Manna for the Soul

I had completed my transaction at my local bank and just as my son and I were about to step out of the building the elderly lady who served me at the counter asked my son, "would you like a sticker?" Characteristic of most 5-year old children, my son quickly responded, "yes". To my utter dismay, the lady further asked him, "which one do you prefer, anger, fear or..." I quickly responded, "please I want neither anger nor fear for him." The incident, which may seem to have occurred out of sheer ignorance on the part of the elderly lady, was quite upsetting and it also gave me a reason to pen this piece on the importance of the words that we proclaim over our lives and how negative proclamations can set one's life on the path of destruction. Beloved in the Lord, what are you proclaiming over your life? Recently, I had the chance to listen to a preacher who mentioned that "your current life is a result of your past proclamations over your ...

In a world filled with so much injustice, wars, and anguishing hearts, taking time to reflect upon God's goodness and being truly thankful to God can be elusive for most Christians. Yet, as Christians, Paul admonishes us, as we read in Ephesians 5:20, to be thankful at all times:  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ; (Eph 5:20 KJV) Before we proceed to examine scriptures on this important topic of thanksgiving, I would like us to reflect on a hymn from the Methodist Hymnal 427 vs 1, which was so strong on my heart when I begun to pen this piece: "Through all the changing scenes of life, in trouble and in joy, the praises of my God shall still my heart and tongue employ." This hymn, written by Nahum Tate, is based on Psalm 34, where the Psalmist saw the need to praise God in the midst of trials. You may ask, how can I praise or thank God in my suffering? The bible provides us with several examples of peopl...

For the believer, asking for forgiveness and forgiving others is not optional but a must, that is, whether they seek our forgiveness or not. It is upon the basis of God's forgiveness that we, who were once alienated from God, have been given the opportunity to be heirs with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Come to think about it, how else could we have paid for our own sins if God had not sent His Son to die in our place? Not that we had done anything to merit God's mercy. How often, in our own lives, have we come across people that seem so unforgivable? That is how we were to God. Our sins cost God the blood of His beloved Son. Indeed, nothing we could ever do will be sufficient to secure our own redemption. Nothing, but the blood of Jesus. It is important for the Christian to understand that God's forgiveness of our sins is conditional. The following scriptures make that clear: Mat 6:12 KJV   And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Luk 6:37 KJV   Judge ...

All of us go through periods in life that seem exactly like being in the waiting room at the hospital. You have prayed and submitted your petition to God, now what next? Often, things may seem to be going wrong even though you are of strong faith and wondering where is God in all of this. Or as a result of disobedience to God you are in a situation requiring God's immediate assistance. I have often heard some Christians ask, 'what do I do while waiting on God in one situation or another?' Personally, I have encountered several episodes in my own life that required long periods of waiting on the Lord and what I have learnt over these periods is what I share below. It is important to bear in mind that while what you do or don't do during the waiting period may not necessarily determine God's response, your attitude over that period will affect your ability to handle God's response. To begin, I would like for us to read about Hannah, one of the two wives of Elkan...

Did you know that the moment you decided to become a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ you did not only receive the privilege and the right to be heirs with Christ but you were also tasked to carry your cross? In Luke 9:23, Jesus told his followers as we read below: (Luke 9:23 KJV)  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me .  Jesus pointed out to his followers, in the above scripture, that when you choose to bear his identity you must first deny yourself and then take up your cross daily. A lot of times many people profess to be Christians without truly appreciating what it means to be a Christian. Such people cannot be blamed very much because we are increasingly seeing Preachers who put so much emphasis on the benefits of being heirs with Christ with little emphasis on the cross we are tasked to bear, which is equally a critical part of being a Christ-follower. Please don't get me w...

Believe it or not, the Lord God Almighty delights in our true worship.  Our Father in heaven indeed seeks true worshippers to worship Him. We worship God because He is the very reason for our very existence. The following scriptures make it clear: (Deut 30:20 KJV)  That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.  (Psa 100:3 KJV)  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Act 17:28 KJV)  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.  (Col 1:16 KJV)  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and i...