While I was away in South Africa in July 2010, my last son requested that I get him a
console; PSP to be precise. For some reason, I didn’t. I returned to Nigeria a few days
before August 6, which happened to be his birthday but had not made it to our base in
Port Harcourt. When we chatted on phone, he reminded me of his request, but there
was still no commitment on my part. On his birthday, I called to pray for him and later
asked what he wanted as a gift. He did not think twice before he yelled back, “PSP”. At
that point, I knew he was serious. I had to move from Ikeja through crawling traffic to
Shoprite around Lekki. I got him the stuff.

“There are things that we ask from Him that may be harmful ultimately.”

Then the word of our text made a big impression on me. Jesus assured the disciples of
the Heavenly Father’s commitment to their welfare. On the basis of that, we were to
ask, seek, and knock. He further stated that when children ask for things from their
imperfect parents, they oblige them. How much more will the Father of spirits, perfect in
nature and unlimited in resources, give good gifts to His own children! Note, God’s
commitment to grant our requests is on the condition that it is good. The word “good”
here means that which is beneficial. There are things that we ask from Him that may be
harmful ultimately. In such circumstances, He holds back in love.

As a teenager, Joseph had two fantastic dreams of himself. They both gave a clue of
what his future would be like. Both dreams established him in a position of power and
authority. However, they would not play out immediately. It would take another thirteen
years before he would become the governor of Egypt. In the interim, he was busy
helping others to find meaning in their dreams. Firstly, he interpreted the dream of the
butler. Secondly, he interpreted the dream of the baker. Finally, he interpreted
Pharaoh’s dream. From there his own dream of many years also found fulfillment.

“Sowing into the well-being of others qualifies you to have a harvest of goodwill.”

It was Zig Ziglar of blessed memory who said, “You can have everything in life you
want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” Joseph was a perfect
illustration of this statement. He did not mind that his own dream was looking distant, he
kept helping other people with no strings attached. For your dream to come to pass, you
have to look beyond yourself. Learn to sow into the dreams of others, giving helping
hands the best way you can to see their desires come to pass. Doing this will activate a
fundamental law in the universe – sowing and reaping. Sowing into the well-being of
others qualifies you to have a harvest of goodwill. Finally, let us be reminded of what
another gospel sage said. Mike Murdock said, “What you make happen for others, God
will make happen for you”.

Moses was born at an inauspicious time when according to the decree of the Pharaoh,
every male child born to any Hebrew family was being killed. God had proven Himself
faithful by multiplying the Israelites just as He promised. The king of Egypt became
fearful of being beaten in the event of an outbreak of war. His pre-emptive strike was to
decimate those who would constitute the future of Israel. The maternal instinct of
Moses’ mother kicked in at that point in time. She found a way to beat the decree and
succeeded in hiding her child in the house for three months until it became
impracticable to do so. From there she devised another ingenious way of planting him
by the river bank until Pharaoh’s daughter picked and nursed him as her own.

“Grace is not designed for the lazy; grace functions best when the right efforts are put in place.”

Moses went on to become a mighty prophet of God. What if the woman did not make
any effort? What if she concluded from the beginning that the child would eventually be
killed and so no point to protect him? She knocked out all the “what ifs” and gave it her
best shot. God picked up the rest. It is often the case that if people will do all they can in
a given situation, God will do what they can’t. Grace is not designed for the lazy; grace
functions best when the right efforts are put in place.

A long time ago, a writer who I cannot remember now drew an analogy between driving
and divine guidance. He reasoned that God’s guidance is like driving your car at night.
Your headlamps can only see a short distance, perhaps 30-50 meters at once. As you
drive with 50-meter visibility, you see another 50 and another 50 until you get to your
destination. No vehicle is equipped with such a light that can see from the beginning to
the end at one single stretch. It is a little at a time. The same is true with God’s guidance
– it comes a little at a time.

“It is characteristic of God to indicate a new direction with a new word.”

This truth is well illustrated in our text. Prior to this time, Joseph was instructed to take
Mary and Jesus to the land of Egypt. There was no specific instruction as to when they
would return. Joseph also did not encumber himself with that detail. When Herod died,
heaven saw that the coast was clear. Joseph was told to return. When it comes to
guidance, we will sometime have to live one day at a time. Too much information can be
discouraging; so God gives only as much as we are able to contain at the moment. In
case you are puzzled that you are not hearing any new direction from God, it is
unnecessary. When Joseph was instructed to go to the land of Egypt, the instruction
was that he should be there until God brings him a word. So, I say to people to keep
doing the last thing God told them until He sends another word. It is characteristic of
God to indicate a new direction with a new word. If you do not have a new word yet,
keep busy with the last thing God told you.

Insecure people often manifest certain traits. First, they always seek endorsement. In
addition to seeking validation, insecure people are often defensive. Confront them with
their mistake, they will parry it away and strenuously seek to prove that they were right.
There is yet another trait exhibited by this group of people; they are averse to seeing
another play their role or do what they are doing. They are often competitive. This
makes them brutal as they will use every means to maul down what or who they regard
as a competition.

“There is no point trying to defend what the Spirit gave with the energy of the flesh. So relax!”

Saul exhibited the trait of an insecure leader. He felt threatened when David slew
Goliath and the women sang his praise. The king sought to eliminate David because he
started seeing him as a rival. The same scenario is seen in our text. Herod heard of the
birth of a king and he lost his peace. He ended up killing all children who were two years
and under. If you find yourself around insecure people, you need to walk in wisdom and
be prayerful. Should you find yourself feeling insecure, be reminded that no one can
take away what God has given you. There is no point trying to defend what the Spirit
gave with the energy of the flesh. So relax!

Environments are powerful in molding people’s character. Expectedly, a morally sound
environment should produce morally sound characters. On the other hand, an
environment stuffed with bad actors should ruin good morals. However, some people
managed to beat the odds. We know people who were raised in godly environments
who became perverse, and those raised in ungodly environments developing godly
characters. It is in man to raise himself beyond the dictates of his environment.

“When you find yourself in a compromising environment, look up to God to still shine forth the light of the gospel.”

Abijah was raised by an ungodly father and king, Jeroboam, who dishonoured God by
diverting the hearts of the people of Israel from true worship to idols. He set up gods in
Dan and Beersheba to keep the people away from going to Jerusalem for the appointed
feasts. He was the progenitor of the religion of convenience. That drew the anger of
God. God promised that He was going to destroy his lineage. They would die in
ignominy and have no burial. However, there was one exception – Abijah would have a
decent burial. The reason for this is captured in our text – God found something good in
him towards the Lord. In the midst of thick darkness, Abijah’s little light did not escape
the notice of God. When you find yourself in a compromising environment, look up to
God to still shine forth the light of the gospel.

I have always found this verse of scripture quite intriguing. As it were, Jacob read out
his will and distributed his estate to his children. Even at the point of death, Joseph
remained his favoured son and it reflected in what he bequeathed to him. He gave him
one portion more than his brothers. The interesting thing is the source of that extra
portion. According to Jacob, he acquired it when he fought the Amorites. Apart from this
passing reference, I am yet to find any other account of this battle anywhere. What is
generally known of Jacob is that he was a shepherd and an entrepreneur. The moral of
this is that everyone has their battle. For some, the battle is obvious for the world to see.
The vast majority of people battle with things that are far removed from public glare.
You will never know if they don’t tell you.

“If you are fighting some battles, never compare yourself with people you think are having it easy. Their own battle may be hidden.”

That leads us to some conclusions. If you are fighting some battles, never compare
yourself with people you think are having it easy. Their own battle may be hidden.
Secondly, if people act in ways inconsistent with your expectations, forbear. Allison Aars
said, “When you learn that a person’s behaviour has more to do with their own internal
struggle than you, you will learn grace”. Be gracious to people by forbearing and
forgiving them. That is the least you can do for those who are already sinking under the
weight of heavy personal conflicts.

The authorship of the book of Philippians is never in doubt as the introductory verses
credit Paul for the work. However, there are different views on where he wrote the book.
Some say it was in Ephesus, though traditional views tend to favour Rome. He probably
penned the epistle between A.D. 59 and 63. One other thing that is not in dispute was
the fact that he wrote the letter from prison, and this brings us to the first lesson of our
meditation today. For the apostles and the early believers at large, nothing was strong
enough to deter them from spreading the gospel. Not threat to life or forfeiture of
property. The spread of the gospel was their primary task, and everything else revolved
around it. If we are going to make the most of the gospel, we must have the same
orientation. In general, once we set out on any cause initiated by God, there should be
no looking back. Distraction will hinder achievement and success.

“Your prayer creates access to the realm of the Spirit and draws down on the abundant grace of
heaven.”

Another important lesson from our text is the power of prayer. While Paul was in prison,
the brethren prayed for him. His word gives us an idea of what happens when people
pray. Every genuine effort put into prayer leads to a supply of the Spirit. This supply
translates to deliverance both in our lives and those for whom we pray. Your prayer
creates access to the realm of the Spirit and draws down on the abundant grace of
heaven.

The authorship of the book of Philippians is never in doubt as the introductory verses
credit Paul for the work. However, there are different views on where he wrote the book.
Some say it was in Ephesus, though traditional views tend to favour Rome. He probably
penned the epistle between A.D. 59 and 63. One other thing that is not in dispute was
the fact that he wrote the letter from prison, and this brings us to the first lesson of our
meditation today. For the apostles and the early believers at large, nothing was strong
enough to deter them from spreading the gospel. Not threat to life or forfeiture of
property. The spread of the gospel was their primary task, and everything else revolved
around it. If we are going to make the most of the gospel, we must have the same
orientation. In general, once we set out on any cause initiated by God, there should be
no looking back. Distraction will hinder achievement and success.

“Your prayer creates access to the realm of the Spirit and draws down on the abundant grace of heaven.”

Another important lesson from our text is the power of prayer. While Paul was in prison,
the brethren prayed for him. His word gives us an idea of what happens when people
pray. Every genuine effort put into prayer leads to a supply of the Spirit. This supply
translates to deliverance both in our lives and those for whom we pray. Your prayer
creates access to the realm of the Spirit and draws down on the abundant grace of
heaven.

Whenever human parts or characteristics are used to describe nonhuman things or
beings, it is called anthropomorphism. We know that God is Spirit, and those who want
to worship Him must do so in spirit and truth. However, in order to help our
understanding of who He is, Scripture uses human terms to describe some of His
actions. For example, the priestly benediction in Numbers 6:25 refers to God making
His face shine upon people. In Isaiah, God said that His hands are not short neither are
His ears deaf. While these attempts at describing God could be helpful, they sometimes
pose a problem. The challenge is that when we hear of God’s eyes, we may think that
they are exactly like human eyes. That will limit our understanding of His capacity and
what we can receive from Him.

“We must always allow the Spirit of God through the Scriptures to realign our perspective.”

Everyone has a concept of God. This concept, right or wrong, regulates what we say of
Him and how we relate with Him. The trouble some people have is directly tied to their
concept of God. The gentleman described in our text was not an atheist, he believed in
the existence of God. His trouble was that he judged God from a human perspective.
He was so engrossed by the dire situation of their nation that he thought a turnaround
was impossible. He died because he had a faulty concept of God. He believed that the
resources in heaven were not enough to meet the needs on earth. We must always
allow the Spirit of God through the Scriptures to realign our perspective.

During the 2016 electioneering campaign in the United States, the wife of the then-
outgoing president, Michelle Obama made her now-famous catchphrase – “When they
go low, we go high”.
Though no name was mentioned, it was a veiled reference to Donald Trump’s vicious
and abusive campaign strategy. Since that time, Michelle has been asked severally
whether her persuasion still holds sway. She affirmed that it is the only thing that works.
That is the only way not to go low to the same debased level that one is trying to
correct.

“You will always be tempted to pay people back in their own coin. If you fall for that, you become as guilty as they are.”

David lived by this code – going up when some chose to go low. King Saul came to the
lowest point when he began to pursue him. For no justifiable reason, Saul took aim at
David and made life miserable for him. David later had the opportunity to kill the king
which he rejected. He still regarded Saul as God’s anointed king. If David had gone for
revenge, he would have gone low like Saul. In our text, we see that David went high
again. An average person with David’s experience would probably have sought how to
eliminate everything and everyone connected to Saul, no matter how remote. However,
he sought to bless any remaining descendant of Saul. Thus, David lived in the spirit of
the gospel which teaches us to not repay evil with evil but to overcome evil with good.
You will always be tempted to pay people back in their own coin. If you fall for that, you
become as guilty as they are.

The King James Version of the Bible renders this verse as "with his word". Jesus cast
out spirits or devils with His word. Farther in this gospel we read again of how Jesus
cast out devils: “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God
has come upon you.” Matthew‬

“The less of idle words we speak, the more our words will be clothed with power.”

This brings us to something else. If Jesus cast out devils by the Spirit, why don't we
have the same results? The problem is that we are full of idle words. Corrupt
communications are rife in the lives of many believers. Think of it this way. Imagine that
you open a bottle of coca-cola, and hold it under a running tap. The water will gradually
dilute the content and it will no longer taste like coca-cola. If you sustain the process
long enough, it will get to a point where all you have in the bottle is water. This is the
point: idle words pollute and dilute. The less of idle words we speak, the more our words
will be clothed with power.

From age 12, Jesus was reportedly engaging the doctors of the law in meaningful
discussions. As early as that age too, He was already fully aware of His mission on
earth. You will recall that when His parents found Him in the temple and wondered why
He had gone missing, He told them that He must be about His Father’s business. That
was a demonstration of a sense of mission. However, Jesus did not plunge into it until
some 18 years after that when He was about 30. He waited until the Holy Spirit came
upon Him before He began to preach, teach, and perform miracles. So the Holy Spirit
was the energizer and secret behind all the great things that He did. As shown in our
text, the casting out of devils was by the Spirit of God.

“Once we realise that we carry the same Spirit as Jesus, what will be left for a life of exploits are bold actions
of faith.”

In our previous meditation, we learned that our possibilities in God are huge, as huge as
what Jesus enjoyed. What we must add is that just as Jesus did not enter the realm of
great works until the Spirit descended on Him, neither can we unless we experience the
fullness of the same Spirit. Good enough, we have access to the same Spirit of God.
This implies that believers can cast out devils, just as Jesus did. Once we realise that
we carry the same Spirit as Jesus, what will be left for a life of exploits are bold actions
of faith.

The angel Gabriel must have sounded unbelievable when he brought the news to Mary
that the Saviour would be born through her. Mary wondered how that could be possible
when she had no sexual relations with anybody. On the surface, it would seem like she
did not believe, but she asked on the basis of what was obtainable since the dawn of
human history. No woman ever conceived without the contribution of a man. Among the
several words that the angel employed to persuade her is Luke 1:37 – “For with God
nothing will be impossible.”

“In God, there are no probabilities but possibilities.”

In God, there are no probabilities but possibilities. The psalmist noted that it was
through God that he could run through a troop and leap over a wall. These feats are
beyond the ordinary man. However, all things become possible when God is supplying
strength. The world is yet to see incredible things that someone who is fully yielded to
God could do. Jesus gave us an idea of our great potential. He said that those who
believe in Him would do the works that He did, and even greater. Now, Jesus did some
awesome things. That is the realm every believer ought to flow in. The beginning of the
journey to this life of exploits is believing that it exists. Besides, we must settle it that it is
the realm in which God wants us to operate.