing your mind right now; the next word you are about to read… Focus on it in Christ.

When the Jews were on the great trek to the Promised Land they followed God’s cloud as their diurnal guide and a stump of fire as a nocturnal one. If anyone was left back by the cloud during the day he would be scorched to death by the sun in the desert. If anyone was left back by the fire stump he would freeze to death in the cold of the night. In other words there was no excuse from following the Spirit of God if anyone wanted to see the Promised Land (Exodus 13:21,22).

Now that we have an even better covenant with God through the blood of Jesus I feel that there is nothing on earth, in heaven or under the sea that can separate us from God, and His promises. The excuses given by the man by the pool of Bethsaida are no longer reasons enough. This is because we have the Helper with and in us, the Holy Spirit, and all things are possible with them that believe. Apostle Paul expressed this kind of faith when he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

In Acts 27 the boat that Paul was travelling in was almost capsizing in the storms. There was so much confusion in the small vessel that in a frantic effort to save themselves, those who were travelling with him had started throwing their belongings overboard. Only Paul seemed to be in control and at peace with the situation. Why? Because he knew that this storm was not going to take anybody’s life. An angel had appeared to him and told him that he must appear before Caesar. There was no way he could appear before Caesar when he was already dead. So he knew that his and the others’ lives were safe. There is no way you are going to perish before you reach the destination, which God ordained for you. Don’t let anything rob from you what God has apprehended you for.

There is the saying that is common with people that the only person who does not make any mistake is the one who does nothing. Mistakes occur in our working environments, at home and almost every place. Most people often embark on a pity party, while others start a blame game once a common error has occurred, thus failing to learn from their mistakes and move on with their lives.

A story is told about an engineer who used to work with IBM in America. At one time he made a mistake which cost the company quite a huge chunk of money. On realizing the mistake, he went to his boss and tendered his resignation with the reason that he was not worthy to work in the firm anymore. However, his boss refused to accept the letter of resignation and said, “Look here, pal, you have just learnt quite a dear (expensive) lesson. How can we let you go?”

Don’t let those mistakes hold you down. Admit them, learn from them and get away from them and move on with life. Your life is not tied up on your mistakes but on the grace that is upon you. Apostle Paul once understood this spiritual principle when he scribbled, “Brethren, I don’t consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 3:13, RSV)

Diseases and disabilities may plague our potential and cripple our talents. It is a pity that most of us cannot do the things that God has called them to do because of their physical and heart conditions. However if only we can know the uniqueness in ourselves and take advantage of our disabilities we would be in a better position to accomplish our purpose in spite of our conditions.

The story of Helen Keller is one of the most inspiring accounts of one who defeated her own disabilities to live a full life. Born in 1880, she got down with an illness (they call it spinal fever but I think it was meningitis) at the age of thirteen months that would claim both her hearing and eyesight. But her determined heart would not give in to pity party and she went on with life to become a lecturer. And O, you should have watched her dance to the vibrations of the beats of the music. Among her greatest quotes are “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision” and “the best and most beautiful thing in life cannot be seen, not touched, but are felt in the heart” It is amazing that a person who was both deaf and blind could utter such profound and sobering words.

You, too, can become the person God created you to be in spite of your disability. There is a common adage that disability is not inability. Apostle Paul had a “thorn in the flesh,” yet was convinced that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him. You can also rise to the occasion and do something for the glory of God. Don’t let disability hold you down when you want to fly! “Shake yourself from the dust; arise, and sit down …: loose yourself from the bands of your neck.…” (Isaiah 52:2)

However, one thing the enemy hates is to see us moving in the right direction. He employs unbelievable craftiness, artifice and deceit to keep mankind from knowing the truth and acting upon it. If I have a million dollars in my bank account and I am persuaded that I don’t have it, and make no overt move to use it, the money in the bank does me no good at all, and I remain poor₂.

The devil knows the promises of God towards you and I, but he would feel cheated and let down if we acted upon them because it would be to his own downfall. The only remedy for this is to prove the devil a liar by not only believing in the Word but also acting upon it so that you may prosper, be strengthened and established.

Heartaches occur leaving us high and dry after a relationship has gone sour. We are left struggling to heal ourselves from the inflicted emotional wounds. Normally we tend to blame ourselves for having fallen into such a “stupid trap” and vow never to attempt such a “worthless endeavour”. We embark on a bumpy ride of either being overcautious or offensive in every way possible in order to protect ourselves from losing our sanity. In this bid some of us either try being workaholic or relax into our lonely cocoon, where we are sure that nobody will break in and hurt us again.

In the long run, most of us find the futility of the whole idea, and eventually get either morally loose or suicidal. The feeling of “emptiness inside” gnaws one’s soul until one is left with no purpose to live for. One starts feeling that he/she is living just because his/her heart is beating, walking just because he/she can place one leg in front of the other and breathing just because his/her lungs need air. In other words s/he is alive just because s/he is not dead yet! (I have been there and know what it means).

Sadly, they don’t know that this is a scheme of satan to pin them down and have them do him some favour. Once the devil has depleted their hearts he comes with his folks and make an abode on the hapless soul.

Funny thing about this is that, while we are struggling with all this, God is still present. I have found people who are offended by even God Himself. Normally they ask where God was when they were getting into all this mess.

While it may not be possible to answer such questions, the Lord loves us and cares about us as His sons. Just as he was concerned about Job’s emotional wounds, which incidentally had been inflicted on him by his own trusted friends, He is concerned about ours too. He cares for not only our intellect and will, but also our emotions. Just let Him have your wounded, shredded and defiled heart and you will be amazed at his expertise on such things. Never allow yourself to loose the will to live, love and be loved again, when Jesus is still alive.

Sometimes we may face discouragement and start questioning God. I hereby take this opportune chance to inform or remind you (whichever the case) that every discouragement comes from the devil.

At one time in hell, so I am told, the devil called an impromptu meeting to discuss ways of winning souls back to his fold. One demon suggested that he would show the people the pains there are in staying virtuous, and another one came up with the idea of showing the congregation of Jesus the luxuries there are in sins, but both of these suggestions were rejected as having been used. However, when another imp said that he would win men and women of the Faith by discouraging them, the chairman, Lucifer, said, “Good, let us try this and see what will crop up.” And so the meeting was called off.

Never allow the devil to preach to you and keep your focus on Christ Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Resist all his false ideas, accusations and heresies and don’t let him get you down.

Problems arise, even to the believers (and who cheated you that you are immune to them?). David once said “Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all.”(Psalms 34:19). Don’t look back just because you are going through tough times. Tough people outlast tough times. God is in control of everything. He turns pain into gain and shame into fame only after you go through them. Remember that gold is purified through fire. Mark you that Isaiah 43:2 starts with “when”, which is unconditional and not “if”. Don’t let the small and big problems in your life hinder you from reaching your destiny. Your life is more precious than those problems. No one can kick a dead horse .The magnitude of the troubles shows that there is a sign of life, strength and uniqueness being recognized by the enemy.

Conclusively let us have a close encounter with our barriers. What is it that has always prevented you from the blessedness of flying without being held down? David decided that he wouldn’t cry and fast any longer after the death of his son. In other words he chose not to be held down by grief and went on with life despite the painful loss of his beloved son. You, too, can choose to do the same. Live on!

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 66:12 thus: “You allowed men to ride over our heads. We went through fire and through water, but you brought us to the place of abundance.”-World English Bible.

Another version records: “You sent war chariots to crush our skulls. We traveled through fire and through water, but you brought us to a land of plenty.”-Contemporary English Version.

The road to the land of plenty is not always smooth. In fact, it is on the contrary rough, full of crushes, fire and water. Be strong. Encourage yourself and push on!

It is not time to moan our loss. God always has a reason for everything. Can anybody touch the center of your eyeball without you being aware of it? The scriptures declare loudly that: “For thus says the LORD of hosts: After the glory has He sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that touches you touches the apple of His eye.”- (Zechariah 2:8, NKJV). I wish to repeat this; nothing takes God by surprise. Absolutely nothing!

Let us learn from the psalmist by repeating these Scriptures in Psalms 42:5 “Why am I so sad? Why am I troubled? I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise Him.”- (Good News Bible)

One time Winston Churchill, the famous British statesman was called up to give a lecture in the University of Barrow where he had studied. The theme of his lecture was to be ‘How to succeed in life.’ Here is the whole lecture: ‘Never give up. Never, never, never give up. Never, never give up. Never give up.’

I can only echo his words. He was terribly right.