Month: January 2021

Don’t try to solve a problem that Christ has already solved.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

After the kingdom of Israel was divided, the people did more evil than the nations that God had destroyed for their sake. The people worshiped idols, created evil altars and even desecrated God’s temple. But it was obvious that the kings of Israel and Judah didn’t have a clear sense of direction. They only did what they felt was the right thing to do. But as things got from bad to worse, Josiah emerged as king of Judah. Unlike his predecessors, he sought God and introduced some reforms aimed at purifying his country. Under his leadership, the people destroyed the evil altars and began to repair God’s temple. While the repairs were on, Hilkiah, the priest found the Book of the Law. Prior to that time, the Book had been missing.

When the contents of the Book were read to the young king, he tore his clothes in fear as he discovered they had not been acting in accordance with all that is written in the Book. It became clear that one of the reasons why the leaders of Judah had been misleading the people was because they didn’t know what was written in the Book. This story captures the importance of information. Possibly, if the people had been aware of the information contained in the Book of Law they wouldn’t have gone astray to that extent. Today, there are many Christians in the same situation. Because they do not study the word of God, they have gone astray, following the ways of the world. There are Christians who are trying to solve problems that Christ has already solved. Perhaps, what you currently need in your life is to start reading the Bible. I hope we will all discover the truth as Josiah did.

Prayer: Lord, reveal the truth to me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 15:14; 2Chronicles 34:14-15

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

The hymn, “The steadfast love of the Lord” has the popular lyrics; “They are new every morning, new every morning: great is your faithfulness, O Lord”. These words were taken from chapter three of the book of Lamentation. The entire chapter captures the feelings of a man who is going through deep pain. Although the author may be referring to Jerusalem, he personifies his message, making it like the thoughts of a person who was in great affliction. The author is worried that God had driven him away and made him walk in darkness rather than light. God had continually worked against him, to an extent that he now found himself in a situation where he could no longer escape from God’s wrath. 

There was a time I had a similar experience. My problems were so many that I lost the will to fight. While I was praying, it seemed like God had shut his doors on me. Instead of moving ahead, I found myself stuck. If you ever find yourself in a situation like that, never give up. Even if you think God has abandoned you, continue to wait on Him; believing that God knows what you are going through and that He would come through at the right moment. That was exactly what I did after I stumbled on Chapter three of the book of Lamentations. The same person who was crying out his heart to God also said; “it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” He went on to say in verse 31, “For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.” Don’t be carried away by the troubles you see. Though God allows trials in our lives, in the end, He will show compassion because He loves us.

Prayer: Lord, I know you are on my side. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Lamentation 3:1-32

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Just as we go to school to be trained, God also enrolls us in His training program.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Joseph was a young man whom God had preordained to be a great leader.  But he was a small Jewish boy who didn’t have the right qualifications. He only knew how to take care of sheep and run errands for his father. Joseph didn’t even have the toughness of a leader because his father pampered him. To prepare him for the opportunity ahead, God had to let him go through some challenges. At first, his brothers sold him into slavery, then his master’s wife framed him and he was sent to jail. But while he was in prison, a situation arose which led to him, fulfilling what God had originally planned for him. When he reunited with his brothers, he didn’t curse them. Instead, he said “God sent me before you”. Joseph had realized he had been a student in God’s training camp, all along.

Just as we go to school in order to prepare ourselves for opportunities, God also enrolls us in His training program. But unlike our school’s training program, God’s training takes place without our permission. When God enrolls us in his training camp, we don’t have to pay any money. The cost is patience. In God’s training camp, you may not understand what He is teaching you until He finishes the training. While your school’s training program may focus on building your professional skills, God’s program is often about building your character. Just as you will be tested in school, God will allow life to test you with trials. It is after you have proven to your school that you can pass every test that you would be deem fit for graduation. In a similar way, God will make you sure you are strong enough to pass and withstand every test before He will promote you.

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to pass the test. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 105:17; Genesis 45:7

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Your achievements are the things that draw people to you.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Too often, we want to be celebrated the moment we start pursing our dreams. You may have a great project in mind; you may have an idea that could make you and others rich, but if the idea is still in your head, people aren’t going to support you as you would expect them to do because people are more interested in what you have done than in what you intend to do. Several years ago, when I told people I wanted to start an NGO, I didn’t get the support I needed. Within the first few months, my volunteers abandoned my project when they didn’t see any meaningful results. At that time, the ideas I had about the project was inside my head and I couldn’t convince others that it was profitable. Later, when my project was selected and honored with an award, people began to show interest in the project.

People prefer to support an idea that has been tested. What you intend to do isn’t what people want to hear. Your achievements are the things that draw people to you. When Saul was made king, there were some Israelites who didn’t embrace the idea of having Saul as king because they didn’t know what he could do. In other words, they saw him as an idea that hadn’t been tested. So they despised him. But Saul was wise. He didn’t try to convince them. Instead, he kept silent and waited for an opportunity. Soon afterwards, his people were threatened by Nahash the Ammonite. Saul seized the occasion to prove himself. After leading a successful war against the enemies, the people discovered what he could do. That is, he became an idea that had been tested. So they decided to support him by reaffirming his kingship.

Prayer: Lord, enable me to prove my critics wrong by my achievements. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 1 Samuel 11: 1-15; John 20:28-31

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Don’t try to run away from trials.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Job is one of the most inspirational characters in the Bible. When he was prosperous, he stayed faithful to God. When he lost everything, including his children, he remained committed to God. And as he held on, he got discouragements. First, his wife asked him to curse God and die. Then his friends tried to make him think he was suffering for his sins. But Job knew he was innocent. At the same time, He was aware that God wasn’t the architect of his predicaments. But then again, he still couldn’t figure out why he was surrounded by many troubles. What Job didn’t know was that he was going through a test. His trials were intended to test his commitment to doing God’s will. Like Job, maybe you are overwhelmed by the crisis in your life. 

Don’t think you are under a curse. If you’ve already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, don’t be deterred. Not all problems are caused by sin or mistakes. As we have seen in the case of Job, even the rich and the most righteous person can be overwhelmed by indescribable challenges. If you are determined to follow God’s will, you will be tested with troubles from the enemy. Don’t try to run away from trials. Instead, make up your mind to be an over-comer. When Jesus prayed for his disciples, He said, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” Obviously, Jesus doesn’t want you to run away from trials. He wants you to be an over-comer. When Jesus reminded us that we will have trouble in this world, He quickly advised us to stay strong because He has overcome the world. Stay strong in Jesus!

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to overcome my challenges. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Job 5:17-19; John 17:15; John 16:33

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.