By Funnmi Komolafe
The New Year is still fresh with us and we do not what it has for us. God alone knows what is in it for us. My prayer is that this would be our year of testimonies, a year that would bring an end to all challenges, a year of Laughter.
However, we must know that miracles are for those who have had one challenge or the other especially challenges that no human being is able resolve.
Anyone expecting a miracle must also prepare for it. Did I hear you say, how? The answer is that you have some roles to play even as you put your trust in the Almighty God.
First, you need to cast our fear. What is fear? Fear as a noun is described as “ an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight) . As a verb, it is described as “ be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event”.
Whichever definition we choose, fear is real but a believer in Christ must cast out the spirit of fear.
Matthew 1 vs. 19 & 20 tells us something about fear “ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost”.
Joseph was afraid yet he loved Mary. Hence he thought about what to do to avoid public disgrace.
Brother, you love your wife but you are afraid of your in-laws who have been putting pressure on you because your marriage is yet to be blessed with children. May I suggest that you ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to cast out fear of what human beings can do to you? Hold on to God by giving him praise and you will be surprised what the Lord will do for you.
Should you succumb to the fear of in-laws or friends, you may end up with a situation that could endanger your life.
I give an example of what I mean. A couple got married and had to wait on the Lord for children. The man’s relations put him under pressure to have a secret wife. He succumbed and a woman gave him a son. His wife was kept in the dark.
Within a few years, a quarrel broke out between the man and his secret wife. The woman in anger told him, he was not the biological father of the child. In the course of the quarrel another man showed up to claim the child. The biological father threatened to have his child or kill the ‘ husband’. The man who struck a secret deal with his relations ended with greater fear. Fear for his life. He became so troubled that he had to confess to his wife. At the end, he ran for his life. He had allowed pressure from relations and friends to move him from the lower level of fear to a higher level.
It was then it dawned on him that the solution to the challenge lies in cooperating with his wife in prayer, service to the Lord and thanksgiving.
To the glory of God, the couple was blessed with a set of twins, a boy and a girl.
David, the son of Jesse as a shepherd was someone who had cause to be afraid. He was always in the forest-tendering sheep. He had reasons to be afraid because of attack from animals and reptiles on him or his flock but he overcame fear by looking unto the Lord.
Brethren, you too can overcome fear. Don’t allow anyone to instill fear into you. Once you give them the space for fear in your heart, the devil will take over. Some people are so afraid that they get to a point where they are even afraid to serve the Lord.
David said in Psalm 27 vs. 1 “ The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
He continued in verses 5&6 “ For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD”.
Brethren, did you get the point? David cast out the spirit of fear. He handed over the challenge to God and praised God. You too can do the same.
Make up your mind that in 2020, you will see the end of all challenges.
Take the steps that David took as recorded in verses 3&4 of Psalm 27: “ Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple”.
Brethren, you are the one to cast out fear. The sermons you listen to build up your confidence and trust in the Lord but the decision to cast out fear is yours.
Once you are able to cast out fear, your miracle is imminent.
It is also advisable that you lay a solid foundation for the miracle that you expect this year by participating in fasting.
Some churches have declared fasting between January and February to lay a solid foundation for the expectation of members that must be met this year. Brethren, fasting and prayer do not kill; rather, it moves you closer to God.
With fasting, you put the flesh under control while your prayer moves you closer to God. As you get intimate with the Lord, your miracle rolls in.
Resolve to be thankful to God and praise Him daily. The truth is that, the physical things that we thank God for are of smaller proportion compared to the invisible things that God has done for us.
I’ll share a testimony. A lady was waiting on the Lord, her husband was patient but her in-laws were impatient. They actually sent one of them to poison her, which he did. She never knew she was poisoned.
During one the services she attended, a word of wisdom was released that someone in the congregation had been poisoned but that God would heal her.
Those who wanted to kill her wanted her out of the way. That was the enemy’s solution to her barrenness but God rose for her. As I write today, she is a mother of three children.
Brethren, be determined to cast out fear. Fear does not allow faith to grow. Fear must give way for faith to grow. The word of God helps grow our faith and this is one good reason we must create time to study the Holy Bible and meditate on it.
Brethren, as you continue to praise the Lord, challenges will give way.
With our study of the word of God, the peace of the Lord is guaranteed. You will have less worries, the joy of the Lord will give you the type of peace that only the Lord can give you.
Brethren, resolve to praise the Lord at all times.
Praise him with all your heart and you will testify to his goodness.
We’ll continue next week if the coming of the Lord tarries.
Shalom!