THE OTHER SIDE OF SORROW

READ: MARK 4:35-38

Tiredness is another physical cause of spiritual slumber. When you work so hard without rest, you will become tired. This will negatively impact on how you pray, fast, and study your Bible. It will equally dull your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The human body is designed to recover through sleep or rest after a period of work. No matter how holy you are, no matter how anointed, if you continue to overwork yourself without resting, your body may not attain your God-given lifespan. Such a person would most likely die before the appointed time and face God to account for not fulfilling His plan for him or her right here on earth.
You shall not die before your time. You shall fulfil your destiny. Remember to sleep when tired. That is the cure. Jesus fell asleep because He was tired. It is possible to be physically asleep but spiritually awake and alert (Songs of Solomon 5:2). If you have been sitting down for long, stand up and walk. If you have been lazy, resting for you means begin to work hard. Luke 22:45 says sorrow can also cause sleep. Many unpleasant things and events may come to you with the intention of planting the seed of sorrow in your heart. Never allow it. Never open the door to the demon of sorrow. Resist, bind and cast it away in the name of Jesus Christ. If you allow sorrow, discouragement will follow. Then fear followed by suicide. The Lord will turn around every situation causing sorrow in your life, family and work place in Jesus name.
Sorrow has its reverse side. According to Psalm 30:5b, “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” That thing causing sorrow in your heart has another side. This is the side you should look at. Sorrow is only for a limited time. That unpleasant situation will soon end. Also joy comes immediately after sorrow, as morning follows the night. Your joy will soon swallow up your sorrow. Your morning of joy has arrived. Your morning of celebration will last forever. Look up to God and thank Him. Praise Him for the reverse side of that sorrowful situation you are in now. And it shall materialize.

MEMORIZE: ISAIAH 54:7 –For a small moment have I forsaken you: but with great mercies will I gather you.

FIRE BEFORE RAIN

READ: 1 KINGS 18:38, 45

Before God would answer Elijah’s prayer to send down the rain, fire had to come first. Why must fire precede the rain? God will never build your joy on a foundation of sorrow. When the fire fell on the altar prepared by Elijah, it dried up all the water. This represents your tears and everything that will not allow God’s fire to burn in your life. The water also represents those things that can quench the Spirit, or cause sorrow in your life. Before God’s promises are fulfilled in your life, the fire must first fall to wipe away all your tears.
“And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry you in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
Jesus says the promises of God the Father will be fulfilled in your life. Only wait for the fire to fall first. Before God builds your joy, success and prosperity, he would have to remove all the things that can cause the building to collapse. This was why the 450 prophets of Baal had to die. What are the things-habits, beliefs and deeds – capable of wrecking your blessing? Let God’s fire consume them.
Another reason fire should precede the rain is that you need the anointing to access maximum enjoyment of divine blessings. An adage says, ‘It is comfort that kills, not hardship.’ It is easier to manage hardship than success. It is difficult to fast when your freezer and refrigerator are loaded with diverse foods. Staying close to God in prosperity requires anointing. Several men of God who started well, have fallen because of comfort. When they prospered, they abandoned fasting to their congregations. May God never give me the kind of prosperity that will make me forget Him.
2 Chronicles 26 tells us of Uzziah who became king at the age of sixteen. He started seeking God and prospered as long as he did so. But prosperity stole his heart from God. He died a leper. How is your walk with God today? Are you allowing the blessings God has given you to take God from you? Do you still find to fast and pray? Allow the fire of God’s anointing to fall on you. Yield to the Holy Spirit today.

MEMORIZE: LUKE 24:49 –And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry you in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high.

CALEB AND JOSHUA

READ: 1 SAMUEL 25:2-13

Nabal was a wealthy man from the tribe of Caleb. He had many cattle. When his shepherds were with the cattle in the wilderness, David provided some security service for them. They made sure no wild animal devoured both the shepherds and the cattle. During harvest time, David sent his men to him to see if he can appreciate their service but Nabal disgraced and sent them away. David was angry and decided to use force. “But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereto he went; and his seed shall possess it” (Numbers 14:24).
Nabal was a descendant of the tribe of Caleb, an outstanding man of God. When Moses sent twelve spies to the promised land, he and Joshua were the only two who could believe that in spite of the strength of the enemies inhabiting the land, God will give them the victory and fulfil His promise. The above passage was a testimony God had concerning Caleb. On arrival at the promised land, when Joshua began to share the land, he went for his own share. While others were looking for easy parts, Caleb whose strength was still as he was in his youth requested for the hardest part – Hebron, a mountainous region where giants lived. And God gave him victory (Joshua 14:6-15).
How did a man like Nabal come out of the tribe of Caleb? It simply shows that as outstanding as Caleb was, he failed at home. He could not bring up his whole household in the way of the Lord to ensure that the same godly virtues were passed to his descendants. It is very sad. If you fail to imbibe in your children the virtues of holiness, hardwork, the fear of God, tolerance, respect for elders etc., before long they will expose you to the entire world. If you fail in your home, you are a failure. Joshua on the other hand was equally outstanding. He took over the mantle of leadership from Moses. But in his case, he resolved he must carry his household along in serving God (Joshua 24:15). It was a choice he made and God backed him up. We never heard that there was evil person from his house. Are you using God’s resources to rear up children for Satan? Repent and make amends today.

MEMORIZE: NUMBERS 14:24 –But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereto he went; and his seed shall possess it.