Thursday 23 October 2008

Why pray when you can worry?

"Take it to the Lord in prayer"

I was just thinking about a present challenge some minutes ago and just as it seemed to be looming over my head and tears wanted to start trickling down ,I just heard whispered "take it to the Lord in prayer".I have heard those words somewhere before,hmm,from a hymn.So I decided to check on the internet for the lyrics as I could not remember the first line of the song.I checked for the verses and want to share some with you.

It is a  familiar hymn  song  and though it has been on for centuries(written as a poem in 1855 by Joseph Scriven and composed as music by Charles Converse),the truths in it are timeless.

"What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer."

You know it is one thing to think about a challenge and allow it to overwhelm you,it is another thing to believe the Lord as you wait for his promises in your life to come true.Most times the problem is not receiving the promises ,but being able to wait for it like Habakkuk says till it comes to pass.(Hab 2 v.2).I am always intrigued and need to remind myself that God has my best interests in mind.He is thinking about me constantly and He knows all I go through.

As I write this piece,I remind myself that God wants to be trusted by all of us his children.I should trust Him enough and not give in to worry.Trust Him enough to carry everything to Him in prayer because He cares.Why do I pray if I can worry.Only one can be properly done at a time successfully.Worry will get me nowhere just as much as a rocking chair will do.It will be a lot of activity,analysing,draining me of my strength to carry on having robbed me of my joy.

No .I am not going to go down that path!

It is always unprofitable(that's a lesson I have learnt over the years).Rather I choose to pray about this and trust God.After all,that was why Abraham was counted as righteous.

God wants to be trusted.

Trusted enough to believed and to be obeyed because the central issue in our walk with Him is a matter of trust.Every relationship is built and grows on trust.That is why the hymn writer,John Sammis in 1887 said "trust and obey".If we do not trust God,we cannot obey him.(obey him not to worry for a start!)

Take it to the Lord in prayer,He is able.

Continue to flourish,

Grace Tom-Lawyer.





Wednesday 15 October 2008

He has no nightwear.

"Behold he that keepeth Isreal shall neither slumber nor sleep"Psalms 121 v.4 KJV.

Two days ago,I was packing my things for an overnight job and needed to take my sleeping clothes as I packed my overnite bag.I used them and on returning home,I decided to sleep properly on my bed(you know the feeling).So I had to change again.

After changing clothes ,I decided to look at some of my study notes and came across a note I had made of a praise name of God that someone used while praying.She referred to God as the "God who has no night wear".

I am really used to so many praise names of God and all He has but this one that is seemingly negative left me thinking ....and suddenly it dawned on me.

He has no night wear because He does not need any night wear!

For him there is no night,He is never tired.He has just set the times and seasons for us.So He keeps watch 24/7 .I have been on call at various times but the most I have worked has been 13 hours sort of straight with breaks and whenever I get home from such long shifts,I am really exhausted.As humans we have been created with a need to sleep and rest.But going on over the ages ,without sleep is still beyond my imagination.

God is indeed awesome and worthy to be praised.While we are asleep,he watches tenderly over us.I am glad that God does not sleep.Imagine how the world would be if He ever did.How sad is it then that when we wake up in the morning,we do not just take the time to say "Good morning,Lord".

I beg that the next time you wake up from sleep,be it on your bed(not all can afford it) or in a chair(dozing,when you are supposed to be reading!),remember to praise the God who has no nightwear.

Continue to Flourish,


Grace Tom-Lawyer.

You've got mail!

During my undergraduate days,we had a Bible study in fellowship where the question for debate was whether Jesus ever laughed.Some brethen got up and said there is no scriptural reference to Jesus laughing!hmmm.Well after a lot of delibration,one brother said that we can infer that Jesus laughed because children came to him and children do not normally want to be with an adult that is frowning or not playful!

Well,I have an elder brother who I look up to because of his great writing skills and the humour with which he writes.Because I am asking the Lord to increase my sense of humour,I will be sharing as much as possible, some of the humorous mails he sends to me with his permission.I am subject to the Data Protection Act.Please enjoy the one he sent sometime ago shortly after the census in my country.

From: "Godwin Tom-Lawyer"
Subject: Re: Why I never marry!

In recent times I have been questioned as regards my marital status (wetin concern dem? my Mama no complain), I usually parry such questions with standard responses such as "If I dont get married in 2007, then it will be 2008, if not 2009 or maybe 2010". The questioner usually walks away in laughter (Problem solved!)At other times I have had to respond "na the money we dey find", to which the retort is "you dont need money to marry" (Havn't they heard that song "No romance without finance"?).

Anyway some are brave enough to ask how much I need "N100 million would be a good starting point, infact if you give me the N100 million I'll let you choose an additional bride and name my first child male/female after you" Of course they dont have N100 million to give me. So I'm left alone. (Thank God!).

But the one thing I have refused to do is to say "we are still looking for the girl" God help you if you ever acknowledge needing help in that department.A friend who did had several passport pictures of apparently beautiful females sent to him, but on a sighting of the damsels...wahala dey... one particularly beautiful girl had a k-leg which according to my cousin Jumble "the babe k-leg start from armpit" (God abeg!)

Another friend asked his mother to send him a girl from the village "wey im eye never open" the poor woman sent a blind person!Another one said the people in the television were staring at her (okay, I'm lying! call Police for me)

However with the announcement of the recent census results my work has been cut out for me, my reason:"DONT YOU LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY? THERE ARE MORE MEN THAN WOMEN!"

PS: Truth is by the time you subtract the females you are related to, those who are married (monogamous/polygamous), engaged, about to marry and otherwise structurized, children, grannies, nuns, etc etc the demand far outsrips the supply i.e. the shortage is acute.(Q.E.D)Abeg make una leave me jare, I still dey office!



Hope u had a good laugh like I did ......
Life is meant to be enjoyed
laugh more!!


Grace Tom-lawyer.

Friday 10 October 2008

Counting my Blessings(2)

"Thou hast given so much to me........Give me one thing more...a grateful heart"-George Herbert

I came across that prayer for the first time two days ago and I could not help but pray it again .
We all know how gratitude fuels us to do so much more.Remember how you felt the last time someone said a warm "Thank you".It is just so natural that the next time the opportunity comes,you want to do something for the same individual that has expressed gratitude.That is the trick praise singers use to get money from people in parties.(niaja settings!)


What does a heart full of gratitude do?It puts things in the right perspective and sets you at the right altitude.To have things in the right perspective means to begin to see things the way Good sees it and to know that every detail of our lives is of imporatnce to him.Have you noticed what happens when you just start to sing God's praises and take out time to truly magnify his name.There is a sweet presence that comes that makes Depression fly out at a faster speed than light because you cannot truly praise him and be depressed and you cannot really praise him if you do not know Him and how do we know Him?By spending time with him .

Once more ,I just want to encourage you to take out time everyday you wake up and as many times during the day to say Thank you Lord.

Continue to flourish

Grace Tom-Lawyer

Tuesday 7 October 2008

Counting my blessings

Recently,a friend sent this text to me from Nigeria.It said"its been 20years that i ve known u.I want u 2 know that i love u very much.tanxs 4 puttin up wit me all dis yrs.its bn a blessin knowin u.missin u.God be wit u"-B.That was thotful.

The past month of September is one that always brings a lot of memories .Most school calenders start in the month of September and it is always a season of making new friends.It's just one week today from September, but today I look back with gratitude to God for friendships made over 20 years ago when I first started out in Secondary school.These friendships have stood the tests of time.We have known the laughter and sorrows of each other ,our families and it is just so good to remember those years when we did not seem to have a care .I always say that apart from salvation and my family,the next best gift God gave me are my friends.
Their strength,support,rebuke(o yes,that's needed),truth over the years have helped me to weather through the storms and joys of this life.

Do you know a friend who has been there for you?I know that even as much as we strive to be Christlike,we all know a few people who we would honestly not refer to as friends.O yes,almost everytime they give a ring,it is because they have a request,,and they are there to teach us longsuffering.Whenever I think of them,I think about how Jesus related with Judas knowing fully well he was stealing out of the bag.That bag could be a viewed as a deposit bank..the relationship bank account.These people seem to specialize in making large withdrawals with little or no deposits.I am not talking about them today.I am talking about those who have been there and I am not saying thay they are perfect......who is however?

Do you have a friend like that today?Who has been there for you.Apart from thanking God and whispering a prayer on their behalf today,I encourage you to pick up the phone,send a text message,or an e-mail and tell them that you appreciate them.It is great to let them know that when you count your blessings,they are in your list.

Continue to flourish as you count your blessings,

Grace Tom-lawyer

Using Words wisely

"As Samuel grew up,the Lord was with him and everything he said was wise and helpful.All the people of Isreal from one end of the land to the other knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle".1 Sam 3v.19-21 NLT

Yesterday,we talked about using words wisely and I was looking through my study books and saw that I had jotted these verses at one time.
I remember being challenged by the fact that the Bible did not mince words and stated clearly that everything Samuel said was wise and helpful.Everything!And we have not known the Bible to exaggerate!

I will be the first to admit to you that not all my words have been wise and helpful always.I am striving to get there really.Get to the point that whenever I speak,it will be what will bring healing,bring hope,not what will cause disunity,strife.etc.
But as I pondered on that verse,I saw that there was a secret to Samuel's words being how they were.I think the preceding statements help us.It says that the Lord was with him .That means that as a result of his asssociation with the Lord,the language of God began to rub on him.Intimacy with God takes time and discipline.

In short,before that I am encouraged by the fact that the beginning part of the verse says As Samuel grew up....that means that getting to the stage where Samuel got to is not automatic,it comes as a result of growth which will only take place with time and nourishment.
Do you remember a sibling when he was a toddler and the vocabulary was limited but now,imagine that the vocabulary of that sibling(even as a teen now) is different from when he was a child.Initially,there was a mutter,sometimes not getting the words right.

So be encouraged today to spend more time with God(guard that time passionately) and know that we are striving towards the time when heaven can record of us that everything we say is wise and helpful.

Continue to flourish,

Grace Tom-Lawyer

Monday 6 October 2008

Words....use wisely

"A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver"Prov 24 v.11 Ampl.

I took a long break from my house cell meetings and was planning on returning since the reason for the break was over.O,I had exams to do,glad to let you know I passed (celebrations already over!).So I was in church when one of the kids from my cell group walked up to me and said"auntie,why don't we see you in house cell anymore?"

Honestly that left me thinking and it was so thotful.I had actually sent texts to my leaders and some members of the house fellowship saying I would be absent for some time.I forgot to tell the children also and she reminded me of how wonderfully sincere children are.It also reminded me of the time David was going through stuff and his friend Jonathan told him"you will be missed because your seat will be empty.."1Sam 20v.18 NIV(italics mine).You need to read the story.

I thought to myself that if a child could notice that I had not been coming,that means that my seat was empty and I said to the Lord"I don't want my seat to be empty anymore,help me to co-ordinate and strike a balance between all the activities I have to do".
Perhaps you are wondering what happened to the list of things you outlined to do this year,or you have found yourself clearly out of balance and you feel you would soon loose your mind if you do not slow down.
Just sometime ago,we were saying Happy New Year and suddenly,it is another Christmas in less than 12weeks.

It is not too late to ask God for wisdom to strike a balance and have the right words as He will gladly tell you. Him.Jas 1 v.5NLT

Humour-God has a sense of it!(2)

God daily loads us with benefits as His word says but most times ,we hardly notice.This is due most times to the fact that we have a TTD list for Him and seem to want to send him a "you have forgotten to do reminder". In 2 Cor 4 v 15-17,the Bible says"......not a day goes by without his unfolding grace....." The Message.

Not one day do we ever go through without God's benefits.Last time,I was talking about my friend.This same friend still had another encounter.This time around she was stuck with the last cash at home and was already running late ,so she decided to take a one way train to work.On arrival at her stop,she decided to start walking down to work and was approached by some people who asked for her directions.

She gave them directions and just as she turned to leave,they decided to show their appreciation for her time.They handed hersome paper.She looked and saw it was 3 valid megariders(weekly bus passes).They were actually strangers who had come to town and were leaving .She thanked them and started to think as she walked to work about the goodness of God.Leaving the house in the morning without a bus pass and suddenly being in possession of 3 buspasses for a week.Funny how God provides with more than enough,no wonder we insure with him!

Reminds me of Joseph,one day he woke up in the prison house and by evening,he slept in the palace.O that's Joseph you may say but I just want to encourage you today(and myself also)to thank God for his little mercies.In all the little ways....that you are sane,woke up on your own bed this morning,was not woken up by the sound of gunshots,brushed your teeth by yourself,you were able to make a wee,that you can even see and are knowlegeable enough to use the net and read this lovely article...yeah,there is somuch to be grateful for if we can but look.It is time to cultivate an attitude and atmosphere of praise,for there God's presence will dwell and become more real.

Humour-God has a sense of it!

You know the last time I was talking about insuring with God and recently something happened to a dear friend of mine which really made me laugh.

She rushed out of her home to work only to make a stunning discovery at lunch time that she had forgotten her purse at home(talk of the memory of the righteous being blessed!).She was hungry and was determined not to turn this to a fast(HIF-hunger induced fast).She decided to ask a colleague who gave her a few change which meant that she could only get something little.Well,better than nothing.
So she went to the Eatery and orderd something .However sat by her was a seeming gentleman who also ordered what she had ordered(what she would actually have had if she had her purse) in a larger proportion.

While they both waited for their orders,hers arrived first.As she was about to give thanks and eat,she noticed the man was watching her closely,and before she could get a bite,he grabbed her meal and ran out.She stayed dazed while the staff of the Eatery came over to apologise and begged that she be given another order.This time ,she got a large proportion.Talk of all things working together for good.She ate this very gratefully and when she told me,I could not help but think of the All sufficiency of our God .No wonder He is called our father and checking the Hebrew meaning for that word is SOURCE.

God provided as He always does ,leaving us doubtless about the source,with a sense of humour.

Saturday 4 October 2008

When I was a child(i)

You know it is so easy to be impatient and wonder what is wrong with some new christian and how foolish and utterly zealous the wrong way they may seem most times.But recently,I started beginning to recap how it was when I first became a christain(some 20+x)years ago.I and my friends as typical of new christaians devoured the scriptures with as much available time as we had.And we practically took everything as literally as possible and shared our various revelations.
Then one of us stumbled upon a revelation in Psalm 91.You guessed rite.The following verses "for he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go.They will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone" Psalm 91v.11&12.NLT.

However the issue with that verse was that in the boarding school where we were(niaja) ,there were lot of stones which we used to demarcate paths and for aesthetics.So we started walking carefully but whenever you hit your foot against any stone,you had to stop and find that sin you had committed that had made the angels leave you at that time.

Hmm,I see you laughing but that was how we thought then and I tell you sometimes it was difficult to find what you had done wrong but that was our revelation.I thank God we know better now,realizing that God's protection over us and his love is constant.Moreso that we do not need to wait to hit stones to know we have done wrong but have developed a sensitive conscience to the promptings of the Spirit.

Maybe you remember one of those revs of those days.It will be nice to share them as I will try to do anytime I remember.It just helps my sense of humour.
Have a blessed day

Friday 3 October 2008

dwelling safely

"The children of your servants shall dwell safely and continue ,and their descendants shall be established before you"Psalms 102:28..Ampl.

As part of my resolve for the last quarter of the year,I planned to study 5 chapters of Psalms and 1 chapter of Proverb daily and I came across this promise for the children of the righteous and it reminded me of an incident during one holiday when I was a teen.

I was watching a TV show when a commercial came up.It was by an insurance commpany urging people to take a life insurance.Apart from potraying a grieving family(in most African setting,the widow wears black),it also showed their house destroyed by fire and the children not being able to continue their education.The family was in obvious distress.The caption that later came up was how different things would have been if they had been insured.
Well in my little mind and in a flashI jst tthought about what would happen to us if something happened to my dad.
I turned and asked "daddy,who is our insurance company?"
He replied in five words that over the decades I have been ruminating over .
He said,"Grace,we insure with God".
That was a defining moment for me and I thank God for the wisdom with which my father answered me.I did not understand the depth of that truth then.
I am not against insurance but over the years I have tasted what it means to be insured with God.....when the bills come and you do not even have a job and He sends someone to give you some money.He is not like insurance companies who will need to do all manner of investigations before you are paid because He is there,was there when the incident occured,knows which will even occur next.....hmmm..no wonder He says He is acquainted with the birds in the forest.That is whay He is God.
I am GLAD(don't know about you)with the N0 1 insurance policy that I have.This insurance covers myself and all the memebers of my family,property and everything that concerns me.It is comprehensively comprehensive.Like the Psalmist I can say of Him"You are my portion in the land of the living"