December 31. Revelations ch 21-22
THE SWEET IN THE BITTER
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 NASB1995
GOOD DAY. Congratulations that you are celebrating the last day of the year on this side of existence. All over the world, people are preparing for their traditional watch night events either social or spiritual. Of the people who will go to church and be told to give thanks, deep in their hearts, they have a lot of questions as to what they should give thanks for going by what they experienced in the outgoing year. Challenges were plenty and varied in shape and size. The good news is that God is not unaware of every single one. I have heard people ask where God is when all bad things are happening all over the world or even in their lives. I had my share of turbulence in this outgoing year but I learnt a lot about living in the spirit yet walking on earth. This is the greatest and most precious lesson I have learnt in my years of existence and for this I say “THANK YOU LORD”.
Now to why God watches and bad things happen. It is not God’s fault for He laid the way we should live to have peace and joy on earth. He is to be the ruler in the world but mankind has rejected Him and become their own ruler. The result is what we now experience- a world in disarray. Read 1 Samuel 8:1-18. Also, God expressly tells us this;
‘“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”’ Deuteronomy 30:15-20 NASB1995
So it is our choice that has brought all manner of problems to our world.
The trials in the world are bitter and like rain and sun, they happen to all. The sweet thing about the trials is that
1.they worked to prove my faith.
2. They taught me patience.
3. They have made me perfect having peace and joy in the midst of storms just as Jesus did when He slept in the storm while His disciples were worrying. This is living in the spirit while walking in the world.
While others feel the venom of the situation, you learn to persist in obedience to the word of God and the fire does not burn you nor the waters drown you as you go through. I invite you this last day of the year to actively change your Lord and Master to Jesus by renouncing all other controls in your life and asking Jesus to be the Master and set the rules.
PRAY: Dear Lord, the world is confused and tired because we have moved away from You. Draw us back to You Lord.
Bose Olatunbosun. +2348033355584; +447399700512.