Background Music by Dee Barker “Got Any Rivers (He’ll Do It Again)”
Hello Friend,
It’s been a while since I connected with you and I’ve missed that and you even more. As always, there is a word from the Lord but first allow me to testify!
Last year, God said he’d blow my mind and he did over and above that. I am still in awe not only of what he did, but also of how he did it! The long and short of it is that with the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a postgraduate degree. Although it took me a while, my ‘one-thing’ is done! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
Here’s a quick word of encouragement for someone who may have been on a long journey, keep at it and don’t lose heart. Your salvation is nearer than when you first believed. You will reach your expected end. It shall come to pass. Your word will come and become flesh! All you need to do is maintain focus and alignment with God and your goals. Let’s clarify these terms.
Focus is the ability to clearly define something (usually visually) or to pay attention, or make something your center of attention or interest. Identify just one thing and stick with the task until it is accomplished.
Alignment has to do with the arrangement, organisation, placement, or readjustment of imperfectly or badly placed things in order to make them compatible and harmonized with one another. This involves getting rid of curves, contortions, and conflicts as well as deviations, distractions, and distortions. Take a look at your prayer life, health, or finances. If things are not as they should in the stage of life you are in, it might just be that something needs to be aligned.
While I just talked about 2022 and shared some helpful tips that got me through, you might wonder what’s in store for 2023. Glad you are keen because God said he’d bring out water from the rock! Sounds impossible right? But God has done it before and he can do it again. Let’s explore different instances where God did it and how he did it:
Water from the rock
Strike – to deliver a sharp, strategic, and offensive blow to a target.
At some point in the Israelites’ journey after they crossed the Red Sea, they arrived at a place called Rephidim and became thirsty. They had been wandering in the wilderness of Sin but somehow progressed to this place of refreshment at the command of the Lord. This is good news, friend and demonstrates that God is still in the business of ordering steps. He can bring you out of danger into safety, detangle you from whatever web or maze you may be in, lift you up if you’re sinking in the sea of sin, loneliness, anxiety, depression, stagnation, self-doubt, sickness, debt, joblessness, or bankruptcy. No matter how stinky or sticky your situation might be, God can help you!
In response to Israel’s grumbles and murmurs (which is not recommended), God gave Moses an instruction on how to deal with the problem.
I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So, Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on. Exodus 17:6
I am encouraged by the fact that God was present and standing throughout their ordeal. Also, the emphasis on the word ‘gushed’ indicating a torrential flow as opposed to a drop, especially when coming out of a rock, blesses me immensely. Another thing is that he did it while they watched. #hollaapraise to Jehova sharp sharp! Friend, do you see how loving and amazing he is?
As the Israelites’ arrived the wilderness of Zin near the southern part of the Dead Sea and camped at Kadesh, Miriam died and no water was available, so the people rebelled against Moses and Aaron. God saw this and in his providence gave directives.
You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. Numbers 20: 8-11
Unfortunately, Moses defied God’s instruction to speak to the rock and struck it instead – an action which shortened his life and ministry, especially the unique privilege of leading the people of God into the Promised Land. This underscores the importance of remaining aligned with God in order to complete what he’s started in, through, and with you.
Although Moses didn’t adhere to God’s instructions, God in his faithfulness provided for his people. Once again, water gushed and they drank to their fill – they and their livestocks. This is nothing but goodness, mercy, and overflow.
Sing – to produce musical tones and/ or melodious sounds.
Having passed through ‘Zin’, the Israelites’ pilgrimage was almost over but they had to go through yet another wilderness on Moab’s eastern border and camped by River Arnon. This is after a long detour due to the Edomites’ (descendants of Esau) refusal to allow them passage through their town. As a result, they grew impatient and started to complain not only about water but food also. God dealt with this by sending poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.
Shortly afterwards, he redeemed and restored all who obeyed a simple instruction – look up and live! Continuing the journey was a remnant thirsty and without any water in sight, but sang anyway!
From there the Israelites travelled to Beer, which is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people, and I will give them water.” Then Israel sang this song about the well: “Make your water spring up! Sing to the well. The well dug by princes, dug out by the nobles of the people with their scepters and staffs.” Numbers 21:16-18
It is generally believed that ‘spring up’ is a prophecy or prayer that God would cause water to flow out of the earth as it did from the rock when Moses struck it with his rod; hence, they struck the earth with their scepters and staffs. Another popular belief is that the people and leaders used their scepters and staffs to dig the holes from which God caused water to spring up. Either way, there was a shift in their posture and behaviour -they became proactive, purposeful, prophetic, prayer warriors, and praisers. In any case, a miracle took place! You might as well take a praise break.
Let’s celebrate! The well has given us water (CEV) Wells, produce your water; And we will greet it with a song (GNT) Erupt, Well! Sing the Song of the Well (MSG)
Water signifies a number of things including Spirit, life, refreshing, cleansing, or the end of drought. Friend, God wants to restore and give you times of refreshing, irrigate your dry places, and break up your hard and fallow grounds. You can also consider water to be a metaphor for your desire, while rock refers to your difficulties. God is the only potentate who in his infinite power can meet your needs in many ways at the right time. Stop worrying about when or how what he has purposed, established, and completed for you will manifest.
To summarise this epistle:
Before there was a ‘gushing out’ or ‘welling up’, the people had to assemble or if you will, align. Trust and obey, friend.
God has and is the ultimate answer and willing to meet you at the point of your needs. When it comes to your part in the process, asking is better than complaining.
Different approaches may be needed at different times for the same situation. Know when to strike, speak, or sing.
So Saul took one of the servants and travelled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere. 1 Samuel 9:4
Successful people are in constant quest and pursuit. Some are in search of opportunities, insights, and methods, while others are on the lookout for mentors, partners, and proteges. They engage in a cycle of continuous professional development – they never stop discovering or searching, little wonder they are always innovating and growing.
The above text shows that Saul took action after mobilizing his team. He realized that lost things are meant to be found much like the broken need be healed, or the ruined, restored. To emphasize the significance of pursuit, Jesus launched the A.S.K method during a coaching moment with the disciples. Here’s a breakdown of the method:
Ask (A): You won’t always be handed things on a platter. What you request or ask for is usually what you are given.
Seek (S): Making an effort or attempt at something automatically moves you from inactivity towards a journey of endless possibilities. Seekers are always finders; even when their expectations are seemingly unmet, that in itself is a learning.
Knock (K): Between you and your next level is a door. A knock indicates your readiness to be allowed entry, passage, or exit.
For many, their ‘deliverance’ or breakthrough is wrapped in their pursuit (ASK) and not just in a prayer meeting. I encourage you to proactively activate and facilitate your restoration. Do not leave things to chance, pursue! Pursuing is a recurring process – you may not find what you are after immediately, but you will, eventually.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8
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
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
Instrument of Praise is a Music Ministry which operates on a national and international scale ministering physical, emotional and spiritual healing to the afflicted....
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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.
