Christ in me is to live to die is to gain – 2 Timothy 4: 11

I started this morning with career buddy sending me an email about how workplace ought to pay people for aptitude tests and exams for over one hour. we the strident working conditions in my country everyone seems to be complaining that “their employers are slave drivers” but no one wants to quit. So, career buddy suggest we vote that applicant be paid to write exams either yes maybe or no. For some reason, I clicked on maybe that is sometimes.

I forgot that as about last week, I got a request for an aptitude test, which I believed was just about excel use until I noticed it had a GRE framework type of question for this interview and I was angry, first because in my previous place of work someone had pestered me to do the exam first I was in no mental mood for dealing with more validating, so I ignored him, also because the situation was sketchy and lastly I just could not catch a break. To realize I had to go down this preparation stage again was not just agonizing plus I am still running another course and application.

Later I opened my daily manna and read this: Not being good enough – Luke 22: 54 – 62

As children, we fear the monsters living in our wardrobes. Then we begged our parents not to turn the lights out. And no matter what we never looked under the bed, just in case one was hiding under there. The feeling of not being good enough is by far the biggest and ugliest MONSTER ONE WILL EVER ENCOUNTER in the YEAR 2024!

We are good enough because God DOES NOT CREATE A “NOBODY.” Did God not use Moses as a murderer? Yes! God used Rahab as an International prostitute! As a young pastor, after resigning from PHARMACY to obey the call of God. It took him a while to realize that this worry was only holding him back from being the best for God! Once again, he let go of his fear and started to believe in GOD’s Grace and his abilities started changing Iin the long run, what matter is that you are doing your best, learning, growing and that you are good enough for now but a work in progress.

And I was like how this concerns my present circumstances. And something reminded me when I started walking with God, how I taught I was mad when I heard his voice and he had to validate me that he is here! I guess that sometimes we need to be reminded that we are his (He told me who I am, I am yours). I then understood that sometimes some people can lose sight of what is good, and God is good because of how bad the world is. And that doubt as Thomas is always welcomed as we have an assurance that Jesus is risen, he rises in us to answer and thus when I remembered the number of times Jesus validates us. It’s hard to not be hard on this people, because well I am not GOD, but I’d like to be as he is. Therefore, even if I am not as good, I have no fear going forward because doing the best, learning and growing is the best I’d put forward and that should be enough. I had stop worrying about the number of things heaping up and do what I can just do.

with God and I it always seems like a wrestle and apparently my second favorite bible character is Jacob, because he wrestled with God and prevailed. I wonder sometimes how managed this feat. In our relationship with God, it always seems like it’s a surrender to self (dying) so Christ will be revealed in US. It is the only time I see what the death of Jesus felt like at the cross. Because when we die to our will, it is Christ that is revealed in US. Only, Jacob managed to wrestle with God and prevailed. Resigning your will to surrender is dying to self and I guess the process never gets easy. Judges 6 – 8 came to my mind the number of times God had to validate Gideon, may God have mercy on us:

Judges 6: 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

Judges 6: 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

God validating Gideon: The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

Judges 6: 14 Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

God validating Gideon: The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Judges 6: 17 “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. ¹⁸ Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”

God validating Gideon: And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

God validate Gideon:

 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

²⁴ So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

I also understand this happen with Samuel and Eli when Samuel first heard God voice as well as Thomas. So, it’s a common that can happen to anyone as well as has happened to US. I really hate validating anyone, but I guess God is right we all need a nudge from time to time.

Prayer point:

Thank you, Lord! I am worthy because you said I am worthy.

Indeed, I can’t stop negative comments or prevent negative labels, but I choose to not let them hold me back!

Pray over your expectations now! My expectations are from the lord and my expectations will not be cut shut! Proverbs 23: 18

Pray as led today.

2 Samuel 7:18-29 King James Version 18 Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come.