FAITH & OBEDIENCE TO GOD, during the waiting season. SEASON 1: EPISODE 9 FEATURING BERNICE
Hello lovelies, Episode 9 is here and we have my lovely sister, Bernice, who is writing on an important topic in your walk with God.
Let's begin...
ABOUT BERNICE YIDANA
It’s my pleasure to introduce myself to you. My name is Bernice Yidana, a young lady that earnestly loves GOD. My daily goal is seeking to please and honour God by being obedient to His Word. It may seem so impossible and daunting to focus on making God the centre and priority of our lives in this very generation, but don’t be overwhelmed, brethren, because God promises to help us and assures us of this in Philippians 4:13. I hold an undergraduate degree in BSc. Administration and a Masters in Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation, all to the glory of God! I’m very passionate about the wellbeing of children, I enjoy singing/listening to gospel music, cooking, reading, watching comedy amongst others.
Gentle Note to readers: This blog post contains a good number of Bible verses. I will implore you to find time to carefully study and meditate on these Scriptures directly from the Bible- for your constant spiritual growth and enrichment.:)
FAITH & OBEDIENCE TO GOD, during the waiting season...
Faith, Obedience, Patience, Prayer, Love, Forgiveness, Honesty are some of the vital traits to daily develop in our daily Christian walk of faith. However, "Faith and Obedience to God, during the waiting season" will be our topic of discussion.
How exciting it is when God showers His bountiful blessings upon us and gives us victory in difficult situations when we totally submit and surrender to His authority. I believe you can attest to this truth when you meditate on the goodness of the Lord in your life thus far. Oh don’t be ungrateful my dear, you did not win that battle on your own. Scripture reminds us that, “not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit says the LORD Almighty (Zechariah 4:6).
How about this? Praying and having to ‘wait for so long’ for a blessing/breakthrough you presume you need NOW- yes, I know this isn’t what you planned for. But it couldn’t have happened in any better way than God’s Way and in His perfect timing. When you don’t receive an answer to what you pray for, in the way you want it to happen, or at the time you want it to arrive, this can get so discouraging, right? Mmm let me pause for a second...., have you suddenly lost your faith and trust in God? Please don’t even think of it. You can’t be so blinded by the obstacles you’re currently encountering in life, that you no longer remember the countless blessings God has already given to you.
We cry out to God for help when all is not going well: “I need a breakthrough, I need a miracle, oh God just bless me with this or that and I will forever serve you”- I hope these statements sound familiar to you. Indeed, it is God’s desire to bless His children, but it’s also worth noting that no matter what we ask for in prayer, God has the ultimate plan and His divine Will must prevail in every circumstance.
Receiving breakthroughs or miracles in life is dependent on a number of factors including your FAITH and OBEDIENCE to the Word of God. Oh, sorry to burst your bubble...but yes, you need to be reminded that as a Christian, your faith in God and obedience to Him significantly matters. “In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). So many wrong/evil things now appear to be right/good in the world, and it’s sad to see children of God falling prey to the snares of the enemy. Do we love God? Do we keep His commands? These are reality questions worth pondering over. Brethren, let us not be complacent with our sinful attitude towards God, rather let us ask God for forgiveness, repent and sincerely turn away from sin. In addition, we need to totally surrender, submit and devote ourselves to Him. We need to constantly fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our FAITH.
In a world full of struggles, heartache and uncertainties one may think there will never be a time to be joyful in life, but as Christians the word of God supplies us with the truth we need to know in order to live a happy life even in the midst of chaos. It Takes Faith to live a victorious life despite the odds! Faith doesn’t automatically come when you endlessly proclaim ‘I need faith,’ instead, you must be intentional about building your Faith in God’s Word and trusting His promises daily.
What then is Faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
How does one have Faith? The answer is evident in Romans 10:17 “So then Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
After hearing the Word of God, you must obey it. As you continually respond to the Word of God, you grow in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and become alert to the commands of God; you also become spiritually fed and aware of the access you have to go boldly into the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help you in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). As a Christian, the level of your Faith must be a priority check in your life. You must be very intentional about maturing and deepening your relationship with God. Never settle or remain a “baby” Christian for so long. You were born to grow (physically), likewise, when you become a Christian you are ‘born again’ and saved to spiritually grow. When it is your earnest desire to spiritually grow, the Holy Spirit will enable you to feed on His Word, understand it and put it to practice (Obedience) so that you can thrive and survive at all times.
If you only trust God to do 'small things' (only things that you deem as possible), then when will you ever trust Him to do the big things (impossible things) - see Matthew 19:26.
God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph.3:20), but are you willing to walk by FAITH and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7)? Are you ready to listen to, and obey the voice of God even when it seems all hope is lost during the waiting season?
Remember that FAITH without works is dead (James 2:26). Are you ready to follow God's instructions and observe His commands- even when it doesn't make sense to you?
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24) - what are you believing God for? There is nothing too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:27).
Truth be told- the wait is tough and unpleasant. But with God on your side, you are more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:37) and you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil. 4:13). The testing of your Faith produces perseverance and patience to make you mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-3), so hang in there and do not be discouraged; only trust and obey, for at the appointed time God will make it happen.
Is this your first time having to wait to receive God's blessings? Certainly not! Did God not come through for you eventually after the seemingly long wait? Yes, He did! Is He not the same yesterday, today and forever? No doubt about that! If He did it before He will do it again; same God right now same God back then!
My dear brethren be still and know that He is God; He who began the good work in you will surely bring it to completion.
Stop pondering over how long you've been waiting, stop giving God deadlines or timeframes- because times and seasons are in God's hands alone. You are not the first, neither will you be the last person to pray and wait to receive an answer or breakthrough from God. Always trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings, in all your ways ACKNOWLEDGE Him and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Continue giving praise and thanks to God Almighty as you wait, for in due season; at the proper time He will make it happen. Don't give up, don't settle for less, and don’t try to move ahead of God by taking a detour that seems ideal to you. Your Obedience and unwavering Faith in God will produce Miracles that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Mind you- every day is a blessing, the gift of life is a great testimony and it is reason enough for you to give thanks and honor the name of the LORD daily. God created you and He has kept you alive for a special reason- Jeremiah 29:11. Count your blessings, and see what God has done- be grateful to God for all that He has done for you. He is still doing marvelous things; trust Him to work wonders in the future.
Don't compare yourself to anyone; also “do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.”(Romans 12:2)
Do you ever wonder why it seems some people who do not live to please God are prospering or moving forward in life but you're still struggling? Wonder no more brethren, because God sees and knows the heart of man and He judges our motives- read (1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 16:2, Jeremiah 17:9, Hebrews 4:12). Anything acquired through ungodly means has an expected end; likewise every good deed produces a reward (see Galatians 6:9). The time will surely come to give an account, so instead of being envious and anxious, pray for those people to turn away from sin and to wholly submit to God.
Also remember: God is God all by Himself, and He alone determines when and how to bless each person, so don't be too focused on expecting your miracle to happen in a particular way or at a certain time. God's ways are higher than our ways; His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). Everything God created is good, therefore be confident to receive His good and perfect gifts at the proper time!
When the tests/temptations begin to overwhelm you, continue to stand firm and diligently put on the full armor of God to win the battle (Ephesians 6:13-17).
Be grateful to God for whatever He gives you; as little as it may presently seem to you, He knows that it is the best for you at the time and of course He alone knows when the time will be right to multiply it or to give you better. Do not despise the days of small beginnings. Rather ask God for divine wisdom and strength to effectively and efficiently use what He has already blessed you with. It is actually preparation to receive more- until then, be prudent with what you have now, and make the most of every opportunity. As you pray with faith, remember that it is the LORD'S WILL that must ultimately be done, not yours. So don't get angry or feel disappointed, because God is aware of your needs and He knows exactly how to fill that void according to His perfect timing and divine precision.
Pray without ceasing. Pray for God's will to prevail no matter what you think you need at any point in time. God is omniscient; He knows better than you do. The conclusion of the matter is His hands! God has the final say in every matter that concerns you. Ask God to reveal to you the purpose He wants you to fulfill in life and faithfully pursue it. It may look or sound impossible and so daunting, but do not forget that with God all things are possible. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy, the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, the devil will continually give you all the reasons why you cannot live a purposeful life, but remember that the grace of God is sufficient for you. When your way of living is aligned with God's plan you are certain to receive what He deems best for your life at the proper time!
Stop the wishful thinking, stop lazing around, and stop procrastinating what you know God has instructed you to start doing in the “waiting season”. Noah obeyed the instructions God gave him; you can imagine what the story would have been if he procrastinated or disobeyed God's commands. Take that bold step of FAITH and move when God says so- Abraham moved when God told him to; yes, He didn't have a clear picture or vivid details of what God was going to do in his life, yet He obeyed God and held on to His promises throughout his life. Moving to an unknown place, without certainty meant totally trusting God with all his heart and acknowledging him in all his ways to direct his path.
Matthew 6:33 is a sure road map that guides us in our walk of Faith with God, truly “a relationship with GOD is the most important relationship you can have. Embrace it every day!”
You can't continue living a reckless life as a Christian (choosing to do only what pleases you or others, instead of pleasing God). In order to have a more intimate relationship with God, you must be intentional and determined to spend quality time fellowshipping with Him through effective quiet time/daily devotions, prayer, praise, worship, as well as meditating on His Word day and night. In addition, cultivate the habit of reading Christian books, and listening to godly music, audios, or videos to gain more knowledge and understanding in the Word of God.
In summing up- I urge you on, beloved, to wholly commit to living a godly life by studying the BIBLE diligently in order to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Wow, not forgetting one of my favourite Bible verse: Proverbs 16:3- “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” This scripture admonishes us to solely rely on God to empower us to become successful in all that we do in life, and it constantly reminds me to surrender all to Jesus because victory belongs to Him!
No matter what you are currently experiencing in life, I want you to know that God is with you- He will never leave nor forsake you, trust in His promises and joyfully serve Him, because in due season He will surely reward your faith and obedience to Him.
Live by FAITH one day at a time! (Mathew 6:34)
We must OBEY God rather than men! (Acts 5:29)
God Loves You!
Wow, wow, wow!! I am so blessed by today's post. I hope you have learned so much from this post and you will live a life worth pleasing to God. It's a great thing to serve the Lord. Faith and Obedience should go hand in hand and are the essential ingredients in your walk with God.
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If you do not know God or have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Personal Savior, please say the prayer below sincerely :) God Loves You!
With Love,
