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Don’t Let the Children Get in the Way!

Published on by thestillsmallvoicesays10 Comments

Everyone loves babies, right? They are so adorable with their little features, you just want to cuddle them for as long as they’ll let you. What a lot of people don’t realise though, is the whirlwind of change that comes with these cute little babies. From sleep patterns to eating times, having a baby will always have a huge impact on the life of their parents.

Most parents are able to ride the tide and get back on their feet quickly however, some don’t manage as well as others.  The children become the centre of their universe and the couple no longer have time for each other. This can drive a wedge between the couple with a lot of damage done before they realise what has happened.

It struck me a few days ago how easy it is for us to fall into a similar trap in our walk with God. Sometimes, we “let the children get in the way”. What do I mean by children? In Christianity, “children” can be likened to the fruits of our relationship with God. This could be blessings like houses and cars, assignments like ministry and jobs or achievements like awards or promotions.

For the purpose of this post, I would like to focus more on our God-given assignments or destiny projects. We all have God-given roles to play in establishing His kingdom on earth. Yes, each one of us has a divine purpose that must enthrone God’s dominion and influence in every sphere of the world.

Your life matters and God has a specific purpose and plan for putting you on earth.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:10 [NKJV]

I love the translation below,

“We have become His poetry, a re-created people that will fulfil the destiny He has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfil it!”

Ephesians 2:10 [TPT]

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 [NIV]

Some people are called to serve the body of Christ as apostles, prophets, pastors and teachers. Others are called to minister in areas like government/politics, media, family, health, entertainment, education and the list goes on. We have that responsibility to partner with Holy Spirit to search out the plan and purposes of God for us and walk according to them. As we walk with Him, He start to point us in the direction of the assignments and plans He has for us and by His grace and wisdom we begin to birth them through various projects, innovations and witty inventions.

This is great. This is wonderful. However, things can get quite blurry. This is why I gave the illustration of raising of children impacting on the relationship between a husband and wife. Ideally, none of them should suffer for the other but they sometimes do.

It can be quite difficult to tell when you start drifting into the zone of chasing your divine assignment, purpose or calling at the cost of your relationship with God. I don’t know if you have been there before, but I have. All of sudden you may find that you begin to prioritize your assignment, project or calling above the God who has called you. The same way a mother may find that between caring for her children and perhaps working a full-time job, she no longer has time to be a wife to her husband. She may also find that the only reason she talks to her husband is that of things that concern the children. So also, it could get to a point where the primary motivation for communing with God is your ministry and not His person.

What do I mean? For example, with this blog, there have been seasons when I have found myself reading my bible with the intention of getting some juicy revelation to share not because I really wanted to spend time with God.

We see Jesus reprimanding the church of Ephesus for this same thing in the book of Revelation. He said,

“I know all that you’ve done for me—you have worked hard and persevered…  But I have this against you: you have abandoned the passionate love you had for me at the beginning.”

Revelation 2:2-4 [TPT]

I love using this example because it highlights the constant tug of war that we all have to face as Christians. Finding the balance between serving God and preserving a passionate and intimate relationship with Him. I like to call it the Mary – Martha struggle.

To round off, I want to highlight two examples of people in the bible who had this struggle and examine how they dealt with it.

The first person is Saul who God anointed the first king of Israel. He had an assignment to leads God’s own people, but he became too obsessed and attached to it.  It seemed as though, he never tried to know the God that had called him. Eventually, he burnt-out and it cost him his kingship because he feared the people he was called to serve more than the God who called him. (1 Samuel 28:16-19)

The second person is David who was the next king after Saul. A humble shepherd boy who God raised to be king. One of the thing that strikes me most about David is how he didn’t mind looking weak or silly to display his love for God. Yes, he was king, but he never forgot the God who made him king. He never placed the people above God. The people were important, but God was much more important to him.

He understood this. His relationship with God came first, then everything else. This understanding made him one of the best kings Israel ever had.

As Christians, there are so many things to watch for and this is one of them. We must constantly check that God remains number one and nothing else takes His place. Always remember, the Giver must always come before the gifts and never let the assignment become more important than the sender.

Prayer
Lord I thank you for the person reading this post. I thank you for the grace and calling upon their life. I thank you for the amazing destiny that you have planned for them. Lord, I pray that You will grant them the grace to put you first in all things. I pray that You will give them the wisdom to serve You and advance Your kingdom without compromising their relationship with you. Lord, I pray for courage and strength to forge ahead in the path of destiny you have called them to. Finally, I pray for humility of the Spirit to be completely aligned to your perfect will for them, fully pleasing You. Thank you, Abba. This is I pray, in Jesus name. Amen.

God bless you. Thank you for reading. Please drop your comment below and do share this post with a friend if it has blessed you.

Written by: Ayowade Adeleye.

Busy Bee

Published on by thestillsmallvoicesays2 Comments

Happy New year everyone! I apologise for the long break since the last blog post . I pray for the grace to be more consistent with blog posts this year (Please pray for me too).


I know it is the beginning of the year and everyone probably has a list of new year resolutions they can’t wait to get started on. For most Christians, this list usually includes better bible study and a more consistent prayer life.

Trust me, I know this struggle quite well. You start the year off pumped and ready to go but life gradually tumbles out of order and 24 hours is no longer enough to do all the things we need to do. Nine times of ten, the first thing to take the hit when the whirlwind of busyness comes is our spiritual life.

I was reading the book of Genesis and I noticed something for the first time in the verse below.

Enoch walked in [Habitual fellowship] with God three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah and had other sons and daughters” Genesis 5:23 [AMP]

Enoch, the famous Enoch who walked so closely and intimately with God that he was taken straight to heaven (Genesis 5:21-24). No death, just straight to heaven. The one person who was noted in the bible for consistent and intimate fellowship with God was a family man who probably had a full-time job as well. He wasn’t some hermit in the middle of nowhere with all the time in the world, he wasn’t even a pastor, he was a regular person with a regular life like you and I.

When I saw this, it encouraged me greatly to keep pushing and not relent. God cherishes the time that we spend with Him. Yes, The God of the universe wants to walk with us. It’s so amazing that it made David ask the question below,

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” Psalm 8:3-4

The love that God has for us is second to none. This is why He gave his only son to die for us that we may be reconciled to Him.

 Busyness is one of the enemy’s timeless tools for hindering children of God. We see this in the book of Exodus when Moses challenged Pharaoh to release the Israelites so that they could serve their God. Here was Pharaoh’s first reaction,
 “Don’t supply any more straw for making bricks as before. Don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.’”  Exodus 5:7-8 [NLT]

In other words, when we give them more work they won’t have time too serve God. They will be too overwhelmed, frustrated and stressed to spend time with God. Sound familiar?

No matter how busy we get, let’s guard our time with God jealously.

I would like to share a few important points we should consider and seek to walk closer and more consistently with God.

1. Seek to understand the “why?” the value of understanding the reason for anything we do cannot be over-emphasised. Why do we pray? Why do we read our Bibles? Why do we worship God with songs? The Bereans Christians were commended in Acts 17:11 because “they received the word with all readiness and searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” As we begin to probe and uncover the reasons and benefits for certain things we do as Christians, our walk with God is put into clearer perspective

2. Keep it real! Remember that prayer, the word and worship are only instruments that we use to achieve our goal with God, what do I mean? You are not spending time with your bible. You are spending time with God using your bible. Hope you got that? Don’t get so overwhelmed by the activity that you shift your focus from God, the person who you are spending time with. This is a really easy trap to fall into, so we need to be watchful. The minute you notice your focus drifting, pull yourself back. 

3. Have a plan! If you don’t set apart the time you spend with God, something else will take up the time. Routines help us build habits, habits keep us going when willpower is weak or absent.

4. Give God time! Be generous with the time that you give to God. The God of Heaven and Earth wants to spend precious time with you and you give him just a few minutes? C’mon. If the president of your country wanted to speak to you, I’m sure you would gladly clear your day. Please don’t get me wrong, I know there aren’t enough hours in the day. But do give God as much time as you HONESTLY can (even if you have to cut back on some sleep and Instagram time). I promise you will never regret it!

5. Ask for help! Always ask the Holy Spirit for His assistance, He is always more than willing to help.


Prayer
Lord, I pray for the person reading this post. I pray that you grant them the grace to seek you diligently and consistently. I pray that the blood of Jesus will wipe away every stain of guilt, condemnation and frustration that the enemy may have planted. Help them to see and perceive Your immense love for us and the desire you have to walk with us. Please, plant in them an unquenchable hunger for You and Your presence daily. This I pray, in the name of Jesus.

 
Thank you so much for reading! Let’s get talking in the comment section below, what keeps you dwelling in the secret place? What tips do you have for us? You never know someone else may learn a thing or two.

If this piece has blessed you, feel free to share with a friend. Remember, there is love in sharing!

By Ayowade Adeleye

“Inside Info”

Published on by thestillsmallvoicesaysLeave a comment

One evening, I asked my Bible study group what they would think if the building we were in started shaking suddenly due to an earthquake and I just calmly said “Guys, let’s carry on, it will be fine”,

We concluded that it would be one of two things.

  1. I had lost my mind and was trying to get everyone killed.
  2. I had extra information about the hurricane and I had been assured of my safety and that of those who were with me (some action movie vibes, but you get the idea)

We say knowledge is power, but I think we mean that privileged knowledge is power. As citizens of God’s kingdom, our privileged knowledge is the Word of God and complete understanding and revelation of it make us literally unstoppable. God bless you as you read.

Last week, I wrote about God’s waiting room and the understanding that we are waiting with Him and not for Him. He is right there in the waiting room with us. Through all the long nights and tears, He right beside us waiting for the word that He has sent forth to come to pass. But this week I wanted to put a bit more flesh to the topic from another dimension. As I believe that the last post touched on the loving God and not wanting to turn our backs on Him when He asks us to be patient.

So, let’s complete the trio with faith and hope

Faith, Hope and Love – against these three nothing in this world stands a chance.

How do they tie in with waiting for an answer to prayer or waiting for a breakthrough?

Let’s get some definitions sorted…

Faith- A divine persuasion that fuels patience and motivates obedient action.

Hope- An expectation.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

The bible defines faith as the substance of things hoped for. This means to have hope you must have faith. The same way, it is not a “leather bag” if it’s not made of “leather”, so also, it’s not “God’s kind of hope” if it is not made of “God’s kind of faith”.

I’ll explain it further this way, in order to expect something, someone, I must be persuaded of their willingness, capacity and integrity (let’s keep these three things in mind)

If we look at the case of parents promising their daughter a car. In most cases, the daughter can even start shopping for her key ring and car air freshener because she knows that her parents are willing because they love her very much, they are financially capable and have been consistent in delivering in their promises over the years. Therefore, she is persuaded and can be expectant.

This is why we need faith and hope as we wait for our prayers to be answered. As this prevents us from getting frustrated while waiting.

“So how do we then get faith? So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

When we look through the bible and see the things that mighty men of faith did (Hebrews 11 is a wonderful summary), it becomes obvious that faith is much more than simple human belief, there must be a divine element to it.

I mean how does a man believe that his 90-year-old wife can give birth to a child (Abraham) or how does a man stand and tell the sun not to set (Joshua). It has to be more than human belief.

Faith comes as we engage with the word of God by studying, listening and understanding

Remember our three points of persuasion, willingness, capacity, integrity

As we go engage with the word of God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we see

  • His willingness is expressed through the numerous promises that He has made to us

    Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. Psalm 2:8 [NLT]

  • His capability is obvious through the wondrous works of His power.

    “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27 [NIV]

  • His integrity testified by His track record of faithfulness to mere men.

    Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Deuteronomy 7:9 [NIV]

This is why we need to study the word of God intentionally so that we see His character and understand how He works. The word of God is our inside information, it is our rock. It keeps us standing when everything seems to be falling apart. It is this word that keeps us rest assured in God’s waiting room.

God wants to do it, He can do it, He has always done it. Therefore, we know that the next time will not be different.

The word of God empowers the wait, Always wait with the Word.

God bless you. Thank you very much for reading.

Written by Ayowade Adeleye (Through the revelation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit)