‘’Be fruitful, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over every living creature, I give you everything that has the breath of life. (Genesis 1:28-31);
Mm…. and so, it was Man became Chief Caretaker of God’s beautiful world, then the story started.
Man is faced with the care of himself and the world within the guidelines of God, using the precious gift, his Free Will to choose.
Being able to live each day is great achievement. Sometimes it feels like you cannot make it however, but once you place your mind on it and rely on the Master Planner your creator, there is no limit to what you can do starting with a step.
You know when we take our first step in anything, we often do that with fright and a little butterfly at the bottom of our stomach, having mixed feelings and anxiety that we might fall or fail due to seen and unseen obstacles.
Like when we were much younger and took our first step, I bet for most of us this event is very vague in our memory so we may not recall, except we think back a little further into our past script.
If you can recall; you might remember Papa and Mama standing by and urging you on and at the same time watching and guarding you, so you do not fall or when you do fall, you do not get injured, then at the end of the short steps there is excitement and joy, even a gift of sweet for your success despite bruises along the way. So it is and much more joyful when you take the step to fulfill your purpose in life, with God leading.
At the beginning of each stage in our lives, we are unsure if we have made the right choice or can take steps to handle situations around us, while trying to love God, ourselves and our fellow Man. Then with silent prayer in alignment with our belief and trust in God we venture to take one small frightened step, then another and another until we become strong with each step, standing up to obstacles along the way and confronting the challenge to succeed.
You sometimes struggle and fail even after lots of prayers and physical effort; this naturally bothers you. Not to worry, you are not alone, others like you have at some point taken wrong steps and turns that led to failure. For every negative result there is an attached opportunity of a learning curve to change strategy and do better or change tactics to move forward and succeed. This means there is always a plus in every problem; we just need to look more intensely to find the plus and opportunities embedded therein.
In life, we are faced with both physical and spiritual challenges, so much that we wonder sometimes if we really own and have dominion over everything in this temporary world, as God said we do (Genesis 1:28). Each day has its own challenges with obvious bad and hidden good sides. The issue is that most times you and I see challenges only from the negative side, hence we get scared and worried believing the worst has happened to us.
Life on earth happens in different stages. No matter the stage you are in at present or the steps you have taken before now, it is only for a short time, shorter still if you look at the positive insight of each challenge and not only the negative side. In every difficult moment or extreme pain – physical or emotional – there is a positive purpose for the situation; you just must be open minded to the two sides of every situation, the threat and the opportunity that comes with it. No matter the guise at the time of presentation of the challenge there is an opportunity for you. So, review and strategize on how to react to the situation as presented.
Note also that for every stage there are two positions: Behind and In Front. There are always persons behind you and in front of you in whatever situation; as such no matter how challenged you are, someone is more challenged than you. Often, we concentrate on what we do not have and so the journey of life appears burdensome and challenging. For a moment, consider what you have and know that some people wish they have a little of what you have. Always be Thankful, Remember the story of the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11). Count your blessings one by one; you will be surprised how blessed you are, even in your present circumstance.
Everybody has a story, you are not alone. Remember these stories?
Moses and the Israelites – captivity to freedom in the promised land (Exodus 5 to 12)
Joshua and the walls of Jericho – that fell after God’s strange orders were obeyed (Joshua 5 to 6)
Job and his many trials – (Book of Job)
Hanna and the birth of Samuel – after years of barrenness (1 Samuel 1)
Peter denied Jesus three times, but was forgiven and became leader of the church (Luke 22:56-62)
More stories of trials and victory from people around you and I …………………….
Each of these people had their stories, just like we do now. For each story, there was victory because of trust in God, obedience and perseverance. After every challenge comes victory when we trust God with the wheel to lead and navigate our lives.
Be encouraged and know that the creator of the world loves you so much and allows only good to befall you. Also know that we are all in this situational issue together, our stories are linked.
Life itself is a story of one war and different battles; and it could have been worse without God, the supreme force in charge of all things. No matter your story, God knows about it and He is always on time. Just trust and obey Him, maintaining your relationship.
God sees everything, knows everything, owns everything and can do everything. You are not alone.
LON
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