Browsing Tag

Christ

Valley Of Berakah!

Happy New Month!

Just the other day we were excitedly crossing over to 2024 and today we are on the second day of the second month. Time indeed flies. I know most of us, if not all ,have goals/resolutions for the year and my prayer is that you are striving to grow in what I believe are the core spheres of life namely spiritual, mental development, assignment, financial, relationships and health.

One of my spiritual goals this year is to complete a 1-year bible plan on 01/01/2025 and by God’s grace this is an area I don’t struggle with. I love reading my bible and despite having read it cover to cover severally, it’s always exciting to embark on this journey again simply because every time I open the word of God, He gifts me a fresh revelation.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. “ Hebrews 4:12

Rick Warren rightly said: “God’s Word generates life, creates faith, produces change, frightens the devil, causes miracles, heals hurts, builds character, transforms circumstances, imparts joy, overcomes adversity, defeats temptation, infuses hope, releases power, cleanses our minds, brings things into being and guarantees our future forever.” God’s word is truly alive, active and far more powerful than any of us can ever imagine.

I have been born again since 26^th May 2016 and I can confidently say that salvation is a beautiful, exhilarating and life changing journey but truth be told it’s not always glitz and glam. It has its hills and valleys moment. Moments you’re on the mountain top celebrating victories and testimonies and answered prayers: the highlights of your walk of faith. Then the other moments when you’re knee deep in the valleys, drowning in fear, battling unbelief and fighting raging wars within your spirit and your environment.

I’ve had my fair share of highs and lows: highs that have been incredibly-mind blowing and literally the favour of God shining through and lows that have been down right heart-breaking. But in these moments, God has greatly encouraged me, assuring me that He knows and sees the end from the beginning so He knows how the story started, how it will end and everything in between. Nothing catches Him by surprise. In all these moments, He remains God and I am assured that He works ALL things together for good to them that love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Today I’ll share one of my favorite valley story in the bible that always encourages me.

2^nd Chronicles, Chapter 20.

Looming Battle:

The chapter opens up in verse 1 with a heavy profound statement “After this, the Moabites and Ammonites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.”

Background story: in chapter 19, Jehoshaphat carried out an intense revival campaign throughout the land urging the people to turn back to God. He then went ahead and appointed God fearing judges and instructed them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. “He then proceeded to appoint Levites, priests and heads of Israelite families to administer the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. He gave them these orders: “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. Jehoshaphat was on fire and zeal for God and his passion was very impactful as a leader. You would think that after such a fiery season, there would be great reward but the very next chapter we are told his enemies united to wage war against him

Lesson: Serving God diligently and faithfully doesn’t always insulate you against battles. God has ordained a special set of circumstances, some are positive and some are not, but He knows ultimately it is for our advantage. In between where you are and the next level you desire are battles and because God knows we will never initiate them on our own accord (lol), He will arrange them for us. Our job is to keep a steadfast gaze on Him and not be overwhelmed by the surrounding circumstances.

Reaction to Battle:

When Jehoshaphat was informed of the approaching enemies, he was alarmed (who wouldn’t) but his next approach is what distinguished him as a servant of God. “3 He resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.”

He didn’t let his alarm get the best of him, he knew where to immediately turn to, he knew where his help came from, he knew he never walked alone, he knew God is his refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. I wish I could confidently say that his approach is always my 1^st response but truth be told, I have my many moments where I let circumstances and emotions get the best of me. And in those moments I always end up anxious to the core, worried and anxious until the Holy Spirit has to step in and remind me who I am and who I belong to. He is teaching me and am learning to take captive all those thoughts and make them obedient to Christ.

Lesson: Make God your first and only priority whom you turn to and depend on for everything and in all situations and circumstances, good or bad. You have not been called to do life alone. You can only do all things through Christ who strengthens you and ultimately it is not by your strength or might but by His Spirit.

Jehoshaphat cried out to God:

“6 Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

He didn’t pray his fear or his feelings based on the prevailing circumstance (like we are tempted to do most times). He didn’t go to God lamenting how he had been faithfully serving God and now he was under attack. He didn’t make mindless prayers in the face of great adversity. He confidently prayed the word of God, He acknowledged God’s power and sovereignty over all the earth. He remembered the great deeds and victory God had granted them in the past with their forefathers. He reminded God the promise He had given them when Solomon built the great temple of God: that when they stood in His presence before His temple that bears His Name and cried out to Him in distress, He would hear them and save them. Then he surrendered his enemies into God’s hand and expressed his utter dependence on God alone. This was such a beautiful and powerful prayer.

Lesson: May the Lord teach us to love and delight in His word. May He teach us to pray His word at all times. God will never go against His word. May His word be our anchor over our thoughts, feelings, deeds and circumstances.

“God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfil?” Numbers 23:19

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” 1st Peter 1:25

“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”. Isaiah 55:11

Response to Battle: God

Because our God is a faithful God, He responded to Jehoshaphat:

‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

I can only imagine the relief he must have felt when he heard the word of God. Many are the times our faint hearts probably expect that God will totally annihilate the enemies just like that and we won’t have to do a thing or break a sweat. And He totally can do this but He won’t all the times because in our relationship with God, we are both required to act. He faithfully does His part and waits on us to obediently do our part.

God assured Jehoshaphat that the enemies would still come and he would still need to face them but the battle belonged to God.

Lesson: In the midst of storms of life, don’t wear yourself out with worry and anxiety and the little strength you have of your own. Turn to God and let Him fight for you.

Response to Battle: You and I

The immediate response of Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah was they fell on their knees, face to the ground and worshipped God then the priests stood up and praised God with a loud voice. ’20 early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of His[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.”

And we are told that as they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. Would you imagine that? When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

This the part that greatly excites my spirit and makes me break out in joy. When God fights for you! Glory to Jesus! They didn’t have to lift a finger, all they lifted were their hearts to look up to God, their voices to give praise and worship God and their feet to move in obedience and march down against the enemies. Period! The rest was left to God and boy didn’t He put up a mighty show for the glory and honor of His name!

And the cherry on the ice cake: on top of the seamless victory, Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. Look at God!

Lesson: As soon as they began to praise, God acted and set ambushes: your victory heavily relies on your obedience, if they hadn’t stepped out in faith, I shudder to imagine the outcome. What a faithful and awesome God we serve who not only meets our immediate needs but also lovingly looks out for our wants and lavishes upon us His overwhelming blessings, more than we could ask or imagine. What won’t God with a broken and surrendered heart? May we learn to truly let go and let God, to be still and know He is God and to surrender our hearts, minds, bodies and everything concerning us to Him. There is nothing too big or too small that He won’t fight for you.

After Victory:

On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah [Berakah means praise.] to this day. Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.

Lesson: Don’t be so overexcited at the victories, the blessings, the miracles that you forget to give thanks to God who enabled all things to work in your favor. Never be so caught up in seeking God only for what He can give you but always for the intimacy of His presence and the sweet fellowship of a relationship with Him.

Then we are told at the end that the fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Lesson: When God wins a battle for you, you don’t have to fight that one ever again, it’s marked as ‘done and dusted’ lol. Don’t strive for the peace that the world gives, which always comes at a costly price of compromise but let God give you His peace.

I’ve read this chapter countless times but it still always gets me excited all over again like a little girl and as I type this am shaking in joy and can’t stop praying, praising and above grateful that am blessed to call this God my God!!Most times we hear that valley seasons are full of pain and anguish but here is a testimony that when you trust God in your valleys, you can still smile and come out praising Him in victory.

In this life you have so many adversaries and yet you are oh so little BUT you have a BIG GOD and that in itself balances the equation. Won’t you let God fight for you?

*****

I’d like to challenge you this year: pick up your bible, let’s read and grow together. There are countless bible plans that will help structure your reading and one of my fave resource that I have come to love is https://www.youversion.com/.

See you on the other side of growth!

Inspiration

Cheers To The New Year!

19^th January 2024 and the first blog of the year. Happy New Year dear reader!

My prayer is that we are all in good health and high spirits as we embark on the exciting journey that the New Year brings. 2024 is still young and fresh, full of hope and excitement of what it brings forth for us. The year still smells of its newness (for some of us, lol) with goals, dreams, hopes and desires for a fruitful, productive and prosperous year. Day 19 and am still super excited for the New Year; I’m super excited to see what God has in store for me.

Late in 2022 before crossing over to 2023, I was in a season of prayer and God gave me His word that He is opening a door and much would begin to shift through this new space, a dimension of change and He was unlocking my purpose and especially in my gifting’s and potential. At that point I really couldn’t pinpoint what God had in store or more accurately I wasn’t spiritually mature enough (then, lol) to exactly discern it, all I had was a deep gut conviction in my spirit. So when crossing over to 2023, I was certain that I was not just physically crossing into a new year but it was a change of season, the end of closed doors and the dawn of a new era of open doors. I knew that God was leading me to right where He needed me to be.

True to it, 2023, the Lord gifted me this burning hunger and desire for Him and I pursued Him with all of my heart. I did not just read my bible, I studied it and meditated on His word. I became more intentional in the gathering of believers and attended as many nurturing fellowships as I could where we talked, shared and spent time reading the word, praying and holding each other accountable to ensure we were all growing deep in God. I devoted my time and gifts to serving in the marriage ministry in my church where we walked with couples desiring to set God as the foundation of the marriages. I spent time listening and studying sermons of men and women of God as the Spirit would lead and guide me. I wasn’t seeking Him for what I could get in return, nope, I just wanted Him.I had my deskie ask me one day at work ‘apart from church stuff, what else do you do?’ lol. The core of my being was entirely devoted to seeking God and growing in and with Him, the rest didn’t matter as much to me.

James 4:8–10 writes, Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

I have truly walked in the fullness of that word. As I grew more intimate with Him, He began to reveal Himself more to me and also reveal my identity and the fullness of it in Him. I grew more grounded and confident of who I am in Him and the limitless power I carry as the child of God and His chosen vessel. I grew out of being bothered/triggered by small weightless things, I was less anxious about what was/is to come because I was now walking in light, in knowledge and in revelation. He gave me dreams, visions and a Rhema word of His perfect will for my life and I was walking and resting in assurance.

I am simply, truly and deeply overwhelmed by God’s doing. He is Ebenezer and faithful to His word; none of His word falls to the ground. 2023 was the year of open doors and I saw God move in my life, not only for me but also for my family. We saw God move in ways that only He could; we dwelt more in His presence, we walked in favor, provision and protection, we experienced His healing, the list is simply endless. I have loads of testimonies: in summary it was a God Year and He showed up and showed off lavishly.

Most of us know God as a father, healer, provider but He is also a rewarder, the rewarder of men. My core verse was “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6

2024 without a doubt I am confidently assured that I am still walking in the blessing of that new season because when God opens a door, NO MAN can shut it.

“These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.” Revelation 3:7-8

This explains my excitement for 2024 because I have tasted and seen that the Lord is incredibly amazing and I am looking forward to growing in more intimacy with Him, to walking into more open doors and to be lavished by His overwhelmingly great and exceeding rewards.

This is my prayer for you as well:

I pray that as you have begun the year, you will anchor yourself on the rock who is CHRIST, the only firm foundation, the rest are sinking sand.

I pray that as you are excitedly planning and setting goals, that God will be a priority and He will find room in your hearts and your lives.

I pray that you will desire to know Him more starting from right where you because you are never far away, all you need is to turn back and He will meet you there.

I pray that you will experience God in a way that you never have and in doing so, you will experience freedom from every captivity, chains and strongholds that have been holding you back.

I pray that you will find your freedom in Christ alone because He paid for it ALL.

I pray that you will come to the full understanding of how much God deeply loves you and that nothing you have done/ will do can separate you from His love.

I pray that you will prosper concerning all things and to be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

I pray that God will shake off every foundation, connection and relationship that is not of Him as He anchors you on His will.

I pray that God will make you lie upon lush pastures and He will lead you by restful waters.

Above all, I pray that you will distinctively know His voice as you walk in obedience to Him.

So here is a toast to the New Year!!

Cheers to learning and growing together as the Lord leads us.

Amen!

Inspiration

Be Led!

Welcome back home my dear reader! Last we were here was 30^th June 2023: this walk of faith is turning out to be a stroll lol, Lord forgive me!

Towards the end of October I did a little soul searching and decided to make a few changes for the remaining days of 2023; a little motivation to ensure I end the year impactful and set the tone for 2024. One of the things I challenged myself to do was publish a blog post every week and so here I am being faithful in the small things. Can you believe that the year is almost coming to an end? Today, the 10^thday of November is day 314 out of 365, exactly 51 days left to the cross over, truly God has been gracious and faithful to us.

Last year a time like this, the older version of myself would have been in a state of panic and anxiety thinking to herself, “oh my goodness, the year is ending. What have I done with myself? What have I done with my life? Where am I going? Am I living purposefully?” Oh how I remember her too well she was something special, lol.

There are moments I struggled in 2022 and I was trusting God to end those seasons and usher me to a new level. Outcomes of these moments was I stopped serving both in church and in my personal space, I wasn’t as fervent in my prayers, fasting, and devotions. I wasn’t writing my goals, blogging, dreaming and chasing goals. I just lived, small and settled and I was exhausted mentally, emotionally and spiritually (more of it here https://mywalkoffaith.co.ke/ebenezer/).

I remember when I crossed over into 2023, deep in my spirit I knew it was not just a physical crossing into a new year but it was a change of season: the end of closed doors and the dawn of a new era of open doors. And true to it, I am deeply overwhelmed by God’s doing in my life these past 10 months, He is Ebenezer and faithful to His word. This 2023 version of myself is different: she’s not feeling alone, struggling in a storm, battling feelings of doubt, insecurities and stagnation. She’s more settled and grounded in God, she’s more aligned spiritually and is discerning to understand the times and seasons by the grace of God. She has solidified her identity in Christ and isn’t wavered by small waves of life as she has learned to lift her eyes unto Jesus, the author and finisher of her faith. She’s living her life authentically, boldly and unashamed knowing the only validation she needs is His. She’s serving in church and in her personal space as she disciples those God brings her way. She’s no longer struggling to pray: the dying embers have been fully flamed and this girl is on fire for Christ.

I have now come to fully believe that when we seek God diligently, He rewards us with His presence and so much more. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

I am a living testimony, I have seen His hand in my life and I am in awe of what a surrendered vessel can become in His hands. All it needed was me letting go of the reins on my life and letting God lead the way because it dawned on me that the root cause of my struggles were anchored in my innate desire for self-control. All this time spent fighting God for the control was just wasted years because my life isn’t my own to lead, more so when I surrendered to Christ and allowed Him to be the Lord of my life. Prophet Jeremiah in his book, chapter 10.23 states that so well “Lord I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps”. I wonder why I was I hell-bent on living my life on my turf like I was the “lord” and yet I was just a little smurf (yea, big animation fan).

But doom to you who fight your Maker – you’re a pot at odds with the potter! Does clay talk back to the potter: ‘What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!’ Isaiah 45:9(Message version)

Why do we struggle with leading ourselves yet we are limited as mankind? If only we knew, understood and believed that God’s plan for our lives is grand beyond our wildest imaginations, then we wouldn’t be struggling to get off the driver’s seat and let Him drive us to our destiny. Before we were formed in our mother’s wombs, God knew us and before we were born, He had already predestined us for greatness. His plans are to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future. As mankind, we are yet to witness a fraction of what God has in store for us, period! All we have experienced is just but a glimpse of the His magnificent will for us. It is written in 1 Cor. 2:9 “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Beloved, don’t box God!

Don’t box Him in comparison to what you think you need or want. You only end up grossly limiting Him to your own thoughts which are way lower than His. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9. Your needs/wants are so basic to what God has in store for you, it’s like a child asking the dad to buy them a teddy bear because in their mind that’s the biggest need and yet the dad can provide so much more than that.

Don’t box Him in comparison to what He has already done for you. You only end grossly limiting Him to one template yet He can do exceedingly abundantly above what you think or imagine. God is the same yesterday today and forever more BUT His methods are not the always the same. Some battles you will strike the Red Sea with your rod, some you will wade in the Jordan River. Some battles you will strike out the enemy with your swords and some you will walk around Jericho for 7 days for your victory. Some miracles He will only speak a word and your sight will be restored and some miracles He will spit the ground, mix his saliva with dirt, make mud and apply the paste your eyes. Don’t use the victories of yesterday as a strategy for today’s battles.

Don’t box Him to your timelines. All the days ordained for us were written in His book before one of them came to be. God is never late, God is never early; God is always on time: He works in His ordained and appointed time. We are the ones who are always in a hurry when we want it done on our terms in our own timing, then when it doesn’t happen, we cry out there is a delay. But is it ever a delay if from the word go we didn’t know of the exact timing of the occurrence? Who should dictate what entails a delay? Us or the one who creates the time and the timings? I believe until we know the expected time of arrival, then we really can’t tell if there is a delay, that can only be God’s job and we must strive to leave it in His hands.

If there is a core lesson for me in 2023 is the gentle reminder that we are just but vessels in the hand of our maker, we are like sheep in the fold of our good Shepherd. Our job isn’t to know where we are going, nope. That’s the Shepherd’s job and He does such an amazing job at it. Our job as His sheep is to simply know God’s voice and to walk in total obedience. The Psalmist in chapter 37 stated that “The steps of a righteous man are ordered/directed and established by the Lord”

Our job as His sheep is to rest in the words of Psalms 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He knows all your needs and wants, He is Jehovah Jireh, your provider.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.
He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

All we are called to do is to allow the Shepherd to take the lead. Even in the days when we can’t tell where we are going and it seems all dark, we are called to not fear.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Even in the face of opposition when we feel we are hard-pressed in all corners and we are surrounded and outnumbered, we are called to rest in the assurance that He is the master orchestrator and all things work together for good.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

So today, do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom: rest in that assurance. Surrender to His leading, purpose to draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Walk intimately with Him, know His voice and follow His leading.

And surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Let go and Let God lead you.

In whatever you do, wherever you may be, place your hand in His, be His faithful follower and let God’s hand lead you and you’ll be surprised at what God will do!

AMEN!

Inspiration Motivation

Not Yet Child!

Our second blog post of the month/year and I believe it calls for applause because a win is a win, whether big or small and it should be celebrated lol. I haven’t written in a while but it feels amazing to be back here.

This past week I have been reading and meditating on the book of Luke and despite having read it before, am always in awe of how the Holy Spirit teaches and brings out new revelation each and every time. Indeed the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12.

Luke chapter 1 begins by giving us the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth who were both from a priestly lineage and loved the Lord wholeheartedly, devoting their entire lives to serving Him. They were commended as righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

Serving God does not equate to a life free of pain, sorrow, trials and tests. To think that God owes you a smooth sailing ride because you are living in obedience to Him is a wrong mind-set that robs from your walk of faith. Every Christian in the salvation journey will undergo the baptism of the sufferings of Christ and this season is inevitable because it has its purpose. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything James 1:2-4. In the midst of it all, our greatest consolation is that we don’t walk alone because we have the assurance that in the storms, God is with us, watching us, ordering our steps and carrying us. And after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us” (1 Peter 5:10).

Despite Zechariah and Elizabeth being childless, they never stopped seeking, praying and most importantly they never stopped serving God. As a matter of fact, their long life prayer was answered while Zechariah was in the middle of service. This is such an encouragement to never stop serving and seeking God even in those times when we think/feel we are alone and He is not answering our prayers. Salvation is a beautiful, exhilarating and life changing journey but truth be told it’s not always glitz and glam. It has its hills and valleys moment. Moments you’re on the mountain top celebrating victories and testimonies and answered prayers: the highlights of your walk of faith. Then the other moments when you’re deep in the valleys, drowning in fear, battling unbelief and fighting raging wars within your spirit and your environment.

Moments you’ll pray fervently for certain requests and some will be answered almost immediately with joy and thanksgiving but some will take years and years of still praying, still hoping, still believing and still holding onto the faith. In such moments, we are called to never take our eyes away from Jesus because at His appointed time, He makes all things beautiful. And as rightly put in Habakkuk 2:3 for the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

And true to God’s word and timing, God answered Zechariah and Elizabeth, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. After hearing God’s word, the answer to their prayers, you would expect that Zechariah’s reaction would be one of joy and pure bliss, elated and over the moon for hearing the words he had literally waited all his life for. But sadly the first words that come from his mouth were filled with doubt and unbelief. Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” This reminds me the incident in Acts 12: 5-17 when Peter had been arrested to be executed the following day so the believers gathered together to fervently intercede for his release and God intervened and sent an angel to set him free. The first stop he made was at the house where they had gathered to pray for him. When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Why did they disregard Rhoda’s statement? Why did they think it was his angel? Why were they astonished? I think simply put, they prayed but didn’t have the faith that it would be answered. And that’s how most of us play out in our journey of faith especially in the moments we have prayed continuously for a season but the answer has not been delivered. After a while something in us changes and it starts to feel like we are praying to tick a box but deep down, the doubt has been rooted in our hearts and minds.

The bible is very explicit that whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” There is no room for doubt in a believer’s life because it has its consequences. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. . Oh Lord that you would help our unbelief.

Due to Zechariah’s unbelief, he was muted and was unable to speak until the birth of his child, possibly 9 long months of silence and observing the miracle of God slowly manifesting in front of his eyes. He was only able to speak when he came in agreement with the word of God concerning his testimony as he named his child. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

There is no greater honor than God choosing to reveal His glory through His servants who are willing to be used by Him. Sure it doesn’t come easy, the wait will be heart wrenching, the voices of doubt will be screaming out loud and the mocking of the crowds will be heightened. But if you hold still, anchored on God and the credibility of His word which never fails and never returns void, in the end you will come out with such a testimony that will astonish everyone around you.

Trusting in God sometimes looks like foolishness in the eyes of man because He chooses things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chooses things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. (1 Corinthians 1:27). Noah looked like a fool when he built the ark and he was mocked and ridiculed but he kept his faith knowing and trusting in who had spoken to him. In the end, all the scoffers and mockers drowned in the very thing they mocked him for. Abraham left his family and all he knew to follow the voice of an unknown God, into an unknown territory and I can imagine how his family members reacted to the news. Even when God told Him that He would make him a father of many nations and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, in his old age, he believed the Lord, and it was credited it to him as righteousness.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were old and barren but by the power of God they conceived and gave birth. The Lord did it for them, showed them His favor and took away their disgrace among the people. And in the end, they all had songs to testify and glorify God for the great work He had done through them. Not only were they given a son, but they were given such an extraordinary son 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”.

John grew, became strong in the Spirit and he lived such a radical life in pursuit of his purpose. He was the voice of one calling in the wilderness nudging people to prepare the way for the Lord. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin and he heralded the Messiah. The people were amazed at his deeds but most importantly, he received the highest accolade when Jesus testified about him as the greatest. Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew 11:11.

Am here to encourage you beloved, do not doubt God, do not doubt His word and most certainly do not doubt His power and ability. Nothing is impossible with God: if He has said it, He will most definitely do it. Before we were formed in our mother’s wombs, God knew us. All the days ordained for us were written in His book before one of them came to be. God is never late, God is never early; God is always on time: He works in His ordained and appointed time. We are the ones who are always in a hurry when we want it done on our terms in our own timing, then when it doesn’t happen, we cry out there is a delay. But is it ever a delay if from the word go we didn’t know of the exact timing of the occurrence? Who should dictate what entails a delay? Us or the one who creates the time and the timings? I believe until we know the expected time of arrival, then we really can’t tell if there is a delay, that can only be God’s job and we must strive to leave it in His hands.

As I write this am also preaching to myself because severally I have cried to God and lamented at Him for the supposedly delay in answering some prayers, I too like Zechariah and Elizabeth know the pain of waiting to hold a testimony. But our God is so gracious because He knows how to wipe our tears and soothe us even in the waiting season.

And to you who is also waiting, for a job, a promotion, hand in marriage, salvation for your loved ones, healing from the loss of a loved one, breakthroughs in any area…the list is long and endless, this is my prayer for you: May you be found walking in obedience to God and His word. At His appointed time, may your results speak for you, louder than your own voice because there is a sermon only results can preach. May you never tire of laboring in prayer and the word until you get your results. As you wait, may you never live a powerless barren Christian life but may your life command super extraordinary results. In the name of Jesus. Amen!

Inspiration Motivation Second Chances

Still We Rise!

The first blog post of 2023.

{A moment of silence}

I remember coming back here last year (https://mywalkoffaith.co.ke/the-return-of-the-prodigal/) and pouring out my heart saying how I felt extremely horrible for ghosting, letting myself, my walk of faith and my readers down. How despite the silence and not blogging for months/years, the flame never withered or died out, it was always in there, holding on to the last embers. Hope faintly burning on that one day we would get back to this ministry and that God would restore us back to penning down what He places in my heart.

{Sigh}

You would think that would have sparked the fire back to the full glory of its glaring blaze, you would think that the hiatus would have churned tonnes and tonnes of blogposts from the many months of absenteeism, you would think that the life experiences in between the months of silence would have overflowed into testimonies poured out here, to the glory and honor of Christ.

{A long sigh, lol}

I remember back in 2016 after I had been saved for a few months and I was burning for Christ. The Zoe life I had started experiencing was truly overwhelming and all I wanted to do was just scream out and share what God was doing. I wanted to tell the world of how amazing God is; how He was gracious enough to save a lil broken girl who was almost giving up on life, how He overlooked all her flaws, shortcomings and her scars & He choose her and restored her. How He shined His light upon her, comforted her of all the pain and baggage she had been carrying around, pain that she had heavily pegged her identity on. How He had bestowed on her a crown of beauty instead of ashes and she was now a living testimony of how a broken piece in the hands of the Master can be transformed to a masterpiece for the glory and honor of His name.

So I started writing and sharing my new found journey, I didn’t know much about blogging, it was a pretty new space that I dived head in and decided to trust not only the process but the God of the process. I started small, on a free site with zero audience but that never deterred the zeal, I knew I was doing what I felt led to do even on the days when the walk of faith had its slippery moments. I didn’t have the full picture of where this would lead or what would become of it, I didn’t have any expectations and even with my audience of one (God), I was just happy and content to have a space where I could pour out my heart and share what I was going through. Looking back, I miss this girl, the girl with the blind crazy childlike faith who didn’t need to wait for a clearer calling but would gladly follow the leading of the Spirit without any hesitations, reservations or interrogations.

In 2018, I got a clearer call that it was time to step into the public and launch an official blog thus https://mywalkoffaith.co.ke/ was born. I remember the excitement like it was yesterday, finally I was sharing my heart with the world and people would get a glimpse of my personal journey in salvation as I strived to follow in the footsteps of Christ. I was allowing Christ to use me as a mouthpiece to voice out what He placed in my spirit, allowing Him to use me as a vessel, to outpour His overwhelming love to His children, to bring healing to broken hearts and give hope to despairing souls. I moved from an audience of one to a platform where hundreds would be reached and impacted for His glory and I loved my ministry because as I was pouring my heart, I was also growing in my faith. I still didn’t have the bigger picture but I was happy to step in obedience and do what I was called to do for that season.

One year down the line, BAKE (Bloggers Association of Kenya) 2019 happened and I was more than humbled to say the least…truly God is amazing and super faithful. Who would have thought that three years down the line in salvation and an year into blogging, this girl would be nominated for a national award under best religious/ spiritual blog, placed in the same category as personalities I’ve grown up looking up to… But God. He qualifies the unqualified. That night I looked back at the journey it had taken to get here and I broke down in tears…years of struggling with anger, bitterness and hurt from a broken childhood that left me messed up. Years of struggling with self-esteem and self-worth, lost in a lack of identity, years of searching for my validation in the arms of the wrong men, a search that left me more hurt, broken and damaged. Years of struggling to believe that my life could be better than the situation I lived in, years of doubt that God would forgive me for my mistakes and that He, in his perfect Holiness could love a sinner like I was.

Only a Father’s pure unconditional love can reach out to the grimy, slimy pits of emptiness and hopelessness, the deep trenches of hurt and brokenness, the dark caves clouded with despair and desperation. Only a Father’s heart can feel the last desperate heartbeats of a child who’s giving up on life and show up just in the nick time. Only a Father’s eyes can see beyond the smiles and the make-up, the facades and appearances we put for people yet deep down we are sinking further into depression. And only a Father’s arms can stretch open wide to receive us in our stained attires, embrace us and give new garments of praise, new identities and make us new creations. What can’t God do?

That was 2019, the fire, the passion, the drive and the zeal was still burning furiously and I was serving the Lord wholeheartedly. Accolades or not, audience of many or one, it didn’t matter because for me the ultimate joy was in the inner work that Christ was doing in me, the scars that He had chosen to use for His glory, the vessel of clay that He had honored to be the evidence of His hand upon my life. The bigger picture and the highest calling was the impact of the blog as a ministry and the number of souls that would be saved for the glory and honor of Christ. So I kept pushing, kept writing, pouring my heart, reaching people globally. Kept churning weekly blog posts and with time it became fortnightly, then monthly then quarterly then gradually I stopped…slow fade!

{A longer sigh, lol}

The first few days of ghosting, I felt extremely horrible for letting myself, my audience of one and my walk of faith down, then another couple of weeks down the line I felt a little less horrible and then it spiraled downwards until months turned into an year, years and I honestly no longer felt horrible, I succumbed and just became numb. It’s always a slow gradual fade, you don’t wake up in sin, nope, it’s a gradual progression. It starts small, little, almost harmless and when not nipped in time, when its fed continually, it grows and matures until finally it’s a fully blown out of hand crisis.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:13-15

Despite not writing for eons, I never stopped thinking about it, it was always lingering at the back of my mind like the heart tag of your first love. And it’s not to say I had fallen off the bandwagon of salvation, nope, I was still a church girl, loving the Lord, pursuing Him in my walk of faith, witnessing Him being super faithful in my life and of those around me, celebrating the numerous answered prayers He was fulfilling. The only thing I stopped doing was actively serve in ministry for three years, a season I never anticipated, a season of silence, doubts, regrets and so many emotions in between. I had loved ones who kept querying why I stopped writing and most importantly when I would get back to it and I didn’t have a valid answer to be quite honest. Maybe I stopped walking in obedience in terms of the leading of the Spirit when it came to serving, maybe I learned to rely on my own strength and not flow in His grace thus ended up burned out, maybe God answered some major prayers and I allowed the pleasures and pressures of the blessing to take the top priority and put Him in the passenger’s seat. Maybe it was a season of been hidden in training for manifestations…

I had my moments of deep, gut-wrenching anguish and regret, days where I would sit and think “what ifs”. What would have been had I kept on writing? Serving? How many souls would I have reached? If after one year of blogging I was nominated for awards, where would the journey have taken me? How much I had disappointed God? To this end, was I even deserving of a second chance?

For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, Proverbs 24:16.

Enough is enough. Am done feeling mellow and all sorry for myself, lol. Am getting up from the ashes and jumping back to blogging, back to what I love doing and most importantly back to serving and walking in obedience in this ministry. I am so grateful to God for His never ending mercies and His faithfulness even in my faithlessness. I am so grateful that He never grows weary of picking me up and getting me back on track. I am so grateful that He never grows impatient with this living sacrifice that keeps crawling away from the altar.

Do I know how this will play out? No. Will I start and fall again into silence? I don’t know. Will I be consistent? I know I will try but am such a wretched man like Paul said in Romans 7:15 for what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. What I do know is I am a carrier of the glory of God through Christ Jesus and He never fails so I will anchor myself on Him and Him alone. I know am weak and my weaknesses are perfect for Him. As Charles Spurgeon once said in a sermon, “God does not need your strength: He has more than enough power of his own. He asks your weakness: He has none of that Himself, and He is longing, therefore, to take your weakness, and use it as the instrument in His own mighty hand. So I will yield my weakness to Him, and receive His strength.

I refuse to continue living thinking I’ve blown God’s will for my life because clearly am not that powerful. Jesus loves taking messes and transforming them into priceless rubies. I don’t have it all together and I can’t wait to tell the world how much of a mess I was/am and show them what the power of God can do, all for His glory and honor.

So let’s get back to blogging and sharing about this amazing journey of faith, this beautiful love story of a girl and her God, shall we?

And if you are out there feeling like you missed out on a certain season or gone through an intense one that almost broke you to the point you have written yourself off, don’t be discouraged. Like John Piper once said, occasionally weep deeply over the life that you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Feel the pain. Then wash your face, trust God, and embrace the life that He’s given you. Don’t let that season you missed/lived through define you, let God have the final say in your life.

No matter what life throws at us, we refuse to lay down defeated and cowering in shame and pain and guilt, we let it hit us and then STILL WE RISE!!

Motivation

FLAWS AND ALL

Am writing this on my way home from a long tiring crazy day at work and am in such a grouchy mood I can’t even afford a smile. And yes I know Christians should “rejoice and again I say rejoice”, lol. But hey, there are these days if we are honest enough to admit.

I can tell the day’s fatigue is the major reason for my foul mood but isn’t it funny how when we are kicked down that the devil starts whispering lies in your ears? Lies you ordinarily wouldn’t believe but now they all sound and seem so surreal. Father of all lies indeed.

So now am looking at my life with his magnifying glass and all my flaws have been illuminated so brightly it’s making me kick myself harder. Looking at ladies walking in the streets with perfect makeup, flawless skin and am reminded how am here struggling with acne and it agitates me. Watching slim fit models wearing out their curves proudly and am reminded how I am struggling with a lil fat here and a lil fat there and a lil fat everywhere in the wrong places. A chic passes by with such a long dark beautiful mane of natural hair and am reminded how am struggling with my kinky curls and coils that just won’t budge.

Then he takes it a notch higher and reminds me of the inner struggles am battling. Days I wake up too tired and lazy to have my devotions so I quickly mumble a few words and start off my day. Days I struggle to consistently read the Bible so I skim over a couple of verses and am good to go. Days I wake up and I don’t want to go to church, I want to chill in my pajamas and attend church from my couch. Days I’ve looked back at prayer requests I made and they’re yet to be answered so I doubt whether I was heard from above. He reminds me of my failures, areas I messed up, things I did, mistakes I made, tests am still falling and the list goes on and on…struggle after struggle and by the time he gets to the end, I am so drained emotionally I want to run to a corner, bury myself and weep bitterly.

But I thank God that my helper, the Holy Spirit, never leaves my side no matter how much the boat is rocked. And while I am feeling helpless and drowning in self pity, He stands by my side and gently whispers the truth that is buried underneath all the lies. That my mild acne is actually clearing up (victory dance), I‘ve lost two kgs, my hair has really grown despite the snail pace and above all, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.( Romans 8:1 )

He points me to the cross and reminds me all my iniquities and transgressions were left there when Christ took my sins upon Himself so I could take on His righteousness and therefore I am justified. No one has the right legally to accuse me. He reminds me that daily He walks with me, sanctifies me, setting me apart and washing me in His word that He may present me as glorious, not having spots or wrinkles but that I should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5: 26-27). That in the eyes of Christ I am forgiven, beautiful, deeply loved, perfect and He would die for me on the cross all over again if He had to.

So yes I am flawed and broken but am broken in the hands of a Master who delights in molding me to perfection; the image of Christ. Now that doesn’t guarantee I won’t have my bad days but when I do, all I have to do is view myself in His eyes, not my eyes which may fail me, not the devil’s lies which will always condemn me, but in the eyes of the man who proved to the world that I am worth dying for and definitely worth coming back for; my eternal love- Christ!

Happy New Month and remember; decide on the truth you’ll stand on, embrace yourself as you are then wake up, get out and get moving to your destiny!