Praise be to the Almighty who has brought us into another quarter. He has done so much for each of us – protection, provisions, causing His face to shine upon us, strength for the journey, victory in battles, promotions in different areas of life, etc. It is He, the keeper of Israel, that has upheld, strengthened, guided and brought us this far, we must stop a moment to hallow Him and praise Him from the depths of our hearts lest we be ingrates. If we acknowledge Him in this way then He will make our paths straight.
As we journey this quarter let us put our hands in His hands and trust Him to take us through this great and terrible wilderness on our way to our inheritances. We must depend on Him for daily manna. Our raiment will not wear out on our backs and our feet will not swell. We expect many weddings and new homes, many new children into our families, more open doors of opportunities to serve Him and much progress as we follow Him this quarter.
I hear Him saying that you will need peace. The nations, especially Nigeria, will boil the more. Fear shall grip many, for many there shall be no light in the horizon. Iniquity will continue to abound and the love of many shall continue to wax cold. Many will be distracted and diverted. More innocent people will be “butchered”, the drums of war will beat louder, economies will slow the more and poverty will creep in on more people while a few shall be stinkingly rich. But you friend, are not like the uncircumcised and strengthless. The Lord shall remain your strength and salvation. I hear Him say that as you refuse to fear their fears and fear Him alone and commit your life and way into his hands, with thanksgiving, then the peace of God which is beyond our utmost understanding will keep, guard over your hearts and thoughts. When others are saying there is a casting down you will experience and say that there is a lifting up.
Soldier on friend and run your course with joy. Forget what is behind and press on with purpose in every step. Let us pray for this peace that the world cannot understand and know that no storms will prevail against you as long as the Lord Jesus is in the ship. We will share testimonies as we arrive at the end of this quarter, stronger than we were at the beginning of it, in Jesus Name.
YOUR DAY VI
By now we believe that you are becoming more focused and beginning to steward time and use it more effectively, efficiently and more profitably. You must no longer let time while away and you need to prayerfully cut off every wastage. Time is money; time is life; time is opportunities. Without time you cannot do anything. Infact you will not live. Time is God’s provision to enable you accomplish what the Lord has appointed you to accomplish in your Day. By now you must have began to prioritize your time. You must stop being reactive but be proactive. You must have started putting tasks in order of importance and using the best time for the most important, not the urgent. Do not yield to the urgent as against the important and needful. Remember you are the one to set the agenda for your life in accordance with the Divine mandate over your life and the revelation you have. Do not try to do everything and respond to every need and pressure. You must now be much more deliberate about your usage of time. Jesus remains our pattern and example for everything, including prioritizing time. You must now follow Him and let your steps be ordered from above.
Press on friend, with purpose in every step so as to reach the goal set before you in this your day for the night is coming when you cannot work. Maximize everyone of your physical days and maximize your Day.
MAXIMIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY
Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
(Eph. 5:10-17).
When God gives you an assignment He gives you doors of opportunities with which to enter and accomplish it. The blind man who sat by the road side in John 9 as Jesus passed by was His opportunity given by the Father to do the works of He that sent Him while it is day. The disciples saw the same blind man with Him but did not see the opportunity. They thought that incident was for theological analysis. But, Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work …The Lord saw His opportunities and moved in and maximized them while it is day; before the night came when no man can work. Opportunities are sometimes not easily identifiable and you need for God to show them to you. Again, in Acts 3, Peter and John saw a lame man at the Beautiful gate of the temple as they went up to the temple at the hour of prayer. They recognized the door of opportunity and entered and soon that man was on his feet, limping and jumping and praising the LORD. But that opportunity was not maximized because as the man held on to Peter and John a crowd soon gathered. Apparently Peter did not see the crowd but eventually saw it and preached and thousands were added to the Church. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people,…(Acts 3:11&12). Peter did not see the opportunity at the beginning, when the crowd gathered. There was surely excitement and the people would have gathered and eventually dispersed after the euphoria. Thank God that Peter eventually saw it and entered and God worked again. So we must pray to see doors and sometimes one door will lead to others and become multiple. Until all are maximized we have not exploited the door fully.
Now we need to use up every opportunity God gives us to do good but for that to happen, learn what pleases the Lord and have nothing to do with darkness. Try to find out what pleases the Lord and keep doing them. This is one way to deal with darkness because light exposes darkness. The instruction is that you must not take part in the works of darkness which is barren but rather to expose them. These things they do in secret and it will be shameless even to mention them. For example, if you are a teacher in a school you should not be involved in gossips in the staff room, stealing school money and materials, illicit affairs, exam malpractice, etc. These are things people will not like to be identified with in the open. To continue in the deeds of darkness is one way to waste your Day and your life. Those who live in darkness are as if they are dead and must awake and come out of their coffins, and let Christ give such light. Friend, whatever you know that you are doing in secret that you will not like to be known in the light you must stop it forthwith. You must now walk in the light so as to expose every such deed. So, henceforth watch your steps and be very careful how you conduct yourself; not like fools (simpletons) but as wise (sensible). Make the most of every opportunity you get. Maximize every chance you get. Enter every door the Lord opens for you and fully exploit it. Time is equal to opportunities. Once you are walking with the Lord daily He will give you opportunities to exploit. There are good works that He has already prepared for you and ordained that you should walk into them. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Eccl. 9:10). Friend, be hearty, zealous, and excited and aglow in your spirit as you soak up every opportunity. Do not be half hearted as if reluctant and being forced to seize your opportunities. Remember you do not have two lives but one and only one Day. After death there are no opportunities to exploit. There is no prayer, preaching, giving, caring, etc, after death. It only remains for one to be rewarded or judged for what he/she did in the flesh. Even before we talk of death and eternity remember that there are a lot you cannot do again when night comes. Be sensitive to see your opportunities and seize them enthusiastically and use your God-given graces to fully exploit them.
One sure reason why you must not waste your opportunities and waste your time is because the days are evil. Redeeming time essentially means to buy back time for yourself. God has given you time but you have to redeem it so that no one or nothing steals or takes it from you. You have to be strict and self controlled otherwise you will discover that your time is gone and you have not done the thing(s) you should do with it. This instruction is particularly more important in these evil days – desperate times. The enemy is working in so many ways to rob people of this provision of God. If you take just the simple matter of the internet and social media, that could “eat up” your time and take you off course if you are not deliberate and strict with your time and opportunities. Friend, remember that God will not increase the 24 hours given to you everyday and that this 24 hours is continually ticking and going and once gone cannot be recouped.
So, friend, do not live carelessly and thoughtlessly. Find out what the Master wants and set your face like a flint and give it your best. Finish with every darkness and walk in the light and press forward so that you do not waste your days and your Day and regret at last. God bless you as you push forward, under the ‘cloud’ of the LORD and make the most of every opportunity and so the most of your Day.