A few months ago, we mourned in my country, the death of a young doctor who parked his car on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos Nigeria, and jumped into the lagoon.  A few days ago, I read about a Pastor who killed himself! These are not normal occurrences. 

Matthew 4:5-6 flashed through my thoughts a while ago, then I found myself thinking; ‘was that a suicidal thought Jesus had’?  Can anything be done about them? what did Jesus do? 

“Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down, for it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over you and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone”.    NKJV.

How do you think a young well educated man, drove his car to the seaside, parked it carefully, then drowned himself? Thoughts! Thoughts!! Thoughts!!! 

Despite the many insinuations that followed the death of the young doctor mentioned above, we sure cannot say for sure what his life experiences were like but it’s possible he  must have THOUGHT himself worthless, useless and somehow hoping that killing himself would free him from his misery. Or do you think that maybe just like Jesus, this young man was physically led by hand to the sea by the devil? 

When you read the temptation of Jesus Christ in Matthew 4, you may choose to believe the devil was speaking directly to Jesus as a physical being, that’s fine, but personally, it seems Jesus battled with some  devilish thoughts, among which was a suicidal thought.

In one of my recent blog posts; ‘Trading Depression‘ I shared some ways of living above depression learning from Isaiah 61:1-3, here again, we can learn some lessons about managing suicidal thoughts from Jesus as seen in Matthew 4:5-6; 

1. Suicidal thoughts can come to anyone;  if Jesus was tempted to jump down from a pinnacle and possibly die, anyone can be tempted too. 
2. Suicidal thoughts come with a promise of something better than currently experienced. Imagine angels holding you up in their hands….sounds heavenly, doesn’t it? 
3. Suicidal thoughts are not from God, Jesus recognized them as coming from the devil. 
4. You overcome suicidal thoughts by challenging them with the word of God. Have ready (at all times), an ‘it is written‘ from the bible, just as Jesus did and speak it out loud. 
5. Suicidal thoughts always bow to an ‘it is written‘ from the word of God.  

So the next time a suicidal thought comes to you, recognize that they are not coming from God, Jesus was tempted with such thoughts too but He overcame,  you can overcome when you throw back an ‘it is written‘ from the word of God because suicidal thoughts and their source always bow to the word of God. 

Do not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy; cast them Down & Out, and subject every thought to the obedience of Christ as we are told in 2 Corinthians 10:5;

“…..casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ….”

Finally brethren, I leave you with the words of Apostle Paul;

“…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, it there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.”   Philippians 4:8 

If it is not pure, just, noble, true, lovely, if it will not mean a good report, if it has no virtue in it and it doesn’t smell like something praiseworthy, choose not to think  or meditate on them    🙂  

My love always……….

“Do not say to your neighbor, ‘go and come back, and maybe tomorrow I will give it’, when you have it with you” Proverbs 3:28 NKJV. 

Hi there,

Trust you are doing great…

My name is Grace Obomanu and I am glad to meet you today… 🙂 

I am a Christian, Wife, Mother of 3, a Christian Blogger & Counselor. I got born again in 1993, stayed that way until sometime around my early years in College (1996-1997) when things got a bit messy and cloudy around my Christianity, but thank God He got me back on my feet again and from then till now, I have been consistent with my Christian walk. I am happily married (for 15+years now) and I have a teenage son and 2 adorable preteen daughters 🙂 

I trained as a Medical Doctor in Nigeria and have been in active practice in the public health area. Today, I won’t be talking to you about medicine, sorry.

The question we want to answer here is ‘Why Grace Obomanu’s Foundation?’ 🙂 ……………………….

In 2014, I had a nudge in my spirit to start a counselling group; ‘Talk with Grace Obomanu’. That thought dropped on my heart suddenly, meaning it wasn’t premeditated and I am certain, it wasn’t a brainwave or a fluke.  I have to say I was really thrown off a bit at the thought because I would not describe myself as being exceptionally friendly. So I didn’t see how anyone would want to talk to me about their issues. So you can understand my hesitancy and delay as the Talk Group didn’t kick off until about a year later, sometime in 2015. 

Talk with Grace Obomanu went live on Facebook in early 2015, and since then I have been talking!  🙂

People write in from different parts of the world with all kinds of issues-marriage issues, relationship issues, career issues, parents having challenges coping with juvenile tendencies of their teenagers, you just name it….At Talk with Grace Obomanu, I and my Team, (had to put a Team together) provide simple, practical, bible-based (most times) counsel to people online. And this is absolutely free. We don’t charge anyone. And God has been faithful with great outpouring of His grace, wisdom and strength.

Many times, people just need a listening ear, someone to just listen to them bare their mind. Sometimes,people actually think they have a big problem that they cannot fix themselves,but interestingly, just as they find a listening ear, the solution they’ve been seeking flow right outta their mouths. A few other times, people are actually headed in the wrong direction and need to be redirected 🙂 

Having run my Talk Group for sometime now, one thing has become quite obvious, not everyone just wants talk or brilliant ideas about how best to fix their problems, some people have needs,genuine needs that they’ll be thankful to have someone help them meet. I have many times transferred funds to people I’ve never physically met, meeting a need and relieving burdens. Putting a smile on people’s faces. 

This is why I am starting the Grace Obomanu’s Foundation.

About 3 months ago, a lady was referred to me for counselling concerning her marriage. She’s been married for almost 17 years, blessed with 3 children. The first few years though great,right now seems like an experience of a very short-lived bliss. Her husband seemed to have transformed into someone else overnight. He is insecure, abusive and lazy. He’s found it difficult sustaining a job and so has often been in and out of job. Worst still, he is intimidated by her strong personality, personal drive and hardworking nature. He stopped her from working. So her children have gotten used to high-lows (more of lows) as far as meeting basic needs are concerned. According to her, she’s given the marriage her best shot, but it seemed her best wasn’t good enough.

Interesting thing about this lady is; she wasn’t really interested in ending her marriage, she was willing to do things differently if they’d help. And she did. After the first 2 sessions of counselling, she gained sufficient self-motivation to start over again. She identified her weaknesses and areas she needed to make changes in and she also identified her husband’s strengths (areas she can leverage on to bring out the best in him). In no time she was sharing praise report with me about the improvements they were both making in their marriage. Her husband started seeking a new job and encouraged her to do same. She moved from sharing room with her children back to the room she once shared with her husband. Their intimacy was sky-high, their prayer and bible reading life also improved. She particularly reconnected back to God and her relationship with God  was sweet again. Everybody was happy (including me ), except…. 

Her husband grew up in a family setting where fetish practice is common. He’d often glide in/out of conspiracy theories and thoughts of people trying to harm him. Diabolism isn’t always too far in setups such as this. Sometimes really, He’d group her as one of such persons-trying to kill him!

I must say at this point that one of the drawbacks with doing online counselling on marriages is- you may not have the couple together seeking help. So one person writes or calls you and is ready to make the marriage better, but you do not have access to the other partner. This can be really a challenge in situations where the 2 will be required to make personal changes towards a better marriage (and this is often the case).

Back to my story…… about 2 weeks ago one of her parent in-law became critically ill and guess who he pointed accusing fingers at this time? Her! And he didn’t stop there, he asked her for a divorce. So as I speak with you now, this woman has moved out to stay with a friend, being the go-gotter that she is, she’s secured a job already (which she applied for when her husband lifted the embargo on her working), she’s also developed some articles for children which she’s forwarded for review prior to publishing (by the way, this young woman writes really well). Right now, she’s awaiting feedback from the publishers. Problem? She doesn’t have a computer. How did she develop the original draft? With her husband’s laptop….he didn’t let her keep one.

Should she still try to make something out of her marriage? She’ll decide. Right now, she needs to balance, blossom and bounce, for herself and for her children. 

This may not seem like an emergency or life threatening situation, right, but probably typing away on her laptop would keep this lady busy, productive, hopeful and focused.

And so I was thinking to myself,how do I get this lady a laptop? Apparently she’s not someone with a dependent mentality. She’s hardworking and I would really love to encourage her keep identifying and reaching full potentials. That’s when I realized and said to myself, hey,Grace, you cannot possibly fix everybody’s problem. There are certainly people out there who are passionate about God and passionate about people. There are people who’d like to support in this kind of a situation. There are people who can buy a laptop, or partly or fully fund the purchase one.

I recognize that there’s a lot of abuse doing this kind of thing, abuse in coordinating or executing them, and there can be abuse from those seeking help! One thing you can be assured of is that funds/materials provided will be used as intended.

Some years ago, I and a group of friends (Belema, Egwuma, Kalaina) came together with an initiative, ‘Beautiful Feet’.We would seek and gather household stuffs (food, clothes, utensils, etc) that we really didn’t need around our home, then locate a group of persons living in a poor setting, and distribute these things to them. That was a very rewarding initiative, recipients were always in my opinion, overly excited and very thankful.

Grace Obomanu’s Foundation is here to pool resources from willing hearts to meet needs.

So I ask you today? Can you provide a laptop for my lady? Would you want to become a member of my Foundation? 🙂 

Full payment, part payment or a laptop will be appreciated and sent to her in your name (except you ask for anonymity). 

Wondering how you can send a laptop over to us from where you are? Courier 🙂 or we can arrange a pick up if you are anywhere in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. 

Join me make a difference in someone’s life today, because The Lord has need of it (Luke 19: 30-35).  Write me via my email (graceobomanu@gmail.com) or drop a message on any of my social media platforms;

• Talk with Grace Obomanu(Facebook)
• Grace Obomanu (Dr.)(Instagram).
• Grace Obomanu (Google+)
• And do visit my blog @ https//:www.graceobomanu.com for a great lot of resources on Christian Living.

Thanks so much for your time and God bless 🙂 

Grace Obomanu’s Foundation– Love. Hope. Possibilities.  Helping people balance, blossom and bounce. 

 “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it? ’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’…..”
Luke 19:30‭-‬35 NKJV

Probably the most terrifying kind of fear for anyone to have is the fear of death. Nobody really wants to die with unrealized dreams and ambitions. Unfortunately, we hear news about death every time and everywhere. Whether resulting from terminal health conditions or ocuuring suddenly from accidents or unknown causes, death always leaves a kind of vacuum and void that people are generally unprepared for, either for themselves or for their loved ones. 

I found it interesting that God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, faced death several times, people constantly conspired on how best to get Him off the scene and possibly control the disruptions His teachings brought to their existing belief system.  Even more interesting to me was His attitude towards death at all times.  He’d practically ignore or dismiss it, choosing instead to confess that His Time hasn’t yet come.  Such disposition and confident disregard for what many tremble at it’s thought is worth exploring in my opinion. Why did Jesus often display nonchalance to the thought of dying? 

I looked up a few scriptures that came to mind as I meditated on this blog post….

“Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?”
John 7:25‭-‬26 NKJV

“Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”
Mark 14:48‭-‬49 NKJV

From John 7:25-26 and Mark 14:48-49, Jesus seemed to know something about His death that others didn’t know;

1. There was an appointed time for His death.
2. Those plotting His death were under a restraint, they were restrained by the appointed time. Jehovah had fixed the time for His ministry and death and no man could change it. 
3. Death lost it’s grip and tormenting effect in Christ Jesus. 

But then, it was not an endless living for Christ, He came as a Man on a mission. And so when the appointed time came, He willing walked up to death and surrendered Himself. 

“Then He came the third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
Mark 14:41 NKJV

Now brethren,  that’s a good time to die; when you’ve accomplished your mission on Earth and you know it. When you’ve fulfilled the purpose for which you were created. When you can say ‘ I have fought a good night and now I am ready for my crown’. 

Remember beloved that Jesus Christ was the first born… everyone in Christ Jesus, is a son of God sent on an heavenly mission to Earth. 

There’s an appointed time to live and die. That time was not set by Satan or Death. No! Both Death and the Thief are RESTRAINED BY THE HOUR. 

Like Jesus Christ, I’ll not go home until my work on Earth is done….in Jesus Christ name. Amen! 

The Rains….the former and the latter Rains, coming in abundance. And bringing with them, growth, productivity, life & fruitfulness. The Rains will cause green vegetations all around. They’ll bring grain, oil and wine. They’ll bring seed, bread, fresh insights and anointing for great exploits and manifestations of covenant promises, outpouring of God’s goodness in overwhelming measures.

Life happens! Happens to everyone. You lose a loved one, you have a bad business experience, your spouse cheats on you, your courtship ended unceremoniously, life is too hard on you, your many efforts don’t seem to be yielding corresponding results, etc, etc, Happens to everyone. 

Problem with unsavory life experiences is not that they happen, it is the heartache, hurt, pains, dejection and depression they come with. While many people easily shake these off, bounce back to everyday living, others move from dejection to severe depression. Feelings of persistent sadness, disinterest in activities once loved, worthlessness, and not finding meaning in life. 
It is usually not long after someone starts thinking living is useless  than they start harboring suicidal thoughts. 
Thanks to science and medicine, mental health professionals now provide therapy and medication for depression. Help can be sought. Mental Health Practitioners can be reached in your neighborhood or via the internet. 

 Here I share my thoughts on trading feelings of depression for a more meaningful, productive and impactful life. 

Isaiah 61:1-3

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor, he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord……to console those who mourn in Zion, to give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness….” 

Beautiful prophecy from Isaiah about the Christ. As I read the good news in Isaiah 63, I am excited because I’ve got the Spirit of Christ in me, and so do you {if you’ve made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior}. I can therefore categorically brag that the Spirit of The Lord is upon me  🙂  And where the Spirit of the Lord dwells, the joy of the Lord flows, and where the joy of The Lord flows, there’s no room for depression. 

Trade those feelings of depression and dejection today;

1. Be conscious, at all times, of the presence of the Holy Spirit in you. Pray always in the Spirit, make melody in your heart, sing songs and hymns in the Spirit. Enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit. 
2. Be Purpose-Driven. It is not okay to just walk through life without discovering purpose. God created you for a specific purpose. Find it {with God’s Help}. Ask Him. 
3. Be People-oriented. Invest time, energy, money, talents in people. Give to people, help people, comfort people, support people, console people.  Give people reasons to smile, to praise God, to enjoy their righteousness, etc, etc Move the attention from yourself to others. Don’t thrive in self-pity. Certainly do not call a pity-party for yourself. Appreciate that you can make a difference in someone’s life. That makes you ‘super-productive’.   🙂 
4. Be thankful for little things. Appreciate the air you breathe in, marvel in it. Appreciate the sun, moon and stars, the trees of the garden, and all beautifully created things all around you. Appreciate yourself; Realize that God made you carefully, wonderfully and beautifully. 
5. Be intentionally joyful. Choose joy over sadness, shake off the garment of heaviness. Make new friends. Indulge in new games, sports etc, Join a different department/group in Church, etc, etc. 

Reinvent yourself. For where the Spirit of The Lord is,
the joy of the Lord flows, and where the joy of The Lord flows, there’s no room for depression

I got Good news for you today….You Got the Holy Ghost! 

My love always…………..

Elijah believed the drought was over. By faith and acting on God’s command, he proclaimed that the rain was coming. Then he confidently, prayerfully, patiently and persistently awaited manifestation of his faith proclamation. The moment Elijah got news about the smallest cloud that had gathered in the cloud, he knew that the process for the miracle he’s been expecting was completed. His miracle was full.

Can you think of times when news about clouds gathering may not be exactly good news? Like being all prepped and ready to go out for a picnic with some friends, or when armed with farm tools to till the ground and start planting, or when you simply want to hang washed clothes on the line on a sunny day after many days of rain. But it wasn’t the case this time; the rains were needed and so represented good news….

“Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you“1 Kings 18:41‭,44 NKJV.

Winning faith is the faith that believes a thing, speaks it and takes actions towards manifestation of the faith proclamation.

And this is exactly how we’ll put an end to the season of drought that has pitched tent around us for so long. We believe by faith that God has called an end to this season of drought, we accept God’s promise of rains and just like Elijah, we bow to the ground, put our face between our knees and pray, wait, remain expectant, check 7 times and over, until we see the cloud…even its smallest bit. Halleluyah!

How best can we translate the ‘cloud as small as a fist’ miracle to our present day realities? – a flicker of movement from a previously paralyzed limb. -a score of 60/100 in maths from a 4th grader who you’ve been making faith confessions to move up in her grades from 30/100 to 90/100. A 60% score and a 50% increase, is similar to ‘a cloud as small as a fist’-

when a spouse who’d not want to hear anything ‘Jesus’ let alone ‘Christ’, suddenly starts humming continuously on gospel music, rejoice and be exceedingly glad because that is ‘a cloud as small as a fist’. Oh! but it is not exactly as small as it seems, no, it is only an obvious tip of a full and complete miracle.

Elijah’s servant, saw a small cloud {at the 7th look}, but Elijah knew an abundance of rain was nigh because The Lord had spoken it.

I try to take morning walks as often as possible. One of such mornings I observed how the sun emerged from behind the clouds. The first visible sign of the rising sun are the rays which illuminate the clouds around it thereby giving the yet to be visible sun away. And then a tiny part of the sun peeps out of the clouds and gradually but steadily, the full sun emerges and shines brightly.

Question: At what point in the emergence of the sun, did the sun become fully formed? At the time the rays become visible or when we see the tiny portion that peeps out of the clouds? Or is it when the full sun emerges?

Things to know about this cloud;

1. The small visible cloud does not signify the beginning of the process of manifestation of a faith project rather it shows that the faith project is fully complete. It’s a done deal.

2. The appearance of the clouds, no matter how small, tells us it’s time to make adequate preparations for the rains,….for the full manifestation of our faith proclamation.

3. It tells us to prepare for celebration because the rains will surely pour down, our miracles are surely here. Halleluyah!

What do you do while waiting for the cloud to appear?

1. Be expectant. Be alert. Be sensitive. Don’t miss the small cloud because of it’s size. Don’t just make a faith proclamation and then go to sleep. No. Ask God for the actions to take to mix your faith with works (thereby making your faith more effective) and also for what do to stay focused, alert and expectant.

2. Persistently and patiently look out for the cloud. Elijah sent his servant 7 times! Don’t get used to the status quo or become comfortable with it. Don’t lose faith. Don’t give in to hopelessness and don’t give up.

3. Don’t ignore or overlook the small cloud when it shows up. Don’t call it irrelevant. Show no disdain over the small cloud. If you have a spouse who doesn’t think your birthday is anything special and you’re trusting God for a behavior change from him, please do not laugh at him if on your next birthday he buys you a cupcake! Realize and recognize immediately that the jinx is broken and your miracle is full and complete. Praise God and thank Him.

4. When the small cloud becomes visible to you, begin to make preparations to receive and welcome the heavy rains. Don’t be caught unprepared or unawares. Don’t suddenly feel that your once uncaring spouse is now paying too much attention to you.

Recognize that God has completed His work and own it.

Prepare for the heavy rains. Prepare to accommodate your full miracle. Praise God forever! I see the cloudsAnd I see the rains. Halleluyah!

Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rain leading to a shortage of water. Drought characteristically causes famine (because vegetation cannot grow, the ground is difficult to till and crops generally wither/fade). Food and power supply are in short supply during drought. The ecosystem is distorted, pollution, fires are more likely to happen and economic losses are huge. Hunger, sicknesses/diseases, deaths are also common. 

Obviously a period of drought brings untold hardship on men and women, livestock and vegetation diminish, efficiency is lost, unproductivity is paramount, the labors of ones’ hands are without reward, and there’s a constant hovering of the shadow of death. 

So when Elijah pronounced a season of drought to Ahab, it was more than just an absence of rain. Elijah knowingly or unknowingly ushered in sustained feelings  of exhaustion, desperation, despair, great suffering, desolation, feeling of helplessness and emptiness on samaria {1 Kings 17:1}.  The kind of feeling you get from laboring without wages, praying and waiting on the Lord without manifestation of expected results, from serving faithfully and yet seeming unrecognized and definitely appearing foolish, or investing resources without corresponding profit/success.

It is beautiful and quite encouraging to note that God sustained Elijah by the Brook Cherith and through the Widow of Zarephath just as we find He promised in Isaiah 58:1, but truth remains that there was massive destruction of lives and property, there was sadness, grief, and hopelessness. 

Why couldn’t Elijah call of the drought seeing its many negative impact on all, including himself? Pride? Nonchalance? Selfishness? Honestly, I know not, but I am glad God intervened, directed Elijah to return to Ahab in Samaria, and to await an end to the drought as he sends the rains. 

In this New Coming Season, in the New Coming Year, be encouraged and excited because The Lord has put an end to the drought in your life. Doesn’t matter what form it took, doesn’t matter how long it’s stayed around you, doesn’t really matter its intensity or the damages it’s caused before now.  The Word of The Lord is – The Drought is Over. The famine is gone. The Rains are here. 

Life is here. Growth is here. Productivity is here. Increase and profit are here. Healing is here. Your joy and fulfillment are here. Your wages are chasing after you. 

Halleluyah! 

Not sure what the coming year would bring? Not sure which direction to face in 2019?

Well, The Lord says to ‘Look up!’ 

Look up! The Drought is Over. The Famine is gone. The Rains are here. 

For many weeks now these words have stayed on my mind and I am sure (beyond all doubts), that this is God’s word to me (personally) in the coming new season. You can connect with it also when you believe it, accept it and confess it. It’s manifestation will surely come. 

No more drought. No more unproductivity. No more famine. No more hunger. No more barrenness. No more toiling without expected outputs/outcome.  No more staying down because of debilitating sickness and disease. No more labouring without wages. No more heartache from a deliquent child. No more struggling with a particular sin problem. No more of anything that have represented drought in your life. 

What is up, you ask? The Cloud! The clouds have gathered and they’re gathered because of you. The clouds are ready to empty of themselves for you, for your increase. They are ready to let down the Rains. Hurry….

The Rains….the former and the latter Rains, coming in abundance. And bringing with them, growth, productivity, life & fruitfulness. The Rains will cause green vegetations all around.  They’ll bring grain, oil and wine. They’ll bring seed, bread, fresh insights and anointing for great exploits and manifestations of covenant promises, outpouring of God’s goodness in overwhelming measures.

These are no showers. They’re not trickles. They’re an abundance of the Rains. So prepare to receive them. Prepare to receive Full, Complete and Exceedingly overwhelming miracles. No more half baked miracles. No more halfway  experiences. Full and complete miracles dropping down from Heaven. 

Prepare for the Rains. They’re here. The Rains are here. The harvest is here. 

Amen & Amen. 

A priest, God’s servant, described as Righteous, blameless and a keeper of all God’s commandments. One who faithfully served The Lord day in, day out. One who dedicatedly administered sacrifices and offered prayers for multitudes, having the very rare privilege of burning incense at the Lord’s temple. He was careful, meticulous and cautious, making sure laid down guidelines were followed. 

Alas! Zacharias was Barren!  ‘Barren’ for a man, you ask? Alright, Zacharias was advanced in age and yet childless. 

Luke boasts to have given an orderly account of events; probably subconsciously attempting to arrive at a logical end, something similar to a diagnosis. The picture his orderly account in Luke chapter 1 paints of Zacharias, God’s own priest, suggests a sad, near-disgruntled, unsatisfied yet faithful servant of God, with an unmet need (a child; just a child). 

Questions: Why did it take God so long to send Gabriel to Zacharias? Was it fair for Gabriel to have made Zacharias dumb and mute considering his period of wait? How many times had Zacharias prayed for a child, waited expectantly for a manifestation and yet experienced nothing? How many times had he trusted and believed for the miracle of a child and yet got no obvious response? Has Zacharias been  truly doubtful as he served or was Gabriel’s observation a one-off? Or had constant waiting and believing without seeing an expected corresponding response eroded his faith and patience? 

Too many questions…and yet more questions…

The Lord did not forget Zacharias. He did not forget his servant’s devotion and commitment. He remembered his labour of love, overlooked his doubtful and imperfect nature (if truly) and honored him. In the end Zacharias didn’t just get a child, he got the ‘premessiah’, the forerunner to the Christ. 

Be encouraged today as you serve. He will not forget your labor of love. If He said ‘ a labourer is worthy of good wages’, then rest assured that He knows exactly what to do for you. The miracle you expect will not come in the way you’ve envisioned it, no! It’ll be bigger, greater, wider, exceeding your best imaginations. 

Keep serving and loving The Lord. Any other options are unattractive and devilish ?

Compliments of the season. 

What is a Miracle?
Anita grew up admiring her mother. Her mom was pretty, smart, industrious and most importantly served God. She never missed weekdays or Sunday service days. And she made sure Anita and her 3 siblings attended all services as well.

As a young girl, Anita hoped to be exactly like her mom when she has her own home. Not until she watched her parents’ marriage crumble for simple misunderstandings she thought her mom could have contained. Why couldn’t her mother forgive her dad? Why was it her mom that moved out of the home? What happened with all the Bible she carried and taught them to live by? Didn’t she remember anything about forgiveness at all?

Anger, bitterness and resentment grew in Anita. As far as she was concerned, there was no point carrying on with this Christianity talk. If a devoted Christian like her mom couldn’t forgive, it was pointless continuing to profess being a Follower of Christ.

Anita wasn’t going to fool herself and other people like her mother did. She decided she was done with everything Church, so she tossed her Bible aside.

The Lord directed Anita to one of Talk with Grace Obomanu’s Counsellors. Talking and counselling with Anita made her see why she cannot put her Christianity and love for God in ‘Parking’ simply because her mother slipped. With a few sessions of talking with the TWGO Team, Anita once more appreciated the importance of a personal relationship with God.

Today, Anita is glad that she had someone to talk to, she’s fast rebuilding her relationship with God. And more importantly, she’s excited that things are going to be different this time because she’s going to know God for herself.

Praise God!