So the time came. Everyone was ready with their car on the Start line. Mark asked for a minute and he was mumbling for a while before the race started. His eyes were closed. A minute later he said, “Yeah, I’m ready!”. So the race began!

Everyone was shouting and every finalist shouted, boasting their own cars. “Go, go go!”, they shouted. The finish line was closed and a car went past it first. Yes, it’s Mark’s. Everyone shouted in joy and so did Mark. Again, he was mumbling, “Thank you”.

On the podium, the competition manager asked Mark “Hey champ, you prayed to God before the race started, asking to win, didn’t you?”. Mark was silent. “No, sir”, he said. “That’s not what I asked. I don’t think it’s fair to ask God to help me in defeating other people. I was asking God for strength so that I wouldn’t cry if I lose”. Everyone was silent hearing the little kid’s remark. After a moment of pause, claps and shouts were in the air.

Mark didn’t ask to win. He didn’t ask God to take care and fulfill his desire to win on the test he went through. He asked God to give him strength in it. Often we asked God for an easy way out and to be successull/to be the winner. How often do we have faith in Him and ask for His strength instead on our tests? How often do we ask God to fulfill our ego? Learn from Mark, the little boy.

“God, what is a million years to you?”
God said, “A million years to me is only a second.”
The man wondered.
Then he asked, “God, what is a million dollars worth to you?”
God said, “A million dollars to me is a penny.”
So the man said, “God can I have a penny ?”
And God cheerfully said,
“Sure!…….just a second .”

Sponsoring a child is not easy as it requires your financial commitment every month. However, it is not that hard also. If you can spend for $2-4 for a coffee every morning, then you too can sponsor a child!

I chose Compassion because the organisation is very transparent. On the Compassion web site, you’ll find all information that you need to know about sponsoring a child:

• How many percents of your money will go towards the child and how much will go for the administration cost.
• How does it work?
• How much you need to give every month.
• How to write a letter to your sponsored child.
• How to visit your sponsored child (if you want to).

Compassion doesn’t just sponsor a child through you but they also teach them about Christianity, about Jesus. That’s the most important thing. The children are not forced to be Christians but they will receive Christian’s education as much as the ordinary education.

Compassion also makes sure that your sponsored child writes to you a few times a year so that you’ll know how the child is doing. You’ll have a connection to your child and it will also encourage you to pray for your sponsored child.

It is truly a joy to see your child grows both physically and spiritually. It’s a feeling that you can never get/buy anywhere in this world.

If this post hasn’t moved you yet, how about reading my Good Samaritan cell group study resource again and watch the video below:

The logo is not too catchy (I wish I can design a catchier logo). I used the Logo Creator to make it. At least it’s better than just a title text, in my opinion.

The leaves represents growth – As this blog grows, I wish that our spiritual life grows together too through this blog’s posts. The “plane” paper I guess represents the posts, aimed towards the Cross; meaning that all posts published here are for His Glory alone.

The Cross sits behind the leaves and the paper, meaning that without His support and strength, this blog is nothing but a rotten dead blog and a complete waste of time & energy.

Now, I need to make  a re-commitment to post more on this blog :(

‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’

His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:

‘I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’

Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.

‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’

‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’

‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’

‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpner. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’

‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’

‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’

Source: Like the Flowing River by Paulo Coelho

“Abishai said to David, ‘Today God has given your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won’t strike him twice.’ But David said to Abishai, ‘Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the LORD lives,’ he said, ‘the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish’” (1 Samuel 26:8-10 NIV).

How would you treat your perceived enemy if you have the opportunity of dealing with him? Would you treat him as he has been treating you? Alternatively, would you let him go scot-free and allow God to deal with him in God’s own way and time?

King Saul was a sworn enemy of David. He spent most of his time looking for a way to kill David. However, twice, David had opportunities of killing Saul, but he did not do so (see 1 Samuel 24, 26). David’s followers could not understand why he would not take the golden opportunities to exterminate his arch enemy and become the king of Israel. David preferred to let God deal with Saul rather than avenging for himself. God did deal with Saul in His own time and His own way, and David eventually became the king of Israel in place of Saul.

Many people would not do such a thing – to let a perceived enemy continue to have his way, especially when they have the opportunity of getting even with such enemy. It is natural to get rid of one’s perceived enemy, but, it is contrary to the New Testament teachings. Consider this: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17-21 NIV. See also Matthew 5:44; Luke 27-28; 23:34; Romans 12:14; 1 Corinthians 4:12-13; 1 Peter 3:9). It takes spiritual maturity to follow such teachings and really allow God to deal with one’s perceived enemies in God’s way and God’s time.

Do not have it in mind to get even with your perceived enemy. Let God deal with him. God will do so in His own way and in His own time. He will indeed vindicate you. Like David, you will laugh last and testify to the goodness of God over your life.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
+234 805 515 9591
http://www.thewordthruthenet.org
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