INTRODUCTION
My name is Job Mothiba, I am a Christian and believe in God not because my parents told me to, not because the church told me to, but because I have experienced how awesome He truly is in my life. Sometimes people throw you out of their lives just as they did with *Jonah out of the boat when you confess to having failed them. You may feel swallowed up by your own mistakes, in sin and expelled from God’s purpose as it would seem when Jonah was in the belly of the whale. However, when you confess to God that you have failed and repent, even the very belly of death as with the belly of the whale becomes a bus to your destination.
This is so as seen in the *book of Jonah when the whale spat him out at the very place God had originally commanded him to go and share His will, even though he rebelliously sailed in the opposite direction. Just like that, right out of the mess, death, disappointment, failure and sin, God will use even apparent death to spit you into your purpose. However, do not forget then and there that your purpose like that of Jonah to Nineveh is to share God’s will and testify of His Mercy, Love and Grace.
But, it is not always in the fish’s belly where God has to wrestle with you to have His way. Sometimes the best way to convince someone he is wrong is to let him have his way. No wonder now I am willing and prepared to walk with Him until the end, as the Bible says:
—————————————-
“…but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved”
(Matthew 24:13) ———————
I have done many mistakes and failed many times in life but I am still moving forward trying to make myself better. Hence, most people who are successful, have done more than study the successes of others, at some point you have to get up and do the work yourself. I have learned that things that seem bigger than life at the beginning, settles down after a while and become part of the norm.
It seems bigger because it is new and, is something different but, it does lose its gloss and appeal over time. Moreover, sometimes God does not give you something you want, not because you do not deserve it but, you need to walk more closely with Him, because He has more in store for you. So, if you are ever given an opportunity to do something different, do not be afraid. Just be yourself and give what comes natural not forgetting that the life journey and lessons are never over until we take out last breath.
Hence, in this walk of life we ought to be an example for the lost, provide nourishment to the hungry, hope to the hopeless while preparing ourselves to learn from our mistakes, and always try to be better than the person we were the day before.
The one thing you must know as a Christian is that the life of the unbeliever next door, the homeless and orphans are in our hands in the sense that God caused you to succeed for someone else to have a better life through you. The unbelievers need your words and testimony about Jesus Christ to change their ways. The homeless need your help to trust God again and the orphans need the mother and father’s love from you. Just know that, it is by the grace of God, which made you who you are today. It was very easier to be one of them but, God chose you as a vessel to reach out to them. Let the mind that is in Christ be in you. Just as He said: “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40)
———————————————-
“Smart men walked on the moon, daring men walked on the ocean floor,
but wise men walk with God.”
- Leonard Ravenhill
———————
In your walk with Christ you might get green or red lights. Sometimes even a detour. But, until the road ends, stay on the course with God. Your job is not to be *Jesus. Your job is to believe, depend on, and submit to Jesus working in and through you. So, all the adversity, challenges, and bumps in the road, are often the first signs that great things are about to happen. And when things do not work out the way you hoped, trust that God has something greater in store. For it is all part of His plan for you to make you prosper not to harm you, to give you hope and future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
If you want to be all God wants you to be expect the opposition. Some people would not understand your journey. Some might even judge and be unkind. But, they are not walking in your shoes on a daily basis. Iris not an easy road to walk; it is not an easy field to glean. But, God sees you and He knows how hard you are trying. You are doing the best you can with what you have to deal with. He is proud of you. He is doing something amazing and beautiful with your life. Hold your head up. For, those who look up to the Lord are radiant and they never covered in shame. Do not take on false guilt, negative labels, or condemnation by spectators. You are God’s blood bought. So, be strong in the Lord.
Being strong does not mean you have to stay and fight all the battles and petty arguments that come your way. It means you do not have to stay and respond to rude remarks. Do not retort by throwing insults back at them. It is what they want. True strength is being adult enough to walk away from the nonsense with your head held high. For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15)
In fact as long as you live, you will be thrown off course, you will fall, and you will fail. It happens to the best, often. It will be tough at times. It will take time. It will require dedication and sacrifice. But at the end it will be worth it. Thus, almost everybody in the Bible whoever did something great had someone that was plotting against them. Even the best of the best struggled with plateaus, get frustrated, felt insecure, and wondered why they have to do it but they did it anyway. You also can make it. For God has promised that, “Even when you are old, I will take care of you, even when you have grey hair, I will carry you. I made you and I will support you; I will carry you and rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:4)
If you really have your eyes open, you would see that all moments are key moments with God. Even in the moments of highest happiness and deepest misery you still need God. You may not know how much you need Him. For anyone who has ever known God has known Him perhaps better in the dark than anywhere else, because it is in the dark where He seems to visit most often.
So, if you never encountered the circumstances of life you would never know what it feels like to have victory at the end and when it matters. You also, can still find meaning even in the depths of despair, for she or he who survives the dark night with God’s glory becomes a better man because we are designed to live in God’s presence. The moment men try living out of that Holy atmosphere death takes hold and the curse reigns. Whatever you are going through now, is nothing compared to God’s Glory that will be revealed in you. (Romans 8:18)
So, no matter how much you try to push God off for the world, you know deep in your heart that it is wrong. It is time to make up your mind.The essence of sin is not that we want bad things but it is that we want things too badly no matter what it takes. Often what seem to be our deepest desires are really just our loudest desires. To discover your real desire, look at what you spend time thinking about when no one is looking. Learn to listen to God’s heart which is in His Word and do His will. For, “…this world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:17)
Sometimes, there are really some complicated things in life that nobody can help you decide, but
