I watched a movie I shouldn’t have watched.

It didn’t even seem like the usual movies where sin jumps at you immediately you press play oe when thirty seconds into the movie, you start to feel your skin crawl into your bones.

No, this one was more subtle, but from the description and the first few minutes of the movie, I knew I was going to be irritated, and most likely frustrated at the characters, their actions, the scriptwriters, and everything the movie represented.

I knew, but since I wasn’t watching alone, I thought to myself — let me give it a shot.

It can’t be that bad, right?

A bit of context — It was a Nigerian movie.

The type where the main character who happens to be a smallish, but sort of hyperindependent, fierce and soft all at the same time, falls in love with the ‘Bad Boy’. The movie did not outrightly represent it in this way, but that is what it was.

Our heroine was more complex than just a petite woman meeting the bad boy. Firstly, she happened to fall full body into him on their first meeting [who wrote this for an African movie???].

She also happened to be a few minutes late to her interview, lost the job, but got it back after a very silly situation that her sister happened to play a huge role in, and throughout the movie we see a lot of foolishness play out.

The main folly we see is that she somehow now has to work veryyy closely with this guy, and at first, she mentions that she doesn’t see anything in him.

She just has to work with him at the cost of her own mind and life at some point, and in the course of all of these, they predictably get together.

Now, the purpose of that summary is not to tell you about the annoying plot, but the effect it had on me.

I was irritated at all her choices, but even more irritated with the guy, because he very nicely mirrored my past.

As I watched this movie, this guy became more ‘attractive’.

Not to me, but if you had eyes that were securely glued to the screen, you would have slowly found him becoming attractive because of his relationship with our heroine, and also, the movie started to make him have a story that was somewhat relatable.

He became softer, kinder to her, and she became a part of his world.

From working with him for a couple of days, our heroine had become a centrepiece of this guy’s world. If the movie dragged on for another hour, perhaps we would have seen them get married, have kids, and their life together.

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As I reflected on what seemed like lost time watching that ridiculous movie, I started to understand better what happened in Genesis 13:12 - Genesis 14.

The progression of Lot dwelling in Sodom started from his conversation with Abram, and we see that when Abram asked Lot to choose where he will move to, he was looking at the plain of Jordan, but ended up pitching his tent near Sodom.

In the next chapters — from Abram fighting for him after he was taken by the kings, to the time he fled Sodom with absolutely nothing after God sent judgment against the land, we see that Lot moved from someone with proximity to sin/and observer, to being a resident in the land of deep sin.

Lot is a prime example of what happens when we let curiosity take over and try to renegotiate the boundaries of God’s consecration in our lives.

The closer we get to sin, the quicker we must flee.

Perhaps, Lot only noticed he was dwelling in Sodom after he had to flee it.

Whenever we find ourselves drifting in sin, our response should never be to stay a while longer to see, to observe, to manage it, but rather to return to the presence of God, because a second too long around the area of Sodom can lead to a pitched tent, and eventually entering the city gates to inhabit Sodom as a resident/citizen.

Without Abram’s intervention, Lot might have died in the land.

Another thing to understand is that proximity to sin distorts our view of our relationship with God.

We start to think that we can handle it without God.

After all, it’s just a few minutes of exploration, or a relationship that we clearly know we should not be in, or perhaps it is just staying a minute too long in a place he has asked you to leave.

The taking away of Lot by the kings and Abram’s intervention in chapter 14, might just have been a confirmation for Lot to leave where he was and journey again with his cousin, but…hm.

Sin causes God to seem farther away than He is, and in those moments, reconciliation seems impossible.

So we think that we must just continue down the wrong path. However, that is not what God teaches us.

In the story of Adam & Eve eating the fruit in the garden, we see that they started to substitute God’s covering for their own made coverings, and in doing so, they created more distance between themselves and God.

Yes, sin creates distance, but it is not a permanent distance as the enemy often tries to make us feel.

It is in us accepting his lies and staying in guilt and condemnation that we eventually see a divide between us, and our relationship with God.

This is why we have Grace and Mercy in God.

To not only reconcile us back to Himselves, but for wisdom and discernment, so that when we see ourselves getting close to the territory of sin through temptation, we are able to bring ourselves back to the prescence of God immediately, instead of feeling helpless or even being curious enough to take a bite of the forbidden fruit.

Today, I want you to examine your heart, your life and mind.

What is that thing you are staying too long around that doesn’t outrightly look like sin, but is drawing you away from God?

Write it down, and spend time talking to God about it immediately.

Till we meet again,

-Ivy

There is a thin line between submitting ourselves to the Will of God and becoming numb to everything that’s happening in our lives.

It’s like when we’re so used to God rearranging our lives over and over again, that when it seems like everything around us is being rearranged again, we start feeling that familiar numbness.

Not numb in a way of submission or acceptance of His workings in our lives, even though it could be uncomfortable for us, but numb when we start to subconsciously feel that our lives are stuck in a loop or in a season that we can’t get out of.

It’s in those situations where we want to wrap those emotions under scriptures that were meant to encourage us and strengthen us.

We wrap those emotions under ‘religious’ activities and start to wonder why we still feel so empty.

You’ve prayed, you’ve recited the words, you’ve listened to sermons.

And yet…

You feel yourself getting even more numb by the hour.

All the directions you need are at your fingertips, and yet, it’s starting to get overwhelming.

You feel your heart start to break a little, and you wrap it under a recited psalm and a broken voice singing a comforting worship.

You offer the sacrifice of praise, and slowly realize that God also sees your heart. That your relationship with Him is not just religious, but it’s a relationship.

And so, if your heart still feels a little broken, you can respectfully, approach the King of Kings and let Him know where it hurts, being obedient enough to take His response as a signal of His unending love for you.

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Whether it’s satisfactory or not.

He loves you, even on the worst days.

He is a good Father, even when the World is too loud about the 99 and 1 other things that are wrong with you.

He is a Good God, and a good God is not unaware of how you feel, and therefore there is no need to try and hide it from Him.

He sees you, and his arms are always open to receive you.

A broken heart, and a contrite spirit, the Lord will not reject.

As the psalmist said;

He cleanses our hearts.

He purifies us.

He renews our spirits.

Our Husbandman.

Our Maker.

Our Father.

He saw us while we were yet in our sins and redeemed us. He brought us to Himself by His blood.

What kind of lover is He?

That He not only professes His Love for us, but He has also shown us a great display of that Love.

He, being Love Himself, came to show us how deeply Love can redeem us.

So when next your heart breaks a little, and you can’t seem to stop the bleeding, remember that Love Himself bled on the cross for you, that whenever you bleed, you do not die, but you live again.

For when we die His Death, we Live His Life.

And so, this Thin Line that breaks your heart is instead an arrow, a stop, a sign on the navigation that points to Jesus.

With Love,

—Ivy.

Dear Reader,

Here is a song for you while you read, or maybe you might listen after reading, but I advise you do listen to it.

Today [as of writing this] is Wednesday, and I have had a very restful day.

At the start of the week, I have felt compelled to rest in God.

Resting in His Love for me, resting in the understanding that He cares for me, and that I do not always need to be constantly doing in order to be.

There is something about the Father’s love that makes me want to weep with gladness, and cry out in pain when I realize how much I long to be even closer to Him.

A cry for deeper intimacy with Jesus, a cry to see Him clearer, a cry to fall more in love with Him everyday.

And the other part of my weeping comes when His love suddenly envelops me, especially in my moments of vulnerability, doubt, and when it seems like the waves of life has overtaken me.

You know, it is so beautiful to know that you are truly Loved by the one who made you, and that being Loved by Him is not just a feeling, but a reality, and an identity that we step into, and that this identity remains unshaken when life itself seems to be tugging at us from every possible direction.

It is also sobering.

A love that doesn’t just leave you breathless, giddy as a child that has found a new shiny object, or giggling every five minutes as a girl that has found that she can be admired purely for who she is.

It is Love that demands that you let go of every whispered lie, evil ideologies, and the garments that seemed stuck to our old man.

This love comes and demands that we become like Him, and as we stretch forth our arms to receive this Love, we find that our old identities are stripped off, the thoughts, addictions, pain, trauma we could not let go off, begin to fall off, as we continue to chase this love and press deeper into the knowledge of who the person, Jesus, behind the love is.

Oh, how Loved We Are!

A love that doesn’t just embrace us, but transforms us!

This Love becomes like Fire in our bones.

Because then we start to realise, how little the world knows about love, and so with this fire, we burn down everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ and Him alone.

His Love, is the beginning and ending of our story.

And with Christ, with our Abba, with His Holy Spirit, we can now take each step to walk and live with Love in eternity.

A true Love Story.

Perhaps, your ‘not being ready’ is what makes you ready.

Today’s song as you read:

I had a funny thought that came to mind as I reflected on some things with the Holy Spirit, and I will tell you in a bit.

Recently, we have been learning about On Purpose in church, and the sermons have been pushing me to not only think purposefully, but to truly live out purpose.

I have personally been getting challenged to sit up and take position as a soldier waiting for the alarm to sound, and examining how I live my life:

• What I do with God’s time, because after all, time is not really mine.

• What I do with my mind.

• What I do with my emotions, feelings, both big and small ones.

• What I do with my body.

• What I do in terms of stewarding all that God has given me.

If there is one word to summarise all I have been learning so far, it will be — Stewardship.

Stewardship is what summarises what God said in Genesis 1:26

After creating man in His Image,

[not in physical appearance, but in likeness and attributes, meaning that if God is a creator, then so are we, and if God is Holy and righteous, then so are we]

God also gave man a purpose: to have dominion over all living things first, as a representative of God on earth, meaning that man is a reflection of God in supernatural abilities as well.

However, in Chapter 2 vs 15,

We see another aspect of stewardship that God gave to man:

'The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.'
Genesis 2:15

And so, in our day-to-day activities, we must carry this mindset of stewardship.

The funny thought that I had went like this:

I don’t think I am ready for xyz [not telling what it is]

Holy Spirit: That is exactly why you are ready for it.

Me: …?

Holy Spirit: It is in not being ready that you become more open to knowing how to do it the right way.

In not knowing, we create room for growth, learning, unlearning, and having a teachable spirit.

If you were so sure you were ready for it, you most likely are not, because it is easy to become overconfident and rely on your own qualifications, skills, or experience rather than on my help.

Oof.

That one hit me exactly where it needed to.

As I write this, I am reflecting on so many ideas that I had, and never pursued because the timing never seemed ‘right’.

I’m not sure David felt like the timing of him killing Goliath was right either, he wasn’t practising to kill a giant, but was carefully stewarding the sheep, even if it meant killing the lion and the bear.

More often than not, it is easy to fake humility and say — oh no, I am undeserving of xyz, whatever it could be to you, when it comes your way, than it is to say — although I am not deserving of xyz, God has brought it my way, and now I will take it back to Him, knowing that I cannot do this on my own.

We cannot lean on past achievements, failures, or successes to look forward to the things which are ahead!

As Paul wrote in Philippians:

When we start to run our race by looking back at what was before instead of setting our faces like a flint, we stumble.

However, in knowing and understanding that the journey before us requires that we consistently look to God as our source, and so in ‘feeling unready’, we are in a perfect position to humble ourselves before God, so that He can now make us ready and can help us to mature into that image He has created us to be, for handling certain responsibilities.

And so, dear reader…

Your ‘unreadiness’ puts you in a perfect place to have a teachable spirit.

That you are not adequate in your own strength, but can boast in the transformative power of God?

That is the heart of readiness.

As you might guess, I didn’t think I was ready to write this post either.

See you soon,

- Ivy

A question I have asked myself too often is whether I would see a life fully lived for Jesus.

Not just in prayer or study, but in living life for Him.

Like how some people live life for fleeting things, like money, perhaps, and so all their thoughts are continually on it, what if I am able to live for the One who gave me His Life?

For example,

This week, I have found myself feeling more restful.

Not by my quiet time only, but in finding joy in doing house chores, carefully cleaning dishes, wiping down countertops, and doing tiny bits of rearranging.

I started Monday with T30,

— a non-denominational devotional and prayer platform, and it was such a beautiful time in God’s presence. Quietly worshipping, praying loudly, listening to the scriptures and being admonished, all of it was beautiful.

After praying, I was home alone, and YouTube started playing me a worship song, and so I sat on the couch, trying to be still for a while, before eventually going on my cleaning spree.

I was reminded that worship is not only in singing to God or praying, but in how I spend my time too.

And so, my mornings have pretty much been in the same routine so far, except for yesterday, when I shot and edited a video for my Instagram.

On Sunday, or perhaps it was Monday,

The Holy Spirit was speaking to me about certain things He would have me continue or restart.

If you have been here for a while, you know that I have a podcast on Spotify, and a YouTube Channel as well.

However,

Fear had been keeping me from fully doing them for a while.

You know, there is a thought that people who were not usually praised by a loved one or someone of authority in their lives growing up have, and that is — Will I ever succeed at anything?

When such a person comes to the knowledge of Christ and discovers that they had been accepting lies instead of the Truth of God’s word and His love towards them, there is such a strong reaction in their Spirits.

A huge well of Joy overflowing, and at the same time, what seems to be uncertainty and doubt.

Lies have been spoken long enough that it becomes true to them and so THE TRUTH feels unnatural, like wearing a pair of shoes 2 sizes bigger than your feet, or taking an oversized coat.

It swallows them up, threatening to drown the walls they have built up from years of lies, and they know that indeed, it will drown them, and the thought of that can be threatening — to take away the thing they have known long enough that it becomes comforting?

But there is something that The Word of God also does to us.

It transforms us, renews our minds, and helps us to see what is possible in God.

And so, I have been slowly coming to a renewed knowledge that living fully for Jesus, without fear, is possible.

That I can indeed, by His Holy Spirit, walk in his calling for my life, and not back out or run away from it.

For no matter how high the walls are, we can wage a good war and bring those thoughts and high things to the knowledge of God, exposing them for the darkness that they are, as they come to the Light of God.

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I want you, dear reader, to realise something.

God has not given you the Spirit of fear.

He does not want you to live continually in fear, wondering if you are truly deserving of His Love, or wondering if you have the hands to carry out His assignment for your life.

He knows who you are and is not worried that you will break what He has given you.

Imagine this for a moment,

A potter makes a clay pot to hold flowers, and the clay vase starts crying that it cannot really hold flowers, arguing with its creator that it is actually not a good vase, and has tiny cracks that would suffocate the flowers.

Perhaps, it really does have cracks, and the potter has included them into the plans for the vase to hold flowers that can breathe and grow through such cracks, meanwhile the clay vase is not aware of this.

And why in Heaven or on Earth is a clay vase arguing that it cannot do what it was made to do?

I will tell you why — A lack of trust in its creator.

Fear too, but fear is a reflection of a lack of trust.

Before I sign off, tell me…

Do you trust your creator enough to live for Him fully?

How come a Shepherd Boy became a King?

When we first get introduced to David in 1st Samuel, we are first told two things:

1. He was very young

2. He was a Shepherd

If you were one of David’s brothers or parents when Samuel came to anoint him, and saw that David went back to being a Shepherd boy, you would have probably scoffed at him, just like his brothers did.

'But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!” '
1 Samuel 17:28

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But we see something so beautiful as his story unfolds — God used his skills as a Shepherd to prepare him for Goliath.

It was because David was already walking in one of the skills and gifts that God had given to him, that David had the boldness, courage and understanding to challenge Goliath.

It is not just because of the Lion or the Bear he fought, but as a Shepherd, he was growing in the knowledge of God and using his skills rightly!

Before David fought Goliath, he had gained access to the palace.

Why?

He was a harpist, and in playing for King Saul, he gained access.

'Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.” '
1 Samuel 16:22

After he fought Goliath, David did not go back to being a Shepherd, but he became a commander of King Saul’s army.

Along David’s story, we see how possible it is that seemingly unrelated or ‘small’ gifts can contribute to our purpose and identity in God.

So this is how David started as a Shepherd, but ended up as King.

And guess what?

While he was using these skills, gifts and growing, we see how much his people loved him, and how much favour he found in the sight of God.

What if you stopped looking at the things you have a desire or interest in as just small and started placing them at Jesus’s feet?

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Asking him to show you — does this fit into His plan for your life, or does it fit into a part of your identity that will help shape you for something ahead?

Instead of ruling out dancing, teaching or maybe counselling from your life goals, just because you feel there are too many contrasting elements, ask Him to direct you.

God can and wants to use what He has placed in your hands for the glory of His Name.

This is how Jesus met with fishermen and tax collectors and turned them into disciples, meeting them at their place of skill.

Lately, during my Bible Study time, I have found myself either studying up on gifts, talents, or even people who were blessed with a ‘multitude’ of gifts in the scriptures and successfully all to use.

I don’t remember how, but in my prayer time last month, I ended up in Romans 12:6

I kept meditating on it and went to show the scripture to my dear friend Otani, and as I opened up her Bible app, it was open to:

1 Corinthians 12:6

A coincidence? I think not.

I kept asking if she was studying up on the same scriptures, but she told me she was studying something else entirely — I think John?

In that moment, I felt like the Holy Spirit was saying:

‘‘I knew you would think it was a random verse, so I had to send it twice”

It is well.

I knew it was for me, and the message was delivered successfully.

You see, I had been asking myself if it was God that had really given me certain gifts, or if I had just picked up some random hobbies and was starting to do too much.

I know that in the context of the scriptures I highlighted above, the focus was on Spiritual gifts, but yet, they do connect to the seemingly Normal gifts that we have.

For example, the gift of wise advice can show up in your ability to just strike up random conversations with strangers, and solve their problems by the leading of the Spirit, and as you continue to walk daily in that gift, you suddenly feel stirred up to start a podcast.

And now you are wondering if you are doing too much, or if it's the flesh at work — seeking fame and success outside your ‘small’ corner.

See, it is easy to shrink ourselves in false humility when we hear God telling us to take our 1 talent and put it into the bank or to double that 1 talent.

It is easier to say — ‘‘But Lord, I have not finished understanding how this thing works and now you want me to do more’’ than it is for you to say — ‘‘Yes Lord, I hear you and will do so as you have spoken’’.

And for those with what seems to be a multitude of talents in their possession, it is easy to get overwhelmed.

But I assure you that God knew what He was doing when He gave you certain desires, gifts, and interests.

Growing up, I wanted to be a writer of some sort. I had buried myself in enough books growing up that I wanted to become a writer of my own.

I pursued that interest for a while before eventually abandoning it.

Fast forward to 2021: I found myself writing LinkedIn articles I wished were stories, and in 2023, I started this Substack, but I wasn’t writing Christian-focused articles yet; I just knew I wanted to write.

After I took a long hiatus, I found myself writing what the Holy Spirit was teaching me instead, and I felt like I was doing too much. In my head, I kept asking myself - why can’t I write normally?

Must the Gospel always spill out in one way or another?

But I find my answer here:

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There are many parts, but only one body.

Many gifts, one goal.

In such a time that we find ourselves in as Christians, there is Grace to do more!

As the scriptures say, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

God is calling on us to do more in the field, and so He has endowed us with a supply of multiple Graces to do all things well for His glory!

Your interests and passions might not be completely unrelated in the eyes of God, and one way to know this is to Pray.

Pray concerning that business idea you’ve always wanted to start, but felt like it would be very unrelated to how the Gospel can spread, or even where you envision yourself in God’s plans.

Pray, and if the desire grows even stronger in the place of prayer and total surrender to God, do it.

It is time to put all those gifts to use, whether you understand it or not.

Pray, check your heart posture, do it, and watch as God will begin to trim off the excesses and point out which ones were for only a season, and which ones He wants to use.

I write today, not because I want to…But because we need to march on.

In the past year, I started a business in Kigali, and I have been in awe of how much God has blessed me with something I never thought I could do or sustain.

The reality of how much God has been taking care of me hit me in full force when I went home for the holidays, and had about 10k naira or less to my name.

I am someone that loves to plan, a lot.

And so before I started packing, I had mentally planned for how I would be able to contribute to the family’s finances. How I planned to take my siblings out, how we would go to a mall and they could pick whatever they wanted.

Of course, planning doesn’t always go the way we want it to.

For me, a plan not working like I wanted it to is like subjecting me to the equivalent amount of time in a mental prison, that it takes for things to get back on track.

I panic, I go into flight and freeze mode and feel like the World has betrayed me and refused to give me the only thing I wanted from it.

Stability.

I realized quite early that I had the typical behaviour of a firstborn daughter raised in an African-Nigerian home.

Except that, my behaviour factored almost on extremism, sinced there was no real father figure to rely on, and when I started earning, I felt like I now had to cary every single broken dish, spoilt appliance and overdue bill on my shoulder.

Thank God for my sweet mummy and for Jesus.

Back to my trip home.

In getting back home, knowing that I did not have the money to continue my superwoman behaviour, I began to worry.

I worried so much that I forgot what truly mattered — my Abba.

Not because He provides for me, but because His prescence alone brings stability and peace to every storm that wants to overturn my boat.

I had forgotten that while it looked like my pockets were empty and food was running out, and needs were begging to be met, He wasn’t unaware.

Would it not be wicked of God to know that you needed something and yet He refused to give you? Alas, my God is not wicked, and His very nature is Love.

So while I struggled to make sense of my circumstances because I refused to rest in Him,l thinking I could do it all, He waited. Patiently.

He waited, with all the answers I needed. And, before you say — well, why didn’t He come to you instead? He was always with me, but my ears refused to hear Him speak, my heart refused to surrender, as my mind was raised in high anxiety, and yet, my answer was right with me.

My stability was right with me.

And so when I traveled to meet my cousin I had not seen in 11 years and experienced favour in her sight and in the sight of her parents — and when I called my Aunt to ask for funding for the business God gave to me — when I went to the market with my sweet mum and she told me not to worry about my rent money, but instead shop for the business — even when I missed my flight and had to pay for a rescheduling instead of an entirely new one,

I understood that He was always with me.

Because Jesus himself warned us, saying:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 16:33.

In Him, is where I find my peace and stability.

And so, in the midst of the storms, I march on.

When it seems like I have been overtaken by an army, I match on — seeing by the Spirit that I am surrounded by an innumerable company of Angels!

Because despite all my worries, He has paid my rent for me as I type here not from my mother’s land, but in a foreign land, while being self-employed.

And despite all my worries, He has taught me that although I have my own plans, His counsel will stand.

That itself is stability.

What if you are the excuse?

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Let me slow down a bit, and give you some much-needed context.

A few days ago, I paid attention to the trail of my fragmented thoughts, and caught a glimpse of a knowing that I had buried very deeply at the back of my mind.

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This knowledge came with a glaring awareness of the many inconsistencies in my life, and since I had just returned from a refreshing time at Reboot Camp, I was rejuvenated, and on what one would call a ‘spiritual high’.

[highly encourage you to watch the recordings and participate in a time of personal retreat]

However, as we know…‘highs’ don’t always last, and when they disappear, there is a sobering effect that comes upon us.

I would like to say the same about the Presence of God — after you have spent so long in His presence, you come out with a deeper awareness of Him, which in turn brings forth Joy, Peace, and Reassurance in Him.

Just from the knowledge of Him alone, our spirit becomes stirred up, ‘on fire’ for Him, as we feel a burning passion to bask in awe of Him.

After such burning encounters from God, we would then experience the ‘sobering’. This could be when you start to realize that; omo, Jesus is real o. Or, you start to understand the implications of what God has revealed to you.

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Or, if you are like me, you start to realize how simply undeserving you are;

And if you do not also embrace the sobering, you would miss some valuable lessons.

That El Elyon [God Most High] looked upon this Earth and decided to call you unto Him, and that because of this calling, you need to act right and stop giving meager excuses.

It is just as the Scripture beautifully put it in here:

My sobering effect was something Holy Spirit said in response to a conversation I was replaying. I was speaking with a friend about sustaining the fresh fire we had received upon our altars from the camp experience, and I found my mouth moving faster than my brain to pour out a tirade of excuses.

I mentioned that since I was back home, I did not have my own space any longer, and I therefore felt that my environment was not conducive enough for me to pray, study the bible or simply fellowship with the Holy Spirit as I would like to.

In response, Holy Spirit said; ‘You know you are just making silly excuses? Because if you actually wanted to do something, I know that you would find a means to do it.’

OOF.

The conviction hit hard, and of course, He was right.

He had seen me push through certain things to sustain my devotional life with Him, and here I was, being quick to supply excuses from a bouqet of laziness He never asked for, and fiercely defending it in my head.

In receiving this conviction though, I realized something else.

Nothing in my life was ever really an excuse, If i did not want it to be.

I was my own excuse.

Apart from my own perceived physical/environmental limitations, I was limiting God!

Ah, how can I say that God cannot come to meet me in my mum’s sitting room or as I lie by the couch?

See, let us not lie to ourselves, you are probably also like me, or have been tempted with the familiarity of using excuses to speak for God, which is a dangerous thing to do.

But, to be honest…the familiarity is comforting. The familiarity that keeps us within certain limitations and screams for us to stop immediately we encouter a challenge…it is very comforting, and very dangerous.

We don’t stop digging wells simply because we face opposition.

We don’t stop digging wells in order to make an excuse for why the Philistines keep filling them with dirt.

We don’t stop until we get to our Rehoboth, because surely, the Lord who spoke knows what He said, yes?

And He knew that we would meet the Philistines and the herdsmen of Gerar as we dig each well, but yet, He gave the instruction.

He gave the instruction to start a project, knowing that you might not have a cent to your name yet,

The instruction to pray daily and spend time with him, knowing that you are not in your own apartment,

The instruction to do that thing, knowing the challenges that lay ahead.

What a comforting way to look at uncomfortable situations, that the one who called us does not require perfection, but devotion and prayerful consistency.

Therefore, rather than hiding away, let us run to Him and carry on in our work for Him.

xoxo,

Till we meet again.

It’s been ages since I came to sit in your beautiful and Holy presence.

It’s been a while since I stopped worrying completely,

And just let you take full control.

Lately,

I have been so overwhelmed,

With things I wish I did earlier,

People I could not move forward with,

And understanding that seems a bit too heavy for me.

I wish,

I could completely ignore the whole world,

To just lie on cottoned blankets, and laugh all day with you,

But you’ve been teaching me,

That it’s time to GROW UP,

And I am terrified.

I never,

I never used to think I would make it this far,

It is truly overwhelming to me that I have made it thus far,

I used to imagine that at some point,

I would just be quietly erased from this world,

And that is not happening anytime soon.

But how shameful it will be, to live a life that has the power of the Holy Spirit, but never working with Him to release His full power through me.

…..

In the midst of all these,

Whenever I turn my face to you, all these worries and anxieties, they fade far away.

Suddenly, they do not matter, because your presence transforms my vessel, and fills me with such a Holy Spirit that renews me.

As the psalmist said;

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬.

Therefore Lord,

As I bring my tired self to you, I remember what you said to the church in Philadelphia.

When you said to them -“You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So Lord, as I obey you in my little strength, help me to deny my flesh and not to deny you.

Help me not to deny your power that transforms.

“having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power...”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Help me live a life of submission to you, that my heart never rears itself against your will and authority.

Amen.

Recently, I have been thinking about you again. I have no ideas how, but two people recently subscribed here, and I felt so surprised.

Wondering to myself, what do I possibly have that they might see or want?

I know, it’s probably ‘‘not that deep’’, but for me, it is.

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You see, I find that if you grow up with a lie long enough,

The lie becomes a strong part of you,

Coming in to whisper cruelty to you,

Just when you have touched the hem of His Garment,

You find your fingers slipping away slowly,

Your feet running at the pace of your mind,

As it tries to keep up with the emotions that floods your ears,

As your heart pounds fiercely to the beat of your sandals hitting the ground.

What is a lie?

A lie, is anything that exalts itself above the knowledge of the name of Jesus.

Because, Jesus is the Truth, the Way, and the Life, therefore anything that goes against Him, is a dangerous lie from the pit of Hell.

And we have been commanded to deal with lies, according to 2 Corinthians 10 vs 5;

The lie in question for me, and probably for you, is that you will never be ‘‘good enough’’.

And there is nothing as painful and deeply cutting as that, especially when you hear it from familiar voices, constantly.

Whether you hear it verbally, unspoken, or in stone-faced conversations, actions that you wish were more inactions, you hear the lie.

You hear it just enough for it to become truth in your spirit.

You start to find your own voice, repeating the lies back to you,

You start to see yourself change as you accept the lie,

A once hopeful, joyful expression turns bitter, sour, and cold.

For us as Christians, coming with such a heavy burden that has almost become the foundation of who we are, leaves us with a deep sense of confusion.

Why would He want me to come to Him?

Why does He love me?

Perhaps, He has made a decision to love me in err, and will suddenly realize it today, therefore, I must leave before He sees me for who ‘I am’.

But…

If Jesus, the Son of God who became flesh to die for you (John 1:14 states, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us"), and to redeem mankind before you were even formed in your mother’s womb,

If He did indeed die a most painful death for you, which was recorded on the Cross on the hill of Golgotha (also known as Calvary).…

Then surely,

He did not make a decision to love you in error.

He saw you, and He chose you to know about Him.

And now, when the familiar lies come again, you MUST find your way back to Him.

For He has not left, He is still in the crowd, waiting for you to touch the hem of His Garment again.

Your sins and burdens are never too much or great for The Great Restorer.

If you have been in Christ for long and feel like you have backslid into your old patterns and ways before you came into Christ, or maybe you have never accepted Christ as your Lord and Saviour — this is for you.

Allow God to carry your burdens.

If He himself has told us to ‘Come to ME, all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest‘: Matthew 11:28

Then what spirit in us makes us so sure and self-sufficient to think that we can carry our burdens or the weight of our sins and temptations alone?

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For the one who has backslidden;

He has lifted you out of darkness into His marvelous light. He can do so again.

But it will not happen overnight.

In the place of resubmission and surrender to God, He is able to lift you up again.

I heard this analogy recently:

If you are drowning, and in drowning begin to struggle violently against the waters, it becomes dangerous for the lifesaver to pull you out. You might just drown him too.

Apart from this, when you struggle, you are wasting your energy and losing oxygen faster.

However, when you are on the verge of completely drowning, and your limbs go weak, no longer struggling against the one sent to save you, then it is easy to pull you out.

You do not have the power to save yourself.

Let the Holy Spirit take over from here.

For the one who has not yet come to Christ;

He is calling unto you.

He knew before you ever came into the world that you would sin and, along the way, burdens may come into your life, and because of this, He died on the cross for you.

He died, that you may have life and life in abundance.

He did not just die on the cross; He went to get the keys of hell and defeated death by rising up again on the third day after His painful crucifixion
— to show you that He indeed has dominion over all the earth.

And if you come into Him, you can have that Grace as well.

He died — that you may proclaim that He is the Son of God, and that He has become the sacrifice for you to have life in abundance.

Like my pastor said during the Easter sermon yesterday;

If there was another way for Jesus and God the Father to bring us into redemption, He would not have died on the cross.

But He knew, that His blood was required to establish a new covenant, that you can access today. Salvation was not free. It cost the Son [Jesus] His life, so that YOU can have a new life.

Therefore, the price has been paid, all you need do is to cry out to Him today!

Cry out, with all your heart, and He will redeem you.

The only way that Jesus can help you is if you let Him, by accepting Him into your life today. In this way, you also become an Heir to God’s Kingdom.

And guess what?

Only Heirs can access the Inheritance of Heaven and the Will of the Father.

Happy Easter Monday.

Can you Remember?

How my presence covers every atmosphere?

How when you sit still and pray, you receive?

Isaiah 30:15

''In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.''

Can You remember?

How quietness, solitude and confidence in me was [and is] your strength?

Can You remember?

How life is so beautiful with me, that everything else fades away?

Daughter, Son...

It can be that again, and even more.

I am ever present, ever ready to guide you.

Hebrews 3:15

''Today, if you will hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.''

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

See, when we are instructed to not give room to conformity, it is more than just the sinful or dark nature of the world.

Conformity in itself means to adapt, to ‘fit in’.

If we are to live like Christ, we are going to stand out like eyesores to the world, because of how brightly we must shine our lights and carry fire in us for Jesus.

Now, in my own life, I have seen conformity in different ways.

One being the way I respond to my emotions and hurts.

My response to negative emotions is to hide first, and then create ‘coping mechanisms’, just as someone who does not know his or her saviour would do.

You see, the world in itself creates prescriptions for its own problems, but when we come into Christ — when we come into Jesus, we receive a different prescription.

This is to lean on the Holy Spirit, cry out to Jesus through prayer and thanksgiving, and give ourselves to the study of the Word.

Believe it or not, the Word of God contains all that you need for every circumstance of life, make it a habit to study and meditate on it regularly.

But because we are so used to the way the World might say things like, just take some time off to rest, try out a new hobby, self-care, etc., it becomes hard [on our own accord] to involve God in our healing and in our daily habits or routines.

We are not called to be with God and yet try our very best to remain independent, but to walk with Him so closely in every aspect of our lives.

Now, in my life before I came to Christ, my coping mechanisms for dealing with negative emotions were self-harm and self-sabotage.

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This worked for me because it was basically canceling out one hurt with an even bigger hurt.

But now, in Christ, because I find myself wanting self-sufficiency but still being in Christ, I find myself slowly drifting back to such methods, and this is a sign of conformity.

As my Pastor said in our morning prayers today, [join us for morning prayers].

We have embraced comfort and convenience so much that we think any forms of suffering or awkwardness is what we need to run away from!

1 Peter 3:13-17

But we are witnesses for Jesus, therefore our lives are different, they do not follow the patterns of the world.

We must live as consecrated followers and believers of God. Do not be afraid to look stupid or awkward because of your Faith.

Conformity is as the Message translation puts our verse for today;

“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.“

But what should we then do instead?

Let’s read the whole verse;

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.

Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.

Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

Romans 12:1-2 MSG

So here’s my question for you today; are your ways of coping, of living, of eating, of even sleeping, pleasing to God?

Do you subconsciously throw yourself back into your old habits without recognizing the new life you have in Christ?

Maybe you have been asked to show up in exercise, in letting go of comfort foods, in extending a hand of forgiveness, when the World says your Anger is justified.

It’s time to ask God for help!

Do not be conformed, when you wake up, remember that you have the life of Christ in you.

Do not be conformed, when you face trials and temptations, do not face them as a child of the World.

Do not be conformed, when you are hurt, in need of help, remember that the Holy Spirit is your comforter!

Run to the Word, not the World.

Scriptures to reflect on:

• Romans 8:9-17

• 1 Cor 6:12

• 1 Peter 3:13-17

Prayer:

Abba,

I pray that you help me to become more like you each day. Help me, to live a life that is wholly pleasing to you. A life of transformation and renewal through everyday study of the Word.

Help me to run to you and not away when I encounter challenges and past strongholds.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Next Steps:

Invite the Holy Spirit into a particular area of your life today, and ask him for help.

It might be in your academics, in that business project, or even in your daily routines. He is ever ready to help, and when He speaks, you must obey.

In this way, you can continue to hear from Him better, and become submitted to Him.

Till we meet again.

If you choose to speak over a situation or you hold your tongue, either of two things are going to happen.

1. Life begins to form out of that situation. OR

2. Death begins to take hold, and crush you.

Let me tell you why I say this so boldly.

If your relationship with God is like mine — involves talking to God verbally, through writing, or even through poetry. You can understand how painful it is to experience spiritual dryness and warfare.

It not only steals your means of communication with God, but the very things that bring you Joy.

Your creativity, your talents.

For people like us, who are so blessed and gifted with all things creative, our relationship with God, as we get closer to Him, heavily influences our creativity, and means of expression, which is ultimately tied to God.

A personal example is this;

When I am closely experiencing spiritual fruitfulness, I am joyful, my creativity is over the top, and I speak. Consistently.

I speak to God about what I will create, I speak to Him about what to wear, where I want to go, I speak to Him about annoying group members, tiring coursework — basically, everything.

My mouth is filled with words, to tell or report to the Holy Spirit.

Where I am going is this; when you are continually speaking to God, and having fellowship with Him, you are bringing forth life.

You are not just speaking to Him through conversations, but scriptures begin to flow out of your lips, and as He speaks back, scriptures come back to you.

Hebrews 4:12 puts it very nicely;

You begin to consciously and subconsciously meditate on His Words.

However, here is the other side of things.

Remember the analogy I gave earlier about how your means of communication to God is connected to your creativity and Joy?

When the enemy wants to attack or torment you, what do you think are some of the things he goes for?

This is a 2-in-1 answer.

Any guesses?

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If you said Joy & Words, you are veryyy correct!

Now, I want you to think back, very carefully about the times you were facing spiritual warfare. We war everyday, but…

Alright, what emotion always came out of your flesh and spirit during those times? Is Joy on that list?

No? Not happiness, my dear. Joy.

With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! — Isaiah 12:3.

What were you saying in those situations, when it got really intense? Did you get on your knees and fight for your Joy and peace, or…you simply got so quiet that the accusations of the enemy made you forget who you are?

Dear Reader,

Who is speaking over you?

Is it your Spirit and the Holy Spirit, through Psalms, and warship (yes, warship… for the weapons of your warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds - 2 Cor 10:4), and meditation through conversations with God — or, is it the enemy who is speaking over you?

See, when the enemy or even that heart of yours begins to speak evil and death, here is what I want you to do.

Open your Mouth and Declare Life over yourself!!!.

I am being very literal about this.

You need to open your mouth, and say ‘I speak Life!’ if you think it’s a crazy idea, what better time to try it than when you are feeling down, defeated, weak, and unworthy?

But please, do not only go about saying you speak Life, when you are not opening the Word of God to speak specific scripture over yourself too!

What scriptures, verses, and words has the Lord given you?

Where have you placed them? At the back of your mind or around your neck?

It is for you, and I pray you find it.

Selfish, broken, unloved, alone, rejected, weak.

What other words do you want to throw at me, O Accuser of Brethren?

What other words have YOU thrown at yourself, dear Beloved and Chosen one?

I write in love to you now, because I know.

I know the words, I know because I have felt the sting and blow of these words.

Even now, oh yes. Even now, I feel them.

They fight, they itch, they push against each other under my skin, each one wanting to be the loudest in their accusations.

What horrible thoughts they are.

And how strong they are, they pinch my skin and hold me so tightly as they take hold of me.

I do not choose to listen to them.

But they've almost become second nature to me. To my identity.

How boring the Accuser’s tactics are. But they still work.

They work against my will. Holding my spirit hostage under the weight and lies of these words.

Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Why does my inner tongue speak death?

How can I fight against myself? We know each other well enough.

And yet, and yet….His words.

His words! His Word.

He says to me…’So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. - Romans 8:1’

But how am I sure that I belong to Christ?

Lord, Lord, Lord.

The thoughts and words eat at me. I feel like I am being condemned.

Lord, how can you say there is no condemnation when that is all I feel?

Even now, it hurts to love myself. So how can I give them the love? The love that doesn't seem to exist?

Oh, Father. How humourous you are. You ask me to write a Love letter, when all I feel is dislike and a thing that feels like rejection.

A thing that feels like I have been abandoned.

Abandoned.

Can I ever be abandoned?

It's so easy, Lord. To just jump into the waters of accusation and sink under the currents.

So I jumped in.

Totally and completely. I was convinced anyway.

And at the moment I was sinking the most…just before my feet hit the bottom of the sea of lies that had been woven around me…..

My eyes, they opened.

They opened because there was light, shining, strong, pure light.

How did Simon feel when he was sinking and then you pulled him out?

I felt the light, on my face. On my body, the body I wanted to abandon. The body I felt rejected me.

And everything came rushing in.

The answers, the questions, the revelations.

I like to imagine I was in a free fall. A free fall that froze once your light came pouring in, and I was pushed forward, out of the waters.

The sea did not want me anymore because they now knew. I was vomited out violently and suddenly. Like Jonah out of the whale.

Because you were there. Because you stood over the waters and pulled me out with your light.

My hands, oh. My hands, they touch yours and I feel the light pouring in through my spirit.

My drained, starving spirit.

And you remind me for the millionth time….

‭‭Romans 8:35

[35] Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

[38] And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

[39] No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My spirit smiles and laughs now, even as my flesh still struggles. Because she knows that the words, accusations and thoughts, would no longer take hold of me.

Because even though I still struggle, my focus is now on the one who saved me and pulled me out with His light.

My Saviour. My Hero. My Lord.

Dear Reader, perhaps Abba has been speaking to you all along, but it is not the way you desire or expect Him to.

It is time to go back and reflect.

To go to your first love again, play that old playlist you and Abba worked on together.

Go for a date with Him, and take a Journal with.

Abba,

I came out here, to a Cafe, and ordered myself a cup of English tea, and a croissant.

Then I sat and stared, taking in the view in front of me. The line of trees in the garden, the road up the hill in font me, where I can see tiny vehicles flying past or slowing down.

To me, a lot is flying past. I am so overwhelmed, with the good and the bad.

I don’t know anything by my own accord, except the Holy Spirit shines light on it — I do not know anything.

I do not even know how to act on a date with my Father. Why can’t I be a real daddy’s girl?

Or rather, on what standards do I measure my ‘daughter-ness’?

My order arrived, and I stared at it for a minute. I poured hot milk from the beautiful kettle, as I put a tea bag in my petite-looking cup.

I stared at the tea.

I drank from it.

I put on my headphones, and you started to speak, but I did not realize it yet.

As I stared even more, taking in the views placed so beautifully in front of me, I realized you had chosen the best spot for me to meet with you.

As I sat in the large orange seater, I realized that though I could not reach out and hug you, you had guided me to the perfect seat. Right in the middle of the beautiful scenery.

As I ate my croissant, a bit sadly — I realized that I had been provided the money to make my own order.

As I joined my meeting from the Cafe, and spoke, guiding my team and planning next steps for our success, I realized it wasn’t me speaking. But you, Holy Spirit.

Because, I was no longer anxious as I used to be, when it comes to taking charge of roles.

As I sat back and let the music resume, I realized that truly, you have been with me.

As I opened my Bible to read, and meditate, sometimes, letting my thoughts wander off, I realized you are here.

You are here.

You are present.

You are a present Father, and no one can replace that. No matter, how I want to believe it or make it so.

You are irreplaceable.

YOU, bring peace. A peace, I have been taking for granted, until the seas rocked my boat again.

What a blessing it is to be called your own.

His daughter, My Father.

As I listened to the music play, I laughed — because, these were songs we chose together, when I first came into the understanding of who you are, as Father.

As I write this piece, I remember a Father’s Love. How it feels to have a Father. How it feels, to be Loved by the one who created me, chose me, and sees me.

Father, as the psalmist prayed, I pray — Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings [Psalm 17:8 (ESV)]

Jehovah El Roi.

As you come to the end of this post;

• Does this bring familiar or unfamiliar feelings of Fatherhood?

• Is this teaching you how to love God, and receive His Love?

• What sticks out for you in this?

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I hope you are well, and in good health.

February, a month of Love is creeping in on us, and in that month, so much emotions fly.

Often, for me it brings back memories of the one who was supposed to be our first love, or rather, an example of our first love.

Our earthly fathers.

In my newsletters, up until the 14th, I will be sharing my love letters to Abba with you.

They may not always be love-like, but they will be raw, unfiltered, and perhaps a bit triggering.

I urge you to read them, take them in, and in that process, I pray the Holy Spirit begins to work on your heart, mind and soul.

Perhaps, a piece of the healing you need, may be found right here.

1.

And He reminded me, that even my silent and broken tears are prayers.

The most silent and quiet of prayers, as I let myself become empty, vulnerable, and yet...free. Because He is Father, and Father hears and sees everything.

He leads us in a state of complete dependency of Him, so He can pick us up again, and say 'You are mine, You are loved, You are accepted. You are worthy, because I made you worthy'.

I never imagined that I will be needing Abba as much as I do now, but of course, I am my Father's Daughter.

As much as He needs me, I need Him. Oh, what a new kind of love and feeling... A Father's Love.

The missing piece.

I can lay in His arms, and He can lay His head on my shoulders, and I can lay mine on His.

What an open, vulnerable state. He is open with me?

What a powerful feeling. He knows me, He chose me, He called me by Name.....

No, He gave me a new Name, and calls me that Name.

HIS Beloved.

I am Betrothed and Beloved.

This is Love. This is the piece of the puzzle. The piece that fits into the empty of my heart, yet...makes me feel emptied as I come totally undone.

But I have Abba.

Abba, Father.

Who could live without You? Abba? Do they not understand how much you are? How... much of a largesse you are.

Indescribable, that's what I used to say.

But now, I can describe it, but... it's with my whole body I describe it, from the crown of my head to the toes on my feet, they describe it, because they know it.

From my bones, the bones I cannot see! They understand.

From my heart...my fickle heart, but not when it comes to Abba, she knows it.

She knows.

And what else?

Yes, my eyes. My eyes see! Oh, Abba, they SEE you. I know they see you, because they release these tears, these tears of understanding, of seeing.

My ears, yes. Even they, hear you. Impossible, they call it.

Oh, if only you knew my Father. If only you understood.

I am His Daughter. I am Called. I am His. No one claims me better than He does.

How I searched for it. To be known.

To know whose I am. I searched, high and low.

Everywhere and Anywhere.

But now, I see Him, everywhere. In the glimpses of His sent people.

Do you not still understand? Do you not still know?

It is not a thing I can describe, because that would limit Him. It is everything I know and do not yet know.

So when you ask me to tell you who my Father is...I cry.

I cried, oh yes, I did….

And He reminded me.

©Abba, Father - Sheila Ivy

Happy New Year!

God has been so good to me in 2024, and I pray to see His continued Grace and Favour upon me in this new year.

For many Christians and Unbelievers, it is so easy to get carried away with ‘New Year Blues’ that result from recounting our past accomplishments and unaccomplishments.

But in this year, I pray that the Holy Spirit grants you peace, clarity, and true rest in God, so that you may accomplish all that He has declared concerning you.

In Isaiah 30:15 it says “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength…”

As you set your goals and plans for this year, I want you to remember that every day is a new day, and it is always an opportunity to return to your secret place with God, and operate from an atmosphere of rest in Him.

Do not plan or make goals without Him, and in quietness (in God) and confidence (in Jesus) shall be your strength…”

As the Storms of life rear their heads in seemingly random places, I want you to remember, that every day is a new day, and the Word of God says,“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

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Psalm 118:24

As you face challenges and things that make you stumble or fall into the snare of besetting sins, I want you to remember that every day is a new day, and the Word of God says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 'they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

The Lord is mighty to save; all we need to do is draw near to Him, and He will draw near to us.

This week, I encourage you to consume the Word of God daily, for it is life and light unto those who seek it. Do not only read the Word, but study it and apply it to your daily lives.

For with each new and passing day, is an opportunity for you to press into the plans that God has for you.

With each new and passing day, where you fall into the snares of temptation, it is an opportunity to hold on to Jesus and remember that - The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses, and He is mighty to save.

Cry out to Him, and He will hear you. For even in the midst of silence, He speaks.

It is not that challenges will not come, they will, surely, but when they do;

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

Happy New Year,

I pray for strength to tarry and be steadfast in this understanding and might :)

I want to hear from you - what are your plans for this year, and what does God’s Word say about them?

Leave a comment

I hope this letter finds you well.

Today’s letter is more of a Bible Study with you, and its purpose is to help you start your week with a renewed understanding, and reflection of what your Faith truly is and should be.

I hope that in your quiet time, you are able to use this to engage God in conversation, and invite the Holy Spirit to guide you on your Faith journey.

“What is Faith?’’

I asked the Holy Spirit this question about a month ago, and I do not remember what prompted it, but I asked. And then, I wrote:

‘Trust in the Lord, with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.’ - Proverbs 3:5-6

Well, yes. I know what the verse says, but I did not understand how it relates to Faith. I asked again.

“What is Faith?’’

And I was replied to with a question; what is Faith to you?

I reflected. Trying to sift through what I imagine Faith to be, and finally, I wrote down my answers.

You see how none of these pertain to my personal abilities, but focus on God’s?

In all of these, I started to get a clearer understanding.

1. Faith is not what I feel.

My Faith depends solely on God, and His ability to do what He says he will do.

But, Faith is not just begging God to do things for me. So again, I asked. This time on my WhatsApp status.

“What is Faith?’’

A few of my friends answered, but one of the conversations that struck me was this:

Thank you, David 🫶

This conversation brought me to my second realization.

2. I cannot have Faith, if I don’t know who God is.

Sounds simple and sane enough, but unless your walk with God is intimate, you will keep forgetting and missing this key aspect.

To have Faith, Know God.

(Aka, reading your Bible, Talking and Praying to God)

Know His Word, what He sounds like, what he doesn’t sound like, and be a Sheep.

Not the one always running away from the Shepherd, but the one who Jesus talks about in John 10:27 - ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…’

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Again, I ask;

“What is Faith?’’

In Isaiah 54:1, we see another aspect of Faith.

3. Faith is Obedience to God and His Instructions.

Isaiah 54:1 says - '“Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord .'

Why are the barren singing?

Because it is God’s instruction to them.

Because, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not yet seen.

Because, singing and crying aloud is a sign of conception. Which happens in the spirit, before it is brought forth physically.

So, no.

Faith is not being delusional or ‘manifesting’. It is accepting that God has spoken, and nothing can change the fact that it will be brought to completion.

It is accepting God’s instruction because you know it is God.

Therefore, whatever He has proclaimed, will show forth.

As He says a thing, it is done, and He watches over His words to fulfill them

But, wait. How do you show your acceptance of God’s instruction or promise? If you said through obedience, you are right.

Obedience to God is what builds our Faith, and Faith is the bedrock of our Christianity.

Faith is your ability to hear and receive from God. It is therefore a carrier and a Spirit that must be found in you as a believer.

I will close today’s letter by saying,

Dear Reader —Without FAITH, it is IMPOSSIBLE to PLEASE God. - Hebrews 11:6

Finally, I ask you…

“What is Faith?’’