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This soothing message was prepared and delivered based on the following scriptural verses: Romans 8:35-38, Joshua 1:9, Matthew 6:25, Numbers 20:8, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
What can separate us from the love of Christ? Can worry? Worry about the future, work responsibilities and so on. The list of worries is endless. Worry interferes with God’s Spirit in our lives. And you need God’s Spirit.
Despite all these worries, God’s love for us remains unfailing. The reality is this: We all experience worry including me. Ask me what is my worry. You – how you will get Heaven… Because Jesus will come like a thief in the night. No one knows when and how. Where will you be?
If I know you today, I may not know you tomorrow. If you are with me today, you may not be with me tomorrow. Where will you be? Worries interfere with God’s Spirit in our lives. We all experience worry: worry about present, worry about our future and worry about failure.
Even the great heroes of our faith experienced their own share of worry about failure. Abraham, Moses , Elijah, John, Peter, Paul – they all knew what it was like to make serious mistakes but God used even their mistakes to bring them to the place where He wanted them to be because God never created failure.
Today, everybody desires breakthrough. Today, everybody desires success whereas disappointment sometimes serves to keep us for success. Failure sometimes serves to keep us for breakthrough. Setbacks sometimes serves to keep us for the future we desire.
God used their failure to bring them to the place where He wanted them to be – a place of honour. Abraham failed God when he fled to Egypt during the drought. Moses lost his temper and turned to violence more than once. Are you talking of David? He committed murder and adultery. Peter denied Jesus Christ and yet the Lord used all the people that failed Him.
No matter how many times you fail, His love never does. There are many successful people out there in our society all over the world that have once had the same experience you are going through – failure, setback, sickness, disease but today, God has changed their story.
Ask any successful people out there; they will tell you how much disappointment they have endured, how much sickness they have endured, how much failure they have endured and how much stagnation they have endured to come to their breakthrough, to the place of honour, the future they deserve.
Reason well as a Christian – you will see why you are going through the challenges you have. With deep reflection, you will see why you are going through the challenges. It takes faith to realise that our situation is a mere stopping interval – a short break between two events.
It takes faith not the experience we have today because you have gone all over the world , you are educated. No, not experience but faith. Our situation is a transit point to connect. It is not destination but a bridge to success.
What is your situation? What are you going through? Is it inability to get a job in spite of your qualifications? The great heroes of faith had their own share of challenges and God used their challenges to bring them to the place where He wanted them to be.
A challenge is not a crisis; it is a friend. It is a bridge. It’s a preparation. It is a stopping interval. Your challenge is a school of lesson. Challenges are the best college to learn how to handle your future.
What we see as failure is not failure at all from eternity’s perspective – from God’s angle. Jesus’ death on the Cross – His disciples at first thought it was failure but what looked like failure brought new life to all mankind.
Worries are a trap of the enemy to interfere with God’s Spirit in your life. Once you are worried, nothing good can work in your heart. The moment you are worried you are a servant of Satan. Worry can cause hypertension or heart attack.
What you see as failure may not be at all. Stop worrying. Can we call something that serves as a preparation, bridge, stopping interval a crisis? No. Once you are a Christian, your challenges are not like those faced by unbelievers.
This message was delivered by the late Prophet T.B Joshua of the Synagogue, Church of All Nations, Nigeria, and it was transcribed for our readers.
