Background Music – Madelyn Berry – Surrounded/No Weapon
One of the lessons I have learned from the bible and experience is that life happens and it involves battles, problems, and trials. Jesus emphasized and personalized it when he said: In this world, YOU will have troubles! You’ve either escaped, going through, coming out, or about to face one. Of course, there are triumphs else life would be unbalanced. That’s the good news Jesus concluded with– I have overcome the world (the breeding ground of troubles). This means you too are an overcomer and have what it takes to overcome the trigger or source of your challenges!
Let me share about a challenge I overcame some years ago. I became homeless due to sheer lack of responsibility – one affliction that will not arise a second time! This is the period my mind was opened to understand the Scripture:
… “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Luke 9:58
Nowhere My ‘Nowhere’ season involved quite a bit of wandering and meandering, and I quickly realized how much I took God’s provisions for granted. I have since learned to be thankful for a roof over my head and the most basic of utilities, like hot water.
During this time, I mastered different unspoken rules and expectations, learned to tread carefully, and honed the art of tiptoeing; besides, I did not feel comfortable inconveniencing people and invading their privacy, so that meant I had:
Restricted movement: I couldn’t go and come as I pleased, being a lodger.
Regulated timetable: I had to engage in my hosts’ or other activities until they were home or ready to call it a day.
Rationed servings: This meant no ‘Oliver Twist’ no matter how much I craved even when I was told to ‘be at home’.
Reversed allocation: Beggars can’t be choosers so I was grateful for any available place, floor, living room, and shared bed-space or taking turns to use the kitchen or bathroom facilities.
Roamer syndrome: The London buses were my part-time home particularly N87 to Kingston and N9 to Heathrow – long distance journeys that would ensure I had a considerable nap before alighting. No doubt I had a mark of protection.
Onward to Canaan Eventually, I overstayed my welcome at a place and had to move on – this is ok because the wilderness was not meant to be a dwelling place. I lost some personal belongings in the process – items I left with friends and neighbours for safe-keeping that were never returned. The most painful being my keyboard and its stand, and a TV with in-built VHS – you can imagine how long ago this was!
I think it is useful to mention I couldn’t have gone through this process without the support of my family, friends, and church brethren, but ultimately there is no place like home. I also learned there is a huge difference between anywhere, everywhere and somewhere – a little semantics but I am sure you understand.
For a while, I couldn’t live down the stigma and embarrassment of being a statistic- unemployed homeless female young-adult. That’s unheard of considering my pedigree and background – my Dad wasn’t very pleased on hearing about my living condition but thank God love prevailed. Living off a suitcase was not easy and the frequent trips to the storage unit overtime got tedious. I suddenly became restless and began a quest to lay aside every weight and break off all yoke starting with ‘The Queen’s Payroll’ also known as The Dole or Job Seekers Allowance (JSA).
Stuck and surrounded I mentioned weight and yoke because I felt submerged, stuck, and surrounded like that protégé who woke up one morning only to find out his city was besieged by armies. Have you ever felt confined, trapped, or hemmed in? It’s worth noting that the encircling didn’t happen instantly.
But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. Matthew 13:25
Maybe you have been issued a bad medical report or you are trying for a baby. Confined! Perhaps you are looking for a job or have just become bankrupt and the bailiffs are after whatever assets remain. Trapped!! You probably have waited extensively for your immigration issues to be resolved. Hemmed in!!! Could it be you’re saddened at the loss of a loved one, a break-up or discouraged that you’re seemingly the only one left in the threshing floor with no ‘redeemer’ or ‘maiden’ in view– whichever applies? I heard a word:
… None will lack a mate. Isaiah 34:16
This is a good place to #hollaapraise! You will not lack anything, period! Elisha’s servant lacked the right perspective about the chain of events and that’s the reason he was afraid. Fear and anxiety are common symptoms experienced by people who are overwhelmed and usually develops into full-blown depression when neglected.
The servants in the Parable of the Weeds identified the weeds as an abnormality so did Elisha’s servant the unusual activity in his territory. It is crucial you highlight your pain point. Concerning Rebekah, it is written:
She was going to have twins, and before they were born, they struggled against each other in her womb. She said, “Why should something like this happen to me?” So she went to ask the LORD for an answer. Genesis 25:22
Last week we looked at 3 lessons from David around:
– Engaging the right people, principles, and processes
– Shifting positions and gaining new perspectives – do or see something different.
– Creating or finding a place of rest – your hideaway (rock), primarily God for believers
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young– a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King, and my God.
Psalm 84:3
Today, I will share 3 things I do when overwhelmed and surrounded – this is how I fight my battle:
1. Praise: Praise is eulogizing and serenading God. This is often followed by worship which is profound love and admiration founded on the worshipper’s reverence for God. God is neither schizophrenic nor egomaniac who needs people to keep reminding him of his worth. Far from it, He is self-existing and none of our praises can change him, rather it works to our advantage. Praise is beautiful, invokes God and rouses him to action.
But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3
If you would like God to show up in your space, praise him
Read the Psalms and other portions of Scripture that describe His worth and might .e.g. Psalm 136.
Sing or make melody (both in understanding and the language of the Spirit).
Confess the scriptures.
Play uplifting gospel music.
Attend corporate worship services or Christian events.
2. Pray: Prayer is a dialogue with God. I often think of it as a child performing recitals of learned vocabulary to parents; like a student who reproduces taught materials during an examination; like a lawyer who comes before a judge with pieces of evidence to support their case. Prayer is making requests in line with God’s will and is more relational than transactional.
Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.’ Jeremiah 33:3
The answers to the questions and mysteries in your life is a call away, call on God in prayer!
Read, study or wait on God for a word (can include relevant books or teaching messages) – that’s the weapon you wield.
Play instrumental worship music in the background to create an atmosphere.
Pray in the Spirit and understanding.
Use sound prayer materials e.g. prints or audio
Attend prayer meetings or connect with prayer warriors (intercessors).
3. Prophesy: Prophecy is God’s divine will for mankind and is usually futuristic hence differ from the word of knowledge which has to do with ongoing incidents in a person’s life. To prophesy is to foresee and foretell God’s mind on a matter. Throughout history, God has ordained and used spokesmen and mouthpieces known as prophets to declare special messages to people. However, sons and daughters can prophesy to a degree.
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. Ezekiel 37:7
Your next shift or miracle is in your mouth, open it and prophesy!
Set the atmosphere with uplifting worship music such as the one playing in the background.
Praise and pray in the Spirit and understanding.
Listen out for the voice of the Spirit and echo what He is saying.
Declare relevant scripture promises in faith e.g. Isaiah 54:17. God’s will is his word.
Connect with sound and tested or budding prophets
Friend, It may look like you are surrounded by your enemies whereas it is God hovering over and covering you.
Praise him advance for your victory.
Pray for wisdom and grace to navigate the challenging times – it’s a season that’ll pass.
Prophesy breath into the seemingly dead or dire situations and watch out for the noise, shaking, and assembling of the disjointed areas of your life.
Quite often people say I speak in parables and this may be true because I grew up in a code-speaking environment so I somewhat have a knack for speaking allegorically and ‘exclusivizing’ everyday language – basically, hiding or codifying the true meaning of words.
I think I have made enough contribution to be awarded an Honorary Degree in Encryption. Besides, I so much enjoyed playing ‘hide and seek’ as a child I ended up in a bottle. How’s that for an achievement? Just kidding! I am Jeanie, not Genie
2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rockthatis higher than I.
3 For thou hast been a shelter for me,anda strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. Psalm 61: 2-4
Overwhelmed In the opening verses, the psalmist asked to be led to a higher rock moments he was overwhelmed.
For you this may be times:
… You feel you can’t take any more
… It seems the weight of the world is on your shoulder
… You are weary, discouraged or hopeless
… It feels like you’re alone and nobody cares
… You don’t feel like praising, praying, or fellowshipping
I am talking about:
… The wintry and windy seasons that intensify your plea (whatever it be)
… Challenging times that get you singing ‘carry me dey go’ or ‘que sera sera’
… Dry seasons that deplete your jar of flour and jug of oil (debt and bad credit)
… When there is lesser capacity than there is content
… Days you believe you can fly but there’s headwind beneath your wings (ask Kelly or Midler)
You get the picture!
When This could be an instance or a single incident with varying severities such as defamation, dismissal, divorce, disease or a near-death encounter. The truth is everyone has a ‘when’ but what’s even more crucial is where/who they go to and what they do then. Some people go into caves, restaurants, pubs, clubs yet others default to social media, rehab, or church.
Where/Who This can be physical or invisible. For the psalmist, it was a rock which is symbolic of strength and stability (God). The cliffs and crags in biblical times had crevices which made them a perfect hideout during a war. No wonder David calls God a shelter for privacy and protection, and a strong tower – fortified against, and inviolable by the enemy. I love this! Your rock might be a parent, sibling, friend or spouse. Go there!
Here are a few lessons from the Psalmist:
You may not be able to go on your own. In other words, you need guidance and support. Engage with the right people, principles or processes. Be led.
… Lead me to the rock. Psalm 61:2b
You need a higher plane. A different level than you’re presently navigating. Change dynamics!
Shift focus!! Switch positions!!!
… to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2b
You not only need a place to hide but also a place to abide. A place to rest, relax, recharge, and recover. Where is home? Where is heaven? Where is your heart? Where is your harbour or haven? Where do you hideaway?
…I will abide in Your tent forever. Psalm 61:4a
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young– a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King, and my God. Psalm 84:3
That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. Rom 4:17
The first and perhaps the most important thing that jumps out to me in this passage is that God is the one who engineered the communication and action that resulted in the making of Abraham. It matters a lot whom you allow to speak into your life; especially when you are in a low place. But I am glad that in this instance, God is and he spoke enriching and life-changing words which transformed Abraham.
The next thing that thrills me is the phrase – ‘I have made you’ which speaks of intention, selection, ordination, and function. God herein confirms his plan and purpose for Abraham. See, he had been operating way beneath his calling, class, and capacity. He was really meant to be a father of many but at the point in time, he was a father of none. What do you do when your vision is not aligned with present reality? Wherein lies your hope when a prophecy seems unfulfilled? How do you carry on when you are yet to see the word become flesh?
Believe! Believing otherwise known as faith is a central theme that underpins the Christian walk. It is a confident assurance and complete reliance on God and his promises. The writer of Hebrews said:
But without faith, no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and rewards everyone who searches for him. Hebrews 11:6
Have you ever wondered how you can have or grow your faith? You only need to know 2 things in order to ace the Faith module:1) God is real. 2) God is a rewarder. Say it out loud if you can. God is real! God is a rewarder! One more time – God is real! God is a rewarder!
God is real God isn’t abstract or artificial simply because his shape or form cannot be seen.
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20
God is a rewarder God has integrity and provides the best ever indemnity and security– be it for service, loss or injury.
Tell those who obey God, “You’re very fortunate— you will be rewarded for what you have done.” Tell those who disobey, “You’re in big trouble— what you did to others will come back to you.” Isaiah 3:10-11
What comes back to you is a function of whom you believe and how you believe. Do you believe the God that is limitless and can restore the seemingly dead (Resurrector) or is your faith in some lifeless deity like Baal? Do you believe in the one who is able to make new things out of nothing (Creator) or have you placed your confidence in an Asherah which really is a moulded idol? Take heed who you believe in.
Little wonder Abraham had a ‘creative’ miracle in his life. He believed God even against all hope – eliminating seemingly valid considerations such as their age, fertility, agility, etc. When most people would research and publish their inability, Abraham chose to focus on God’s ability. Where is your focus, friend?
As we approach the end of the year, you may have questions, concerns, problems or none of the above. Whatever your state or status, God can work in you to bring about his good pleasure if you are willing. Why don’t you release those faith-filled words into the atmosphere once more:
The words written there are mene, which means “numbered,” tekel, which means “weighed,” and parsin, which means “divided.” God has numbered the days of your kingdom and has brought it to an end. He has weighed you on his balance scales, and you fall short of what it takes to be king. So God has divided your kingdom between the Medes and the Persians. Daniel 5:25-28
I was at bible school a few days ago and during a session on developing intimacy with God, the keynote speaker talked about calibration as a means of checking and adjusting the accuracy of an instrument (us as individuals) using a benchmark (the word of God). As I reflected on the lecture, I remembered a hymn which is a family favourite based on the above text – The Handwriting on the wall.
At least once a year, we holidayed at our grandparents’ and our parents never ceased to talk to us about the day of reckoning’, which for some of us was every day. Usually, before one’s cup was full, a chronicle would be read, however, some people were completely unaware of their standing. To subtly communicate this and other things, my cousins developed a language that codified pertinent information. Unfortunately, some of our parents caught onto it after a while so we came up with another game plan – code words that are predominantly scripture-based!
Mene …Mene is one of those words and would often be used when someone overstepped their boundaries, became a nuisance or was about to be whooped! Mene…Mene was an alert to say ‘you haven’t got much time’ or ‘you need to act fast’ but most importantly ‘repent now’. The fact that one repented didn’t mean there weren’t consequences for their actions; so effectively, some received impartation by the laying on of the hands with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Talk about mysteries, we were fluent!
The text is the story of Belshazzar who took over the reins of Babylon from Nebuchadnezzar. The scene is a party graced with princes, queens, and concubines and as they tasted the wine, he ordered that the sacred goldwares and silverwares looted from the Jerusalem temple be brought out. Now as the guests drank from the goblets, a handwriting appeared on the wall.
Belshazzar profaned and trivialized the holy, at the same time worshipped idols, no wonder God showed up in the way he did. So the question is: Are there things that could potentially be contending or taking God’s place in your life? Is there any chance that you have been irreverent to God or belittled him? Selah!
Never worship any other god, because the LORD is a God who does not tolerate rivals. In fact, he is known for not tolerating rivals. Exodus 34:14
Can you read what’s on your wall?
You may not have a ‘literal’ handwriting on the wall but you probably have had an encounter to that effect. Perhaps there are circumstances around your employment, finances, health, relationship…..whatever it is; you may not understand but you will recognize it because it is an unusual occurrence. In Belshazzar‘s case, the hand wrote the message on the wall. There are 4 key things at play:
The hand: The communication tool (What)
The message: The main content and meat of the matter (That)
The wall: The communication medium (How)
There is also the interpreter, Daniel (Who). The interesting thing about Daniel is that he had social and spiritual responsibilities. Socially, he was governor of the whole province of Babylon and head of all Babylon’s wise advisers. Spiritually, he was a prophet of God who spoke and interpreted his divine will.
Each and every one of these is unique to us. Except in a corporate setting like a nation, family, or church. The action here is for you to identify the ‘hand’, ‘message’, ‘wall’, and ‘interpreter’ in your situation.
My personal belief is that the tekel (evaluation) preceded the mene (judgment) and parsin (consequence). God is loving and just desiring that all come to repentance and not perish. As you can see from the story, the mene and parsin are down to God but there is something you can do.
Tekel – Examine yourself!
God is a God of knowledge and by him, actions are weighed. Therefore, the earlier you ‘calibrate’ the better. Isaiah encourages us to seek the Lord while he may be found. Paul admonished the Corinthians’ thus:
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.2 Corinthians 13:5
David prayed:
Search me O God, and know my mind. Test me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23
Speaking through Isaiah, God said:
“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other”. Isaiah 45:22
Now, here’s what Jesus said to the church in Ephesus:
Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Revelation 2:5
The more provinces kings governed, the more influence and tribute they had. In effect, Belshazzar‘s verdict would affect his relevance and finances. But unfortunately, it had a much dire effect. He was so focused on the festivities and activities that he failed to repent because he didn’t realize there was a timer on his life. Imagine what would have happened if he quickly sought God rather than honour Daniel. Could God have withheld his wrath and pardoned him?
Here are a few questions for reflection:
Can you read what’s on your wall?
Have you ‘tekeled’? Are your records wanting or trusting?
What are you going to do about it?
Therefore, whoever knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin. James 4:17
35 Later that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” 36 They left the crowd and took him in the boat just as he was. Other boats followed along.37 Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped. 38 But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re drowning?” 39 He got up and gave orders to the wind, and he said to the lake, “Silence! Be still!” The wind settled down and there was a great calm. Mark 4
Different life situations by virtue of their uniqueness and complexity would warrant different solutions and resolution methods. 2018 promises to be a year of new frontiers, horizons and opportunities but would have a number of challenges – as the saying goes, with new levels come, new devils, How will you deal with the curve-balls 2018 throws at you?
In the book of Mark, Jesus and his disciples were faced with a life-threatening situation. Although the rest of the crew onboard were panicky, Jesus was comfy, relaxed and resting – sleeping (on a pillow) to be precise. Eventually, they beckoned to the captain possibly after following preliminary emergency procedures. ‘Boss, this ship’s about to go down, does that mean anything to you?’ they asked. Now, here’s his response:
He woke up: You must understand the significance of timing in relation to your purpose. There is a time for everything. Sleep is meant to be a momentary period of rest that serves to bring equilibrium to your spirit, soul and body. It’s ok to take a “little sleep, a little rest, a few more minutes, a nice little nap” here and there but be careful to not be impoverished by it. You may have heard the saying ‘too much of something is bad’. Too much food will get you obese and cause complications, too much work will result in exhaustion and lead to debilitation, too much sleep, on the other hand, will affect your effectiveness and potentially cost your life. The desire to sleep extensively or excessively implies an unwillingness to live or succeed. Jesus slept but when the time came for him to get up, he did not roll-over and snooze. One interpretation says ‘he roused himself’. Yes, there are times you won’t want to but you must. Rouse yourself. Charge-up. Kick-off. Get active. Quit being lax and delinquent. Awake from your slumber and take action. Be responsive and proactive. Wake up!
He got up: You need to adopt a different posture to tackle certain issues. There’s a famous saying that is it insanity to continue to do the same thing with the expectation you’d have a different result. Get up, do something different! You can start by taking that problem to the Lord in prayer, the disciples did. You’d be amazed at how much the Lord cares for you. Get up!
He rebuked the winds: You cannot afford to assume a victim’s mentality when you are a victor. Get yourself together, assert your position and put the trouble in its place. Say to the mountain be lifted from hence to thence. Speak to the wind, hush! Rebuke the devil at work in your health, home and finances. Tell it, be gone! If you do not reprimand and correct the situation this time, worse will come because it is assumed you’re alright with it. It’s okay to have words, bawl out and take the enemy to the task. This singular action has astonishing results, give it a try. Rebuke!
Peace is not the absence of storms or winds but one’s ability to ride the tide in spite of – now that’s mastery. Great calm is an achievable state and standard. It is possible to live liberated, luxuriously, whole with nothing missing or broken. Peradventure this is not your present reality, you can enforce it!
No flood should be able to drown you nor should any fire have the ability to consume you. Why? Because God said so! What are you going to do with this information? I encourage you to speak it over your life. Decree that you may be justified.
Big doors are swung by little hinges. You only need to make a little step change towards your great expectations. You can start by waking from your slumber.
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Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young– a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King, and my God.
That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. Rom 4:17
What comes back to you is a function of whom you believe and how you believe. Do you believe the God that is limitless and can restore the seemingly dead (Resurrector) or is your faith in some lifeless deity like Baal? Do you believe in the one who is able to make new things out of nothing (Creator) or have you placed your confidence in an Asherah which really is a moulded idol? Take heed who you believe in.
