Is God mindful of us?

"Mindful of Us: Trusting God's Plan''

A few years ago, I left Port Harcourt for Lagos, and each time I return, it feels like I’m coming back to a different Port Harcourt from the one I grew up in. This morning, I left my house to visit a friend. When I got to the POS, due to the yuletide season, it has been very difficult to make withdrawals with my ATM card, so I did a transfer and it was successful. The vendor attendant said he hadn’t received the cash, but I had been debited. I had done two transactions they all received theirs then why him, so I was puzzled as to why the POS guy said he hadn’t received his payment. I waited at the vendor’s shop for a while, and then the guy said he wanted to get something and would be back. I waiting for close to two hours and decided to call him When I called his phone to ask if he had received the cash so I could leave, he said, "Abeg, get out, I don’t know you."

I just burst into laughter because I felt no anger at that point. Although as I thought about it I was furious, I held myself back from saying anything because When I first entered a cab earlier, someone offered to pay for my transport. After the issue with the vendor, I called another cab, and when I checked my purse, I found the exact cash I needed for that ride.

As the cab moved, I couldn’t help but marvel at the consciousness of God for His children. The Lord was so sure of my encounter today, and He put everything in place to help me navigate the situation successfully. I asked myself, "Who are we that the Lord is so mindful of us?"

Psalm 121:5 (NIV) says, "The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand."

Friends, it’s wrong to think that the Lord doesn’t care about us or isn’t watching over us. Whenever anyone encountered the Lord in the Bible, we could see God’s mindfulness. 

 No wonder the book of Psalm 8:4 says, "What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" This scripture shows how amazed King David was when he thought about how God relates to humans.

It’s wrong to feel that we have been forgotten. As the year gradually comes to an end, we might think we haven’t achieved what we set out to do. But I am here to tell you that the Lord is mindful of you. Just because you haven’t gotten everything you wanted doesn’t mean you won’t get it. Hold on—it’s not over yet. God will still make it happen. He has invested so much in you to leave you hanging halfway, so stand still and know that He is the Sovereign Lord.

JESUS IN THE MANGER: ''Trusting God's Purpose for Our Lives"

 

"Blessing in the Manger: Trusting God's Purpose for Our Lives"

I was discussing with a friend about someone who gave birth in a hospital but didn’t have the funds to cover the expenses of childbirth. Thank God it ended in praise, and they were released. However, this is not the focus of my discussion today. Today, we want to reflect on the blessing of the manger.

Luke 2:7-12:

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'"

It doesn’t matter where we find ourselves or were born—God doesn’t see us for these things. He sees us for what He has placed inside us and what He intends to do with our lives. I can just imagine how Mary must have felt giving birth to baby Jesus in a manger. Maybe she thought How could this be? How could this child, born in such humble circumstances, be the one to bring salvation to mankind? How could this child be the one to restore man to God?

The manger birth was part of God's plan to show how he calls people from nothing to something, from no one to someone. All Mary could do was trust God for the next phase. She believed in the plan, and at every step, she and Joseph obeyed the Lord’s command. This baby, born in a manger, changed the course of our lives and the future of Christianity. It is because of Him that we are here today.

Jesus came in such a humble way to show us that no matter where we have been or where we come from, God has a purpose for our lives. We all have a role to play in His plan. 

This is why I am so convinced that as long as we trust in the Lord with all our strength, leaning not on our own understanding, friends there is so much significance in the manger birth and how the Lord wants us to see Jesus in us and like Jesus trust him to bring our purpose to accomplishment, He will take us to the place He has prepared for us. It may not be easy, but the confidence we have in Him is that He who began the good work in us is able to complete it.

Psalm 138:8:
"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O God, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands."

Stay Revived!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS PRESENCE

 

CHRISTMAS PRESENCE 

One of the things I love most about Christmas is the Christmas carols and movies that come with the season. As a child, I somehow felt that during Christmas, there was a fairy godmother moving around, spreading golden dust of joy and laughter. I always looked forward to the season.

It’s amazing to note that Jesus' birth wasn’t just the arrival of joy, but He lived a life that serves as a role model for Christians today, showing us how we should live. As we celebrate the anniversary of Jesus' birth, let us not forget to examine His life and realize that He is the "Dayspring from on high" that the prophet Zechariah spoke of in Luke 1:78-79 (KJV):

"Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Even before Jesus' birth, there was already a testimony of the works and significance of His arrival for mankind. In this season of yuletide, we should remember that it’s the loving kindness of God that led Him to send His Son to bring light and salvation to the earth. Through Him, we are no longer in darkness but are set in the light of Christ. When Jesus came, He illuminated the dark world, and it is He who guides our feet into the path of peace. Let us not forget that Jesus came to redeem, to save, and to spread His peace.

There is a peace that comes from the knowledge of God, and that peace cannot come from anywhere else but through salvation. As we mark another anniversary of Jesus’ birth, let’s not forget to reflect on our lives and make them right before the Lord, for He is ready to redeem, revive, and restore us. Amen.

Stay revived!

The Christmas Presence: The Gift of Jesus

The Christmas Presence: The Gift of Jesus

I waited patiently, updating my mail for news, but after staying there for so long, I thought maybe the miracle would be a gift item or an alert stating a need met. But none came through, not in the way I thought.

Perhaps, like me, you were expecting a grand miracle or something to make this Christmas special. But what if it didn't happen as planned? Does that disqualify our celebration?

The greatest miracle we could think of is the miracle of the coming of a king, not through natural circumstances, but supernaturally. Instead of focusing on unfulfilled expectations, I pondered the greatest gift to humanity - Jesus. God's greatest gift to me and us.

I love the Christmas season, but it hadn't felt like Christmas for two seasons. As I reflected on the reason for this season, I realized that it was the miracle I needed. The miracle is not in the decorations or festivities, but in the fact that Jesus came. The miracle is the love God showed us by giving us His Son for a greater cause.

As I pondered and reflected on this miracle, Jesus became fresh in my life again. His coming was no longer just an event that occurred thousands of years ago, but a fresh occurrence that transforms, renews, and helps me become the person He has called me to be.

God's word in John 3:16 remains living and fresh in our hearts: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God's gift to us is life. Not the kind of life we celebrate and leave out but as we meditate on this life, we see our own life transformed by his hand. 

As we reflect on this miracle, we focus on Jesus, because we're not just celebrating a birth; we're reflecting on abundant life. Today, may the life Jesus brings reflect in our existence.

Merry Christmas!

Stay Revived!