ARE ALL RESULTS FROM GOD?

MEMORY VERSE: Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. Numbers 20:11

BIBLE STUDIES: Numbers 20:8-11

If you are a true child of God, sooner or later the people around you will see the proof in your life. For instance, the sick will recover when you pray for them (Mark 16:17-20). Not only that, demons will obey when you command them to leave. As you work or study diligently, results will begin to flow in – you get good grades, good jobs, promotions, etc. As you work very hard, He will begin to show you ideas on how to solve problems. And as you solve problems, you become wealthy. Remember, the world richest men and women made their billions by solving problems.

Results alone are not proofs of a man or woman’s walk with God. Many of us naively believe that results are a proof of divine favour. Many of us do not believe that one can get results without God. You can definitely get results without God but the end will be terrible. An instance that comes to mind is that of Moses in Numbers 20:8-11. Even though God told him to speak to the mountain so that the rock will bring out water, He struck the rock twice and water gushed out. Although he produced results, he did it the wrong way and was severely punished for it. He did not enter the Promise Land.

NOTE: The point I am trying to make is this: don’t use results e.g. signs and wonders, prophecy, promotion, wealth, big ministry, big crowd, church building, connection, etc., as a yardstick to measure a man or woman’s walk with God. A man or woman can be as far as possible from God and still produce all these results. Don’t use results as a way to check if something is right or wrong. You could do the wrong thing and get what appears to be the right results. The only yardstick is godly principles based on the truth.

Samuel Oluwatoki.

THE POWER OF ASKING

MEMORY VERSE: Ask, and it will be given to you; [b]seek, and you will find; [c]knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

BIBLE STUDIES: Matthew 7:7-9

There is power in asking (for help, questions, etc). Our chances of receiving things from God e.g. blessings, help, spiritual gifts, answers to questions, divine guidance, deliverance, etc., increases when we ask Him. Matthew 7:7 says: “Ask, and it will be given to you….” Had the blind man in Luke 18:38-43 not asked our Lord Jesus Christ to restore his sight, the man would probably have spent the rest of his life in darkness.

Our chances of receiving things from people e.g. help, answers to questions, directions, etc., increases when we ask them. Regardless of how prayerful you are as a man, you can miss out on a good woman if you don’t ask her to marry you.

Our chances of increasing our reservoir of knowledge increases when we ask questions. In addition, our chances of improving our quality of life increases by asking the right questions. You can start by asking yourself some critical questions e.g. why do I do what I do? Why do I dress the way I dress? Why do I speak the way I speak? Why do I have the friends I have? What I am about to do, will it add value to my life? What I am about to do, will it move me closer to the purpose of God for my life and my goal? Am i getting closer to my goals ? Am I making the best use of my time? Is this relationship pushing me closer to God and my goals or further away? Am I spending my hard earned resources on things that matter? I spend time praying, do I spend enough time to develop the right skills to achieve my goals? The people advising me, do they have my best interest at heart? The people advising me, will they give the same advise they are giving to me to their partners or their children? The people advising me, have they proven themselves to me that they care about me? Am i spending my time helping others fulfil to their goals and purpose in life while my goals and purpose suffer?

NOTE: Questions can reveal motives and agendas. Question improves knowledge. One question you must always ask yourself is why I am doing what I am doing.

Samuel Oluwatoki