In our previous meditation, we learned that material possessions should not be what define our life. However, this does not mean that we are to take a perpetual oath of poverty. When we spoke cautiously about possessions, it is to avoid the pitfalls that come with it. The associated risks of wealth include the tendency to draw one’s significance from it. Beyond this, there is also the tendency to place one’s security or assurance of tomorrow in what is accumulated.

If we consider what we have as tools for advancing divine purposes, we will be safe…Power and possessions need not be a curse that will drown the soul. All we need to do is to deploy them for God’s cause.

A better way of viewing the issue is to never see possession as an end in itself. If we consider what we have as tools for advancing divine purposes, we will be safe. The text for meditation today is a clear demonstration of this fact. The Bible described Joseph of Arimathaea as an honourable counsellor. That means he was a man of some considerable power. He was the one who went to Pilate to ask for the body of Christ for burial. If he was not a man familiar with corridors of power, it would have been impossible for him to have access to Pilate. Arguably, he was also a man of means. The pointer to this is the fact that he had a tomb prepared for himself while he was still alive. It was not a cheap piece of land, but one cut into the rocks. Poor people care less where they are buried. Joseph was able to pursue a noble cause, yielding his tomb for Jesus. In the same token, he became an agent to fulfil a prophecy that Jesus made His grave with the rich. Power and possessions need not be a curse that will drown the soul. All we need to do is to deploy them for God’s cause.

If you want a good life, there are two temptations that must be avoided. Firstly, avoid building your life on the praise of man. Saul tripped on this. After David slew Goliath, the women became ecstatic. They sang innocently as they celebrated, saying that Saul killed a thousand, but David ten thousand. That enraged Saul. He felt his world was falling apart because of another kid rising in the bloc. He launched a manhunt for David from that time until he got consumed with his three sons. The praise of man is fickle. If that is where you derive your worth from, it will be a rollercoaster experience.

If you want a good life…avoid building your life on the praise of man. The praise of man is fickle…avoid making material things the centre of your life…More goods do not necessarily translate to more life.

Secondly, avoid making material things the centre of your life. This is where spirituality differs from economic reality. In our material world, people’s worth is defined in terms of their landed properties and size of bank accounts. It is not so in the Kingdom of God. More goods do not necessarily translate to more life. In some sense, more goods may mean more burden and temptation. Understandably, Jesus warned a man who wanted to lure him into a family squabble that life does not consist of or derived from overflowing abundance. Our focus in life should be the prayer of Agur who asked God to give him the food that was convenient for him. I believe that this is asking for enough to meet all the responsibilities that life throws at us.

I only have residual details of this story. A minister of the gospel who is from Asia once travelled to the United States. He visited a couple of places and saw gigantic things that some ministries put together. He would later comment to this effect: “It is amazing what our western brethren could do without the Holy Spirit”! The moral of the story is that it is possible to build great things without God. Cain received a just punishment for his crime in killing his brother, Abel. The Lord cursed him from earth that received Abel’s blood. The ground would yield less than his input, and he was going to wander through the earth. It is interesting that it was after the Lord slammed him with this judgment and had departed from His presence that he built a city. Yes, we can build things even when we are not in league with God. The difference is that such enterprise will not carry the insignia of the Spirit.

We cannot do anything in the flesh and hope to put the Spirit’s stamp of approval on it…Those who do things outside the confines of the Spirit, will have their work burned and lose their reward.

What you do in the presence of the Lord is of the Spirit; but what you do outside of His presence is of the flesh. We cannot do anything in the flesh and hope to put the Spirit’s stamp of approval on it. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians and offered that all works shall be tested by fire, I believe it is in the spirit of this. Those who do things outside the confines of the Spirit, will have their work burned and lose their reward.

The word ‘Babel’ means confusion. It derives from God’s punishment against the people when He confounded their language and ultimately scattered them across the face of the earth. Their undoing had three roots, and they can be disastrous even now. Firstly, they had a devotion to self. “Let’s build a great city for ourselves”, they said. Babel has since become a type of the world system. Christianity stands opposed to the world system through and through. Whereas Babylon idolizes self, Christianity calls for the repudiation of it. For this reason, Jesus made self-denial a cardinal requirement for being a disciple. Those who are self-centered are a dangerous lot. They would do everything to maximize themselves while minimizing others in the crudest way.

Babel has since become a type of the world system. Christianity stands opposed to the world system through and through. Whereas Babylon idolizes self, Christianity calls for the repudiation of it.

The second error was that they made fame their prime target. They wanted a project not because of its intrinsic value, but to satisfy their big ego. I have seen people do unbelievable things on social media just to be famous. Absurdity and insanity are fair ways to describe how people have debased themselves just for fame. Finally, they set out on the project so they would not be “scattered all over the world”. That negated the very will of God as announced in the beginning. God wanted man to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. Their decision to stay in one place was therefore an act in rebellion. God had no choice but to confuse their language. Those who are caught in these three evils are still in their confusion.

It is evident from our text that Isaac had fears. Two things can be pointed out about this. Firstly, his fear was baseless because God had earlier given him a promise. In Genesis 26:3, a firm promise was given to him by God. “Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬. Giving room to fear was because he took his focus off the promise. Secondly, Isaac inadvertently yielded to the “ghost” of his father. He reasoned exactly the same way his father did. He spoke of Rebekah as his sister rather than wife, fearful that they would kill him and marry her. That was the same fear that Abraham entertained.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

It is important to develop the right attitude and orientation about life, because they constitute part of what we pass down to coming generations.

Here is a crucial lesson for us. It is important to develop the right attitude and orientation about life, because they constitute part of what we pass down to coming generations. Abraham passed down fear to Isaac, unwittingly. Most times, the things that we pass down are done unconsciously. We may not be able to tell how many people we impact, positively or negatively, by our own orientation to life. This is one reason we must be intentionally cautious and positive in our disposition in all areas of life.

A couple of chapters before this, Reuben was portrayed in a terrible light when he committed an abomination by sleeping with his father’s wife. In our text, we see him as the initial agent to save Joseph from premature death. In Reuben, we find the presence of two diametrically opposed forces within the same person. He had a force that was evil, and another that tended to goodness. This is typical of all human beings. We all have both forces resident inside of us. What is acted out is a function of the one we yield to. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

That someone did evil in the past does not mean he cannot be of positive influence today or in the future. People can turn their lives around…The secret of good work is continuous consecration to God.

Reuben’s action teaches us another lesson. That someone did evil in the past does not mean he cannot be of positive influence today or in the future. People can turn their lives around. Again, that someone did good yesterday does not mean he cannot turn around and do what is evil today. People can suffer fatigue. If a believer stops Christian fellowship and ministry, stops studying the Bible and prayer, in no time you will trace to him some of the most heinous crimes known to man. The secret of good work is continuous consecration to God.

Who sent David and his men back? Let’s first get the background story. David had escaped from Saul’s manhunt into the land of the Philistines. When war broke out, he volunteered to help Achish fight Saul. The generals of Achish were not persuaded that David meant well. They had reason to doubt his loyalty and feared he could turn against them in battle. They persuaded Achish to send David and his men back to base. Here is the question again: who sent David and his men back? On the surface, the lords of the Philistines did, but in reality it was God. Many things that God will do for you will be orchestrated through human beings.

Many things that God will do for you will be orchestrated through human beings…Walking with God comes with an assurance – all things will ultimately work together for good.

Most of them will come across as roadblocks and disappointments. It is only as you assess them in retrospect that you come to appreciate the work of God. Three days after David returned to base, they learned that they had lost everything to a band of raiders. Timely return and action led to recovery. Imagine if they had gone with the Philistines and the campaign had lasted 3-6 months! There would have been no way to recovery. I call it the principle of double coincidence – when human beings initiate something against you but it is the same thing God chooses to bless you. We see that play out in Joseph. His brothers sold him; but we later read in the Psalms that God sent him. Walking with God comes with an assurance – all things will ultimately work together for good.

Chosen and sent! Paul clearly stated that he was chosen by God to be an apostle and then sent to preach the Good News. In some other place, he got more specific by describing himself as an apostle sent to the Gentiles. He was not ashamed of his calling; rather he magnified it. We may not all lay claim to apostleship like Paul did, but it did not subtract from the fact that we have all been individually chosen to occupy some space and sent to do some specific things.

The call to salvation is the first choice, and it is a principal one. Both the choice to salvation and the one to specific office and duty are all product of God’s mercy.

However, something comes before the choice to occupy an office, and it is the choice to be a part of the commonwealth. “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬. The call to salvation is the first choice, and it is a principal one. Both the choice to salvation and the one to specific office and duty are all product of God’s mercy. The Bible makes it plain that it is not of him that wills or runs, but of God that shows mercy. Whatever we do or achieve, one truth will remain – we are debtors of God’s mercies.

On Sunday December 24, 2023, my wife turned 61 and our marriage 35. Early morning on that day, my daughter sent me a congratulatory text message. I used that to challenge her that one should have a vision of permanence in marriage. Without that, there would be enough reasons to throw in the towel somewhere along the line. She later asked me how to cast a vision of permanence, which I promised to share when I meet her in London. James said, “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬). We may as well say, “Let marriage have its perfect work in you.” The works of marriage are many. It tackles selfishness at its root. It ingrains the virtue of patience into you. It promotes mutual respect. Invariably, Christlike nature will develop. Marriage will never leave you the same way.

Beyond the scope of marriage, anything that will succeed must also be based on a vision of permanence. A trial and error approach to life has no guarantee of success.

Dividends of marriage come to those who are not speculators. I learned the word ‘speculator’ from my financial coach. He informed me that people go into the stock market for various reasons. He noted that those who go as speculators want immediate cash out when there is spike in the price of stocks. Such approach to marriage will not work. It takes a full time commitment. Beyond the scope of marriage, anything that will succeed must also be based on a vision of permanence. A trial and error approach to life has no guarantee of success.‬‬‬‬‬‬

The Bible describes God as the only wise God. God is wisdom personified. In light of this, we can interpret our text to mean that God is crying out, and His voice is lifted up everywhere. When Jesus came, He described Himself as the Good Shepherd. He further observed that His sheep hear His voice and that the voice of a stranger they will not follow. What then is the problem when believers are unaccustomed to God’s voice? I find the answer from this anonymous quote: “It is hard to hear God’s voice when you’ve already decided what you want Him to say”.

God is bigger than to be put in a robotic role. He speaks as it suits Him and His eternal counsel.

Balaam exemplified this truth. When Balak first sent to him to come and curse Israel, he sought God’s opinion sincerely on the first count. God told him not to go with the messengers sent by Balak. However, when Balak pressured him by sending a more high-powered delegation coupled with enormous financial rewards, he backed down from his earlier stance. He told the messengers that he was going to hear what other things God would say. He seemed already set in his mind as to what he wanted God to say. He heard himself, and only ended miserably. What some people do is to try and put words into God’s mouth. That is absurd, to say the least. God is bigger than to be put in a robotic role. He speaks as it suits Him and His eternal counsel. Once there is a guile in our heart while we claim to be seeking His will, He answers us according to our conceitedness.

Sometimes in 2016, Bill Whitaker talked to several condemned persons on Texas’ death row, just weeks before their executions. The goal was to find out what it feels like to face certain death. One of the respondents was Perry Williams, who killed a medical student in a robbery. He said he had the shakes and cold sweats as his execution approached. He observed that it was a worse feeling to know exactly when death was coming. It is safe to say that most people on death row would  experience anticipatory stress at some point.

When we are tempted to fall for anticipatory stress, let us adopt the prayer treatment. Pray the most you can; and if necessary, solicit prayers from others as well.

Our text suggests that Peter beat the odds. A night to his execution, he was found sleeping “bound with two chains between two soldiers”. Neither the fetters nor the soldiers could rob him of sleep. The news of his impending death was not strong enough to make him sleepless either. Acts 12:7 suggests that Peter must have been in a deep sleep as the angel literally had to strike him on the side to wake him. Where did he get that form of confidence from? We can think of the fact that he knew he had an eternity to spend with God. If it ended in death, he was not going to lose anything. Whatever we adduce as reason why he was restful and peaceful, we must never forget the role of prayer. While he was locked up in prison, the Church prayed for him unceasingly. I believe the prayer of the saints contributed to the calm we saw in Peter. When we are tempted to fall for anticipatory stress, let us adopt the prayer treatment. Pray the most you can; and if necessary, solicit prayers from others as well.

“Anticipatory stress” is a term that psychologists use to describe a feeling of deep anxiety today about things that could happen to us tomorrow. Causes of anticipatory stress are legion. They range from political turmoil to shortages and pandemic. Looking into God’s word, we find a number of things about anticipatory stress. Firstly, it is predicted. It is one of the signs that will characterise the end time. “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.“ (Luke‬ 21‬:25‬-26‬ NKJV‬‬). Rather than get caught up in the web of paralysing anxiety, believers should wax ever more confident in their God that what He said is coming to pass before our eyes.

Rather than get caught up in the web of paralysing anxiety, believers should wax ever more confident in their God that what He said is coming to pass before our eyes.

Secondly, we should take solace in the promises of God to handle this season. Two critical areas where we are often tempted to be anxious are provision and protection. On the former, Jesus taught that if the Heavenly Father could feed the birds and clothe the lilies, He is more than sufficient to provide for all our needs. On the latter, He taught that as seemingly valueless as the sparrows are, not one will fall down without the Father’s permission. We are of a greater value than many sparrows. To show how much we are cared for, He added that the hairs on our heads are numbered. God cares for the minutest details of our lives.

I went to the country home of a member of our church on a condolence visit. That was in March this year. On my way back, my eyes fell on the inscription written on one of the houses that lined the road – HOLY GHOST HOUSE. I picked my meditation from that moment on. I remembered how the disciples of Jesus once drew His attention to the imposing temple. Some call it the Zerubbabel’s Temple. Others call it Herod’s Temple because of the enormous work he had put into beautifying it to curry favour with the Jews. Rather than being impressed, Jesus predicted that a time would come when there would be no one stone resting on top of another. True to prediction, the temple was reduced to ruins in 70 A. D by Titus, the Roman Emperor.

The truth is that our cathedrals do not impress God. Men may call them the house of God, but those are not where God dwells. The true dwelling place of God is the body of believers.

Paul saw the religious superfluity of the people of Athens. They went as far as dedicating an altar to an UNKNOWN GOD. The Apostle tried to correct their mistaken belief that God lives in bricks and mortar. ”“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.“ Acts‬ 17‬:24‬ NKJV‬‬. The truth is that our cathedrals do not impress God. Men may call them the house of God, but those are not where God dwells. The true dwelling place of God is the body of believers. ”Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?“ I Corinthians‬ 3‬:16‬ NKJV‬‬. God cares more about us than any physical structure. We are the temples of God and we are to guard against defilement by any means.

In the second half of the 20th century, there arose a charismatic Christian movement that was later known as “the Word of Faith Movement”. It defines basically what is now known as Pentecostal churches and ministries. Drawing strength from such scriptures as 3 John 2, it stresses that God wants believers to prosper in their spirit, soul, and body. It also emphasizes the potency of faith which is often expressed through positive confessions. The movement gained ground and soon began to enjoy global spread. However, it has equally received a fair share of criticisms, some of which are not unfounded. For example, overemphasis on mere positive confessions without necessary action or ethical adjustments is of no significance.

overemphasis on mere positive confessions without necessary action or ethical adjustments is of no significance…Positive confessions work while we live within the context of God’s word.

A man that I cite often is the Archbishop Kirby Clement. He wrote recently on confessions. Hear him: “Confession alone cannot resolve what behaviour has caused….misbehaviour must change”. Imagine someone who came down sick through unguarded appetite. There is no amount of confession that can fix his or her health unless there is a deliberate attempt to alter lifestyle choices. We must never be fooled to think that mere repetition of some portions of scripture will be the cure-all medicine when we don’t live right. This is the import of our text. God said that a wicked man has no business reciting His words. Positive confessions work while we live within the context of God’s word.

“Have a great week…and be kind to each other”. Those were the words of the lead air hostess of Flight 756 as we pulled towards the Gate at St. Louis, Missouri. Merriam-Webster has several definitions for platform. I love the one that says it is “a means or opportunity to communicate ideas or information to a group of people”. What the air hostess did was to use the platform available to her to spread an ideal. That platform was her job. The vast majority of people have some basic notions about their work. They see work as the way to make money, pay bills, and catch some fun. That’s correct, but the idea of work is far more than these.

Believers should see their work as platforms to spread the ideals of the Kingdom and their King – Jesus… giving a touch of excellence to every task given them can draw sinners to the way of salvation.

Believers should see their work as platforms to spread the ideals of the Kingdom and their King – Jesus. Does this suggest zeal without knowledge and turning the office space to a crusade ground? Not at all. What we mean is that believers should know that their comportment can testify of the One who lives in them. We mean that giving a touch of excellence to every task given them can draw sinners to the way of salvation. Recently, I picked this powerful nugget from Reverend Tope Popoola’s Facebook post: “Make your work your pulpit and your output your message, and you will never need a microphone”. Imagine how many pulpits there would be if all Christians take their work as opportunities to advertise Christ!

Many a sincere believer who wants to improve their prayer lives are often caught with the question, “What do I pray for?” It could be frustrating to bow the head in prayer and find out that three minutes on, you have run out of what to say. How do we deal with situations like this? A good way to draw out prayer points is to read the Bible. It is a standard practice for me to read God’s word first before I pray. It is almost inconceivable that you will spend 30 minutes to one hour in the word without getting inspiration for prayer. The lessons gleaned from the pages of the Bible should be converted to prayer points. Really, a good way to wait on God is to read the Bible a little and pray a little; then return to reading a little and praying a little.

Really, a good way to wait on God is to read the Bible a little and pray a little; then return to reading a little and praying a little.

Information that comes our way is a good source of prayer points. In our previous meditation, we noted that God remembered the intercession of Abraham and made a way of escape for Lot and his family. What informed the intercession? God had divulged his plan to him about the coming danger on Sodom. That information was what led Abraham to pray. Nehemiah also took advantage of the information that he got about the Jewish returnees in Jerusalem to begin passionate prayer. Every news item is a potential prayer point. We live in a world with constant breaking news, both locally and globally. Don’t just follow the news only to be informed; use what you hear to reform your world by praying.

‬‬Different things can  create a memorial for people before God. Firstly, offering creates a memorial. In light of this the Psalmist prayed here: “May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah” Psalms‬ 20‬:3‬ NKJV‬. There is power in what we give to the Lord or His cause. Many speak disparagingly about offering these days because of economic difficulties, but don’t fall for it. Your offerings can turn things around for you. Secondly, our act of service creates a memorial. Mordecai’s service in saving the king’s life later became a memorial for him. The king asked what honour had been done for Mordecai before that time. The same day, Mordecai was paid in arrears both in cash and kind. We have no reason to doubt that God will do better than any earthly king when it comes to rewarding those who have served Him faithfully.

Different things can  create a memorial for people before God. Firstly, offering creates a memorial… our act of service creates a memorial… Every time you pray, you create a memorial.

The third thing is what we have in our text – intercession. The Bible says that when God destroyed Sodom, He remembered Abraham. What did He remember him for? The intercession he made earlier. Here we have the proof that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous avails much. Abraham’s prayer was the reason that Lot and his family escaped the overthrow. Every time you pray, you create a memorial. You may never tell when or how the direct of effect of your efforts will manifest. So, keep at it.

‬‬Jesus understood the beauty and power of silence. When He stood in trial, there were many things they accused Him of but He said nothing. Before that time, the scribes and Pharisees laid booby traps for Him. They went about that by provoking Him to speak. They failed in their bid. Jesus only spoke as at when necessary. There is a beautiful line from one Hazrat Ali. He said, “Speak only when your words are more beautiful than silence”.

One reason silence is beautiful is that you cannot quote what is not said. That also implies that you cannot misquote it…Learning to keep silent then becomes a safety valve both in our dealings with God and man.

One reason silence is beautiful is that you cannot quote what is not said. That also implies that you cannot misquote it. How many times have we been put in a position of trying to extricate ourselves from the unintended meanings some gave to our words? We said something, and it was misinterpreted. It could be a Herculean task trying to clear the air over misconstrued words. That problem is eliminated when we are silent. Also, the beauty of silence is that we avoid many sins. Proverbs 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.” Learning to keep silent then becomes a safety valve both in our dealings with God and man. It is in this light we can appreciate the wisdom in saying that those who keep their mouths keep their lives.