Friday, 24 November 2017

Don’t Lose Heart: It Is Never Late With Him

As the year comes to an end here on earth, please be reminded that God’s year may be far from ending; for our God does not dwell in time. I am sure you have heard it said that God dwells in eternity so that it is most unlikely that His calendar is closing. I sincerely believe that this may be one of the best seasons for miracles since it is the time of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour. As we all know, it is most unlikely that this is the season in which He was born, but this is that season when we celebrate His birth which is the biggest miracle the earth has ever witnessed. How is it that a God so mighty would choose to step down from His throne on high that He may indwell man? That is the miracle that only God can explain and who would believe that He did it that we may have joy filled lives and have it in exceeding abundance. Such was the love of God for us when He made the decision and so it is even today.

John 10: 10b “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

John 15: 11 “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow.”

There is no doubt that God is not going on holiday at this time like we do. Interestingly, when a day is coming to an end, man begins to shut down that he may rest but our God never shuts down. Whilst we are getting ready to rest, God is working to start a new day. Man is programmed to shut down before the beginning of a new day or season so that in our sub-conscious, God is like that and we assume His calendar is just like ours. Please get ready for your miracles; it may just “spring forth” in this season like it did for Peter on the night when fishing seemed like the wrong business. Peter and the other fishermen were shutting down when Jesus Christ came on the scene and borrowed his boat. He could have been so frustrated with the way the night’s business went that he may have told Jesus Christ he had to go home. We have to learn to master our bodies so that things like frustration don’t get the better of us when things don’t seem to be going the way we think it should. If Peter had allowed what seemed like failure to get the better of him, he may have lost his the opportunity to know Jesus Christ and its attendant miracles, which was the beginning of many great experiences for Peter.

Luke 5: 2 & 3 “He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of those boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. Si he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.”

Like Peter and his team, I want to encourage you to be open to God even in this season. It’s the year and not your life that is coming to an end. Please don’t push God away by complaining and murmuring against Him which is what the enemy would like you to do so that you will unwittingly, shut God out. It is yet good time for God to act for you. He can even start a new thing right now. Jesus did not mention the blessings that would accompany their lending Him their boat; but it was in the works and no matter how late it was when He was done, He who never sleeps was going to give them this miracle. I am certain that they were penned down for that miracle that night and only they could have prevented themselves from receiving the miracle that night. Seriously, I think Peter and his team deserves to be applauded because they were already cleaning out their boat and nets when Jesus came on the scene. I often wonder about the ways of God; since He was coming, couldn’t he have come a little earlier? His ways was indeed puzzling; we can never really fathom God. We must never assume that it is late with God who is in control of time. Did he not stay the sun for Joshua? He does not need light to do what He need to do either because He is light Himself and even darkness flees when He comes on the scene.

Isaiah 55; 9 “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Ecclesiastes 11: 4 “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another or maybe both.”

  Thank God that Peter was not one of us who “observe the “weather” otherwise he would have missed this gift. When we have opportunity to sow, we must respond without checking the weather. There was no doubt that it was dark; that not something one could pretend about but Peter chose to respond contrary to what He saw. We must also remember that from the point of view of the fishermen, that may have been considered “bad business” day. In other words, they may think they failed that day though they do not control the fishes. Not only did their seeming failure in business that day not prevent them from showing kindness, it also did not prevent them from casting their net again. Our circumstances should not determine our responses to the word of God.  Even if you failed at something several times, this may be the one opportunity that turns the entire story around.

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