THE PROSPERITY OF YOUR SOUL

JUST THINKING

Prosperity is one of the things God wants for us. But most of us classify prosperity as having cash in your pocket, in your account, having investments, and so on.We also see prosperity as doing well in one's career, job, business, vision and what have you. As a result of this mindset, we push and judge ourselves and others. This also drives people into doing everything possible to become prosperous. They indulge in activities that ordinarily they will be ashamed of. Some lie, steal, cheat, commit fraud, live a fake life, change figures, mix up wrongly and prostitute themselves just to look and become prosperous.
Proverbs 21:6 NKJV says, "Getting treasures by a lying tongue Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death".
When people lie, defraud and commit frauds to get rich, they are seeking death. They do those things without knowing they are calling death on themselves. Furthermore, some of us toil all night and day, some deprive themselves of rest and sleep to become prosperous because we define it as the state of being successful and having a lot of money.
Actually, prosperity is the state of flourishing, thriving, good fortune or successful social status. It often encompasses wealth but also includes other factors which can be independent of wealth to varying degrees, such as happiness and health. I love that definition of prosperity because it emphasizes that prosperity goes beyond money and wealth but also includes being happy and being healthy. So, what we see prosperity as is totally different from what it is in reality.
3 John 1:2 KJV says, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth".
The above scripture reveals that God wants us to prosper and be in good health even as our souls proper. It shows that the prosperity of the soul is the most important and a continuous thing we should seek to prosper. It also shows that the soul is the first thing in us that should prosper and other things will follow.
It is good to have finances and wealth, but if your soul does not prosper, then you may not be able to sustain your achievements in life. But if it prospers first and continues to prosper, you will be able to manage and sustain every other thing in your life. The prosperity of your soul affects and impacts your relationships, career, job, business and endeavours. For it to prosper means that it is in good conditions, sound, healthy, holy, pure, focused, not darting and so on. Your soul also prospers when you feed it with the word of God, the right information, relationships, when you pray, when you obey God and so on.
No wonder the bible says, ''what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world or prosper and lose his soul''. So, the prosperity of your soul is more important than accumulating wealth and riches. Please, do not gain the whole world and lose your precious soul.

THE IMPACT OF WORDS

JUST THINKING:

Different things and people influence us in different ways. They provoke us to do good or evil. For some people, it is money, women and power that could influence them. But words also influence every one of us. Words are so powerful that they can motivate or demotivate us. The words we speak to others could set their whole lives on fire or on the path to greatness.
Genesis 3:5‭-‬6 NKJV says that, "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate".
Words are so powerful that the devil used it to entice Eve that she was able to see differently that the tree of which God told them not to eat of is good. She never saw that the tree was good for food until she had that conversation with the serpent. In other words, words make you see, it gives you insights into things you don't know and never knew and it opens your eyes to see differently. This is why orators are good at using words because they can use them to motivate, convince, create impression, and so on.   
Paul said he had not come with enticing words nor with persuasive words of human wisdom but in the Spirit and Power of God that their faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. So, be careful of what you listen to because you could be inspired to do great things or inspired to do evil.
Mark 4:24 says, "Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given".
Many of the people who do evil were spoken into it. Someone somewhere convinced them with words which led them to evil.The measure with which you listen to something good or bad will determine the measure of good or evil that will be deposited in you.
If I may ask, "What and who do you listen to"? What kind of movies, songs, people, friends, and maybe colleagues do you have and listen to? Who do you seek advise from and who is your mentor?
Many  people have destroyed their lives because they decided to listen to the wrong persons. Promising future for some people has been or is being ruined because they listened or are listening to the wrong voice. The irony of it is that the people they listen to may not believe in or do what they tell others to do.
Many leaders in the past were able to convince their followers and secure a huge amount follower-ship because of what they said to the people who listened to them. This shows that the things or people you listen to, sharpen, reshape, build or destroy your life. What they say creates pictures on your mind that can provoke you to good or bad works, greatness or destruction.

THE HIDE AND SEEK GAME.

JUST THINKING:

The hide and seek game was an interesting game when I was much younger. As a child, you always looked forward to hiding so that you could be sought after by your dad, elderly one or a friend. But no matter how we hid somewhere, we would always be caught because children didn't know how to hide.
Today, people hide for one reason or other. When Adam and Eve heard God's voice, they went to hide. They thought they could play hide and seek with God. But were they actually playing hide and seek?
No, they were hiding because they had eaten of the tree God had told them not to eat of. They were trying to hide from God who is omnipresent. This shows that man became narrow minded after he fell. How could they think they could hide from the one whose eyes go to and fro the earth?
Hebrews 4: 13, "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must  give account".
Psalm 139:7‭-‬12 GNT says, "Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence?  If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there. If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me. I could ask the darkness to hide me or the light around me to turn into night, but even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to you".
No matter how dark you are, you can't hide from God. A very dark man in a very dark place can't hide from Him because darkness is light before him. People can hide from people but not from God. R.A.Torrey said, "Adam did not succeed in hiding from God. Neither will you succeed. No man ever succeeded in hiding from God".
Like Adam, many of us try to hide when we have sinned and messed up. The truth is that you can hide from men but you can't hide from God. Sin, indebtedness, pride, rejection, lack of confidence, complex, shame and so on make people hide. People hide in wait to attack others. They hide when they are practicing evil, committing crimes, stealing and carrying out wicked atrocities because they know that evil strives in the dark and sin strives in secret. But I thank God for Jesus. Because of him, we do not run or hide when we err. We run to the light instead, so that our deeds can be seen. Jesus is the light we run to.
John 3:20‭-‬21 NKJV says, "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God".
People who do evil do it in the dark but they can't do it in the light because the light exposes, reveals and shows who they really are and what they do. We all see in bright places but grope in darkness. Actually, it is only in God's light we can truly see light. But outside the light, we get consumed by darkness.

PROVISIONS IN THE PLACE OF OBEDIENCE.

JUST THINKING:

I have heard testimonies of people whose steps were ordered by God. They had an urge to visit or call someone and that changed their lives. The amazing thing is that they cannot explain how it all happened because it is beyond words.We also call God Jehovah Jireh which means God shall provide in the place of obedience. Many of us know it as "God shall provide" without knowing the "obedience" aspect of it. Those people who had a leading to visit or call someone had the testimonies to share with us because they obeyed the leading. This shows that God's commanded blessings can only be received in the place of obedience.
1 kings 17: 2-4 says "Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
The Lord spoke to Elijah to go to the brook that he had commanded the ravens to feed him. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. He obeyed God by going to the brook and he was fed by a Raven. If he had not obey God, what would have happened to him?
It is so strange that God commanded a bird and not a human being? Of all the birds why the raven? There are more beautiful birds and friendly birds but not a raven. It is very strange because a raven is a stingy bird. The raven, a selfish creature, thus abandons its offspring because it does not care for what is not its own. No wonder people will say, "He is as stingy as the raven".
Also, 1 kings 17: 8 -9 says, "Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you".
Is that not amazing? A widow who didn't have enough to feed herself and her child was to feed Elijah. There were rich people in that city that God could have sent him to because he was respected as a servant of God in Israel.
This shows that God can use the least expected person, thing,  circumstance to bless you and change your life. So, do not look down on people, the cleaners in your office, the gate man, security personnel, the "nobodies" around you, the house helps, and so on.  The ways of God could sound foolish and they may not make sense to our minds most times. However, if you can only obey him, your needs and provisions will be met. Do not despise his leading because your blessings are attached to your obedience to his word or leading.
Remember, Naaman in 2 kings 5:13, his servants had to convince him to obey and wash himself in the river. That led to his healing. God can lead you to go or to do big or small things but your obedience will determine if you will receive God's commanded blessings or not.

THE COLLAGE OF YOUR LIFE.

 JUST THINKING:

A collage is a technique of an art production, primarily used in the visual arts, where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. It may sometimes include magazine and newspaper clippings, ribbons, paint, bits of colored or handmade papers, portions of other artwork or texts, photographs and other found objects, glued to a piece of paper or canvas.

If you stand before God and He shows you the collage of your life on earth, what would be your response? Can you say at the end of the day that I came, I saw and I conquered.

2 Timothy  4:7 says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Steve Farrar wrote a book "Finishing strong". In the book, he spoke about people who started the race and fell along the way. He also spoke about what made them fall and what we can do to finish strong in the race we are running.

Truly, we are running a race but many of us do not realize it. In a race, there must be the starting point and the finish line. The aim of every athlete in a race is to win the gold. They want to get to the finish line first before any other athlete. So, they give everything to achieve that goal or target.They focus on the goal and refuse to be distracted by anything and anyone.

1 Corinthians 9:24 NIV says,"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize".

The problems of running, finishing, and winning the race can come from oneself, families, friends, the environment, money problems, career, lack of preparations, distractions, not following the rules, sin, cares of this life, lack of discipline and so on.

Mind you, you have to equip yourself by going through rigorous daily exercises as you focus on the race. Physical exercises are needed for those who run the earthly race daily. But the exercises Christians run daily are different. Although Christians carry out physical exercises, they also exercise themselves in the word,  prayers, evangelism and so on.

1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV says, "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever".

1 Timothy 4:8 GNT says, "Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future".

In the race of life, if you don't win the race or gold, make sure you finish the race strong. However, some may finish the race but with scars, injuries and as casualties. But the most important thing is that they finish the race. 

Do everything accordingly to finish the race set before you. You are not competing with anyone in the kind of race we are running. So, don't be distracted by the way others are running theirs. Your race has its own pattern, timing, and purpose which is different from that of others'.

POETIC FLOW: SORROW SHARPENS YOUR UNDERSTANDING

JUST THINKING:

We sleep each night like babies

And we wake up each morning like giants

We ask ourselves “what does this day have in store for us’’

At times, we get fulfilled at the end of the day

Other times we get frustrated by the events of the day

We all go through the same circle each day until death comes

Death comes unannounced most times

Other times, there could be an insight or indication that one will die soon

People die daily but we do not want to learn from it

The death of a loved one is always painful

It will cause pain and create a vacuum in lives of the bereaved

The loved ones will mourn over their departed

People will call and visit the bereaved to mourn with them

A lot goes through the mind when we visit people who are mourning

Sincerely, it is better to go to the house of mourning

It is a great place of learning

Going there is better than going to the house of feasting

Sorrow (mourning) is better than laughter

Sorrow may sadden your face

But it sharpens your understanding

The understanding that it may be your turn one day

That day, you will stand before your maker

The understanding that the living should always remind themselves that death is waiting for us all.
It is appointed for man to die once 

The understanding that you should live a holy life
Without holiness no one can see God

The understanding that we must reach out to people for the lord

It is the mandate given to Christians

The understanding that he who wins souls is wise

There is joy in heaven over one soul that repents
The understanding that death is not the end of a Believer in Christ
It is just a passage for the Believer to Eternity. 
Hallelujah. 


Note: The above poem was inspired by Ecclesiastes 7:3 (GNT) which says:
 ''Sorrow is better than laughter; it may sadden your face, but it sharpens your understanding''.