The only way to enjoy divine backing and blessing is to follow divine procedures. Going through scriptures will make it clear that God gives attention to procedures. We have an example in our text.

This is one of the several instructions that God rolled out for Israel whenever they were to execute any war. First, they were encouraged not to be afraid of their enemies, no matter how many they were for the singular reason that God was with them and fighting their battle. Then the officers would announce for anyone who had built a house and had not dedicated it to vacate the army. It was a magnanimous arrangement from God, so that the builder would not forfeit the pleasure of living in the house if he was killed in battle. Next on the list would be those who planted a vineyard and had not eaten of it. This group was also excused for the same reason as those who built houses. Finally, those who have betrothed wives but had not yet consummated it were equally excused. It was only when all these procedures have been observed that captains were appointed over the army.

“The only way to enjoy divine backing and blessing is to follow divine procedures.”

God is always detailed in His affairs and leaves nothing to chance. The Psalmist made a veiled reference to the fact that everything of God has procedure. “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119:128). God has precepts for all things. When we search His word, we will uncover them. At a personal level, learning to set procedure will enhance order, peace, and progress.

As most Bible students would attest to, there are baffling passages. For me, one of such passages is in Judges 20. It details the battles that eleven tribes fought against the tribe of Benjamin. Here is the background to those battles. A priest had travelled with his mistress to the coast of Benjamin. There some street boys seized the woman and molested her all night long until there was no more breath in her. The priest cut her lifeless body into twelve parts, sending each tribe of Israel a part. That odious thing was the reason why they went to war, but not until Israel had demanded for the men who did this evil to be handed over for justice. It was Benjamin’s refusal that led to this war.

“A child of God can be sure of winning the war ultimately because Christ has already conquered.”

The combined forces of 11 tribes lost the first two rounds of battle. They had a good cause, yet they lost. They sought leave of God before they went, yet they lost. That’s the reason I find it baffling. What do we make of this story? This throws up an irony, that a just cause alone does not automatically guarantee victory in life. The second lesson is that if things do not work out exactly as planned, get back to God. On each occasion that Israel lost, they came back to God who gave them fresh assurances. Thirdly, it is important to persevere until victory is recorded. This is particularly important when we are sure we are on the Lord’s approved cause. The final lesson is that losing some battles does not amount to losing the war. Israel lost two battles, but they eventually won the war. A child of God can be sure of winning the war ultimately because Christ has already conquered.

This is the second time we will be drawing lessons from this verse of Scripture in recent times. At the first mention, we hinted on Obadiah’s incomplete theology as regards the operations of the Spirit. Today the focus is on the last remark about this man, the fact that he feared the Lord from his youth. The fear of the Lord can be described as a healthy fear. It is healthy because by it one can depart from all forms of iniquity. That was the reason why Obadiah kept himself from the atrocities perpetuated in his workplace.

“…the fear of failure can actually drive one to God to totally depend on Him for help…You can turn fear to victory by running to God.”

There are other ways that fear can be viewed as healthy. Consider the fear of failure. There is a sense in which even fear of failure can be healthy, particularly if we don’t allow it to paralyze all activity and initiative. This type of fear can make one work harder and block all the likely avenues to failure. We have known people who were talked down on that they would never amount to anything good. The fear of making prophets out of their traducers made them go the extra mile. They are the better for it today because they have become captains in their various fields. On another note, the fear of failure can actually drive one to God to totally depend on Him for help. Gideon in the Bible did not feel he had what it takes to succeed. He had fears; only he did not allow them to stop him from taking steps in the line of duty that God gave him. He depended on God and was helped. You can turn fear to victory by running to God.

“If you do not give right of way to the devil, you can use your own legal right in Christ to checkmate him.”

Essentially, this passage of scripture has the millennia touch to it. It is a time where no labour would be in vain, but adequate compensation given to all efforts. However, it is a promise that we can tap into both here and now. We understand that it is possible to taste of the power and blessings of the age to come. So I have used the liberty to pray for a number of people with the words of this Scripture. Of course, I have personally prayed it for myself too on a number of occasions. God does not want us to labour in vain.

“Following through with God’s appointed mandate for your life is one step towards a fruitful labour.”

There are two angles to the issue of laboring in vain. When there is no appreciable profit or no profit at all, that is laboring in vain. Well, we don’t need to be told that this kind of experience is a breeding ground for frustration. If you are experiencing anything like this at the moment, be sure that this is not the will of God for you. His word says in all labour there is profit. Claim this promise by faith and wait for a turn-around. The other form of labouring in vain is quite tricky. It is quite possible to have appearance of success and even post a great measure of material prosperity and still be found laboring in vain! This may appear puzzling at first, but things will zoom into perspective when we come to terms that fruit in God’s sight is not always in terms of what we can see or handle. To be truly fruitful and successful we must be found doing the very thing that God has in mind for us.
Following through with God’s appointed mandate for your life is one step towards a fruitful labour.

No believer can read the Bible with an open and humble mind without discovering how far he or she is from God’s provisions. Take our text as an example. Jesus said that those who believe will do what He did, and even greater. Scriptures of this nature can either make us doubt the authenticity of the Bible or get us overwhelmed. However, instead of becoming overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of this promise, major focus should be how to appropriate them. A good way to start is by appreciating that there is no frivolity in the promises of God. God would not promise what is impossible. This should inspire our faith and our quest.

“the hope of our doing exploits is anchored on being able to step into the realm of Spirit activity”

Let us now turn our attention to how Jesus accomplished the works that He did. During one edition of Christian Leaders Advance Strategic Service Intensive Course (CLASSIC), Dr. Delron Shirley said Jesus had to step into the realm of human activity in order to do the things He did. As I reflect on this, it dawned on me that the reverse has to take place if we must do what He did. In other words, the hope of our doing exploits is anchored on being able to step into the realm of Spirit activity. When this happens, we will see the same kind of mighty works following us as Jesus experienced. This tallies perfectly with the Bible. Jesus actually tied our greater works to the fact of His going to the Father. The implication of going to the Father was that the Spirit would come upon those who believe. There are so many things happening in the realm of the Spirit that we are currently ignorant of. We need our eyes to be opened.

“There is universality in God’s word both in interpretation and application…. rely on the Holy Spirit to show you the mind of the Father.”

In our previous meditation, we made an attempt at establishing what the purpose of life is – it is to fulfill purpose. Of course, our life on earth is a fraction of time given to us to prepare for eternity. Few people have this understanding. When God gave an open cheque to Solomon to ask what he wanted, the young king asked for wisdom and understanding. He went for the tools that would make him effective in the pursuit of God’s purpose for his life. God was so pleased with his request that He not only gave him what he asked but added other things that an average person craves for.

“Many are obsessed with the desire to live long… those who have eternal life should not be overly concerned with long life”

Many are obsessed with the desire to live long. This reflects in the wishes given on birthday anniversaries. Hundreds of people will wish you long life and prosperity. While this is good, those who have eternal life should not be overly concerned with long life. What is longer than eternal life anyway? There is an aspect of our being that will never die. Our spirit will spend eternity in the presence of the Almighty God. Our concern should be how to live and accomplish our mission on earth, whatever that mission is. A long life with unaccomplished mission is failure and misery. Neither Jesus nor Paul was preoccupied with how long they lived. It did not really matter to them; what counted was finishing God’s mandate. I came across an anonymous writer who settled everything for me with this prayer: “God, give me work till my life shall last-and life till my work is done”. Make this your earnest plea as well.
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On June 15, 2024, I had the privilege to visit a family who have shown serious dedication to the Lord in our Lagos church. The matriarch of the family turned 50 on that day. It was an opportunity to reflect on the meaning and purpose of life. I notified those who gathered for the celebration that there are two main purposes of life. Firstly, the purpose of life is to fulfill purpose! That may sound tautological, but there is a sense in it. God has a purpose in mind for everyone. The life He gives to us is to be spent in pursuit of that purpose. The second purpose of life is to prepare for eternity.

“God has a purpose in mind for everyone. The life He gives to us is to be spent in pursuit of that purpose.”

My submission on life is not in any way abstract. It is what you can glean from the Bible. Specifically, the book of Ecclesiastes puts it so clearly. To begin with, the book is as scientific as is practical. It is scientific because it began with an academic hunch, searching for meaning. It is practical because it deals with life. Solomon wanted to know what human beings should devote their lives to. In other words, he was searching for meaning and purpose in life. That was what led him to series of experiment, trying anything that drew his fancy. In the end he came out with a timeless conclusion which is what we have in our text today. The grand purpose of man here on earth is to fear God and keep His commandments. In other words, until one begins to walk in the fear of God, he has not even started living at all.

The devil was being clever when God accosted him. “And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬. Satan’s answer seemed innocuous enough, at the least on its face value. When you read from Peter, we get the idea that Satan was not just taking a walk; he is looking for whom to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Unfortunately many believers know practically nothing about this potent enemy. Some believers think we should not concern ourselves with demonology. They feel studying about the devil is like glorifying him. This is far from the truth. You cannot win against an enemy whose capability and strategy you are ignorant of. ‬‬‬‬‬

“A safeguard against infiltration is to constantly dedicate our faculties to God.”

Our text reveals an aspect of Satan’s modus operandi. We notice that it was a man that had an unclean spirit. When he sighted Jesus he cried out, “Let us alone”. If it was a man, why did he have to say let us alone? What happened here is that the spirits of the devil inside this man, which were many, took over his faculty of speech and spoke through him. They literally hijacked his speech. This is one of Satan’s strategies; he forcefully takes over people’s faculties and use against their will. Sometimes, the people involved do not even realize that anything is wrong until some damage is done. Have you heard people trying to exonerate themselves by saying, “I didn’t know what came over me”? A safeguard against infiltration is to constantly dedicate our faculties to God.

There is a counsel to parents in Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” ‭‭‬Parents are advised to train up a child in the way to go. That leads to a question – which is the way to go? Well, we may think in terms of virtues befitting of a decent society. However, that would be part answer. In reality, the way a child should go is the way that God, the creator of all life, has ordained for him or her. That means parents who will excel at training their children well must understand what the mind of the Lord is concerning each of them.‬‬

“Someone without any form of rule cannot end up as a ruler.

I believe this was what Manoah was trying to do from our text. When he finally encountered the angel of God, he sought for clarifications concerning the miracle baby on the way. He sought to know “the boy’s rule of life, and his work”. In these words are two powerful keys that can guarantee success in life. Number one, any life that will climb to the top must be governed by some standard codes. The rule of life for one may differ from that of the other; but there has got to be rules. Someone without any form of rule cannot end up as a ruler. The world has known many talented individuals who made nothing special of their gifting. The major problem was that they failed to put themselves under governing rules. Secondly, Manoah asked for the boy’s work. I find this interesting. The boy had not been born, yet there was a work already earmarked for him. Those who understand these two elements will not only make a good job of their parenting task, but also prepare their wards for a phenomenal future.

“As far as life and living are concerned, you cannot be indifferent to what is happening to your neighbours. We are made to be our brother’s keeper.”

A verse in the book of Hebrews shows God’s strong stand on reward – “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬. Failure to reward would amount to injustice, and we know that God is not unjust. James also noted that a curse is on those who employ labourers but failed to give them their due wages. It is clear from these passages of scriptures that it would be out of character for God not to reward faithful service. ‬‬‬‬‬

“Some rewards come early; others take a little longer…God pays in His own way and time.”

However, there are two things that are not in our power to decide. One, it is not in our power to decide how He might reward us. Most times, our minds always go the way of money and material as God’s due way of reward. Yes, there are times that reward comes this way. The widow of Zarephath had increase in her pot of flour and jar of oil. Solomon, on his part, had riches beyond any of his contemporaries. Notwithstanding, there are other times that rewards come by way of placement, authority and honour. Ours is to keep labouring, while we leave God to use His discretion to reward.

The second thing we don’t have power to decide is the timing of the reward. Some rewards come early; others take a little longer. When expected rewards appear slow, the temptation is for people to get weary in well-doing. This is why scriptures like we have cited for meditation today must be handy; reminding us that God pays in His own way and time.

The insidious nature of sin can be seen in David. Moreover, the deadening effect of sin on man’s conscience can be easily seen in him as well. When Bathsheba sent to David that she was carrying his baby, he began plans for a cover up. First was to invite Uriah to come from the warfront. It was planned to be a holiday for him and a sort of reunion with the family. The bait did not work. Then the king got him drunk before asking him to go home. Out of principle, Uriah refused. In frustration, the king’s next line of action was to eliminate him. That seemed to work at first. Now he could legally marry Bathsheba and be seen to be doing the widow a favour in the eyes of all Israelites.

“Maintaining a good conscience is pivotal to a lively relationship with God.”

It is quite curious that despite what David had done, there was not a word from the Lord yet to reprimand him. That would come about a year later, after the baby had been born. It is even more curious that David hadn’t seen anything wrong in taking another man’s wife and eliminating her husband. That proves how great the disconnect of David from God at this time. The Bible talks of a seared conscience. This talks of those whose conscience has died. It is worth noting that it takes a long time for this to happen. Usually, when someone takes the first step into sin, the conscience will pound heavily. That is the best time to make amends. Two or three more steps in that same direction will weaken the conscience until its power of conviction is clean gone. Maintaining a good conscience is pivotal to a lively relationship with God.

“By constantly yielding to the Holy Spirit, we can live clean, holy, and pleasing to God.”

“When you learn to periodically rid your environment of every hibernating demon, you will enjoy more rest and peace of mind.”

I believe that Manoah exhibited the trait of meekness as we shall see shortly. His wife had been barren for some time before the angel appeared to give the promise of a son to her. When she told the husband about the encounter, he only prayed that the angel would appear again. When the angel re-appeared, it was to his wife again. She had to plead with the angel to wait while he went to call the husband. Our text says, that Manoah arose and followed the wife. By following his wife Manoah himself finally had encounter with the angel.‬‬

“…ego will stand in the way of real blessing from God…Ego will keep a man from acquiring knowledge; simply because it takes humility to learn.”

There is something commendable here about the character of Manoah. He cuts across to me as a mature, humble person. He seems to be someone who had his man’s ego under control. Many a man would get into an argument why it was their wives having deep encounters with God. It is also not a conventional thing for men to follow their wives around; they think it should be the other way round. How many men would follow their wives to a place of worship that is not their own personal preference? It is important to note that ego will stand in the way of real blessing from God. Ego will keep a man from acquiring knowledge; simply because it takes humility to learn.

If you want to know how meticulous God is, take time to read the provisions of Judaism, particularly the book of Leviticus. Take for example the detailed procedure established to ascertain if a house had been plagued by leprosy. The house would be shut for the first 7-day period. After this, the priest would return for a second inspection. If the darkened spot had spread beyond its initial point, then he would command the affected stones to be taken down. New stones would be fixed and covered over with new mortar. That again would be subject to another seven days of observation.
At the end of this, the priest returns for the third inspection before he proclaims the house fit for habitation or to throw down the entire building.

“Those who will enjoy walking with Him have to learn processes and procedures, which takes time.”

Several lessons come to light here. Firstly, you cannot rush the things of God. Those who will enjoy walking with Him have to learn processes and procedures, which takes time. Secondly, we must know issues that call for minor adjustments as distinct from what needs a complete overhaul.
There may be occasions where an entire structure may have to be brought down not only to build something new, but also build more accurately according to God’s plan. Ability to know which one is due is not only a sign of maturity but also a demonstration of wisdom.

My visit to Adamawa State, Nigeria, last November gave me the opportunity to ask about the Koma people. They live on the mountainous part of the state. I understand that quite a trasnformation is going on there now. Thanks to the missionaries who staked their all to show the light. Before now, they went about almost naked. They merely covered their lower parts with leaves. I once watched a little documentary about them, showcasing some aspects of their culture. The young ladies that were paraded had their two upper teeth removed. The belief was that without that they would not be able to bear children! That implies until you had your teeth removed as a young lady you cannot dream of having a suitor, as the young men would consider you infertile! If you deem that incredible, you only to be reminded that children born as twins were once anathema in Calabar area before the redemptive work of Mary Slessor. These cases only prove what a hold culture has on people’s mind.

“Every culture must be examined against the backdrop of… not inflicting bodily or emotional injury on people; and …it must not contradict the written word of God”

The Pharisees had running battles with Jesus over culture and the traditions of the elders. On one occasion, they challenged Him because His disciples ate with “defiled hands”. Jesus rebuked them for breaking the laws of God in a bid to keeping their tradition. One thing we notice about this group is that they love to cling to the irrelevant things and neglect the major issues. That’s why Jesus never gave them a chance. Every culture must be examined against the backdrop of at least two things. One, it should not be anything that inflicts bodily or emotional injury on people; otherwise we are no better than beasts in the field. More importantly, it must not contradict the written word of God. Outside of these, let God be true and every culture a liar.

“…The enemy exploited idle moments…It is not far from the truth when people say that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”

Forgetfulness can constitute a grave danger to our relationship with God. The Bible passage for meditation today says the people of Israel soon forgot God’s work. It is important to contextualize this verse to be able to appreciate the point being stressed. If you read this chapter of the Bible from verse 8 you will find how God delivered the people from the hands of the Egyptians. And shortly after this, He dried up the Red Sea for them to walk on dry ground. That exploit led to the people singing His praise as verse 12 indicates. Then in a swift twist, we are told they soon forgot. Remember that it was shortly after they came out from the Red Sea that they were looking for water to drink in the wilderness. That led to a lot of complaints and murmurings. It was too early for a people who had witnessed such demonstration of the power of God to murmur. God could not put up with such attitude; He sent destroyers into their camp.

“Our daily task is to seek for something to celebrate God for. This, in addition to strengthening our faith, is an antidote to murmur and worry.”

A recall of what God did before would have kindled faith in them to believe Him for water and every other need. Too often we find ourselves in the same frame as Israel of old. We forget too quickly the various deliverances and provisions of God. Rather than gratitude and continuous trust, we worry ourselves. The point is this: God does not change; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Since He has been faithful in time past, we can count on Him to be faithful still. We may not know what tomorrow holds; but we know who holds tomorrow to be capable and faithful. This is a blessed assurance that we have a safe future. Our daily task is to seek for something to celebrate God for. This, in addition to strengthening our faith, is an antidote to murmur and worry.

I have what I call LANDMARK PRAYERS. They are a list of important prayers that are timeless and I have prayed them over and over again. After the conclusion of the 10th anniversary of First Love Assembly, Lagos, the list grew by one or two more items. I started praying that I will not fail to appropriate all that God has ceded to me, and not to fall off from where He has placed me. Elijah almost fell short of both prayers. By the time Elijah was succumbing to the pressure of the moment, calling for an end to his life, God had a different plan for him. Rather than a miserable end, God had planned to translate him to heaven without seeing death! Pressure can becloud us to the great plan of God for our lives. It is important that we don’t jump to conclusions when the environment is cloudy. We need clear minds to take informed decisions on all major issues.

“When we tarry in the presence of God, we obtain direction and strength to pursue.”

God also had plans to sustain His work in the land long after Elijah must have been gone; an important element that the prophet did not think about. He was just looking for a way of escape; but God was thinking of continuity. That was why he was told to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha. These ones would carry on where Elijah left off. Elijah had thought that his work would come to an end; but God gave him new assignment. Of course, new strength was given to him. Elijah’s timeout with the Lord reshaped his perspective and imparted him with strength. When we tarry in the presence of God, we obtain direction and strength to pursue.

Recently the term “Marketplace Apostles” started gaining ground in Believers’ vocabulary. It simply refers to Christians in the workplace other than the confines of church setting which traditionally was called ministry. The idea is to convey the fact that all believers are called to minister; and their workplace constitutes the environment where they should carry out their ministry for the Lord. Irrespective of what we do or where we find ourselves, opportunities abound to bear witness for Christ and increase the influence of His Kingdom here on earth. So what we do is not just a means of livelihood but an opportunity to reach the world for God.

“We are to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Our presence in different places should serve as the conscience of the society.”

A perfect illustration of this idea was Obadiah. He was like a personal assistant to Ahab. This is an interesting note, judging from the fact that Ahab is described as one of the vilest rulers in Israel. How did God allow such arrangement? Well, it is almost trite to say that light has no better opportunity to shine except in the dark. The presence of a righteous man in the face of utter wickedness is all that God needed to poke at the conscience. We know the law exist to capitalize sin, show how terrible it is, and reveal how man is incapable to help himself. A wicked man will literally be pining away when he has the righteous before him. His own wickedness will come to light much easily because a basis exists for comparison. This is a peculiar mission all believers have. We are to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Our presence in different places should serve as the conscience of the society.

Elijah sat under the tree, weary, until God showed up. What was the first treatment God gave to the weary prophet? God sent an angel to feed him twice. He ate angels’ food! So supernatural was the food that he gathered enough strength from it to make a 40-day trek to Mount Horeb. Simply put, Elijah fed on grace! If you are weak and weary you don’t have to give up. Just ask God to give you of this diet.

“Have you been through any difficult time in your life and after all you asked, “How on earth did I make it through?” If your answer is yes, then you fed on diet of grace at such moment.”

I remember when one of my sons asked to know what keeps me motivated. I gave him three clues. First is a sense of responsibility. That is what keeps a driver awake when all the passengers are fast asleep. A sense of responsibility will deal a deadly blow to inertia. Second, the personal vision and goals that I set keep me moving. I have a target to reach before I get to certain age limit. When I consider how close I am to the target date and how far I am from my goals, I cannot afford any lull in activity. Third, and most important is the grace of God. There is a steady diet of grace one feeds on daily. This brings renewal of strength and zeal to carry on even in unpleasant seasons. Everyone who is involved in kingdom exploits will tell you how conspicuous grace has been in their journey. I believe that you have enjoyed your fair share of grace, but maybe you did not realise it. Have you been through any difficult time in your life and after all you asked, “How on earth did I make it through?” If your answer is yes, then you fed on diet of grace at such moment. The good news is that God’s grace is endless; you can always ask for more.

Two things are to be considered from our text. The first was the timing of Elijah’s sacrifice. We understand it was the time of the evening sacrifice; precisely by 3 pm. That was the time stipulated by God for the second sacrifice of the day. It was no surprise that God honoured Elijah the way He did; the prophet had followed divine pattern and divine timing. When we do what God wants the way He wants it, we can also be assured of divinely orchestrated results.

“Be wary of those who are not content to be men of God but are gearing towards becoming god of men.”

The second thing of importance was the tenor of Elijah’s prayer. He begged God for heaven’s fire so that it would be clear that He was the true God in the land. He also pleaded that God would vindicate him that he had “done all these things at thy word”. So it is clear that when he stood before Ahab to pronounce famine he wasn’t trying to flex any spiritual muscle. His concern was to make God known to the people and turn their hearts to their Creator. This is how to know genuine ministry from the fake. Genuine ministries and ministers have one main objective; that is, to point people to God. Be wary of those who are not content to be men of God but are gearing towards becoming god of men.

The Bible says the sacrifice of the Lord is a broken heart. It further states that a broken and a contrite spirit, God will not refuse. It is evident that Ahab lacked this important virtue. From his story, it is clear that time alone cannot automatically produce this virtue in anyone. It had been more than three years since Ahab saw the prophet or heard from him. That was long enough for the king to think things over and be convicted of his many evils. It is strange to note here that rather than be broken under God, the difficulties induced by famine did not get him any close. He was still in the blame game. He accused Elijah as a troubler of Israel. There were only two men so addressed in the Bible. Joshua addressed Achan as a troubler of Israel, and justifiably so. It was because of his sin that Israel lost the first round of battle at Ai. Ahab labelled Elijah as a troubler of the nation without warrant. Reality check would show that Ahab was the real troubler because of his evils and hardness of heart.

“People don’t inherit hardened heart; they cultivate it over time through chains of disobedience to the Spirit of God.”

When a heart is hardened it cannot pick any spiritual signals sent by God. A hardened heart is but a step to destruction. And this was proved in the case of Ahab who eventually met his death in Ramoth-Gilead. People don’t inherit hardened heart; they cultivate it over time through chains of disobedience to the Spirit of God. It is important to take seriously the minute operations of the Spirit in our everyday life. If you notice any deviations from the Spirit’s guide, don’t delay in retracing your steps.