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THE KAIROS TIME

When is God’s Right Time?

Isaiah 60:22: “When the time is right, I, the Lord will make it happen”.

Have you ever been at a place of expectance, and you truly believed God was going to deliver what you asked for, and then you ended up not receiving what you hoped for? That has been my life for the past five months. The walk on my salvation journey has been beautiful yet so breaking. There are days when I wake up so hopeful and full of faith. However, some days, I wake up weary, with the Spirit of heaviness looming over me. I have believed God, questioned Him, doubted Him, and yet today, I stand here giving a testimony of how good God has been. My desire to see God deliver His promises over my life according to my timeline has made me question God’s power whenever I end up disappointed. [Jeremiah 29:11-14: And the Bible says, For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. You will find me, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive]. I do not know why I question God when He has promised me a future and hope. I do not know why I let my doubts rob me of my blessing. And every time I break, I keep reminding myself that my King is risen, and even though I can’t see the promise, I will still believe Him because what He says is as good as true. He has promised to deliver me from my captivity as long as I seek Him with my whole heart. And it is not easy to seek God when you are drowning. It is not easy to sing His praises when the trials of life overwhelm you. But one thing I tell my heart daily is whether God says yes to my requests, whether He says no, or He says wait, the one thing that doesn’t change is His Glory. God was, still is and will forever be worthy of all the praise and worship. I have decided that I will praise Him at my darkest hour, and when I finally hold the blessing in my hand, I will testify of the battles we have won together. I remind my soul every day that He is the God of the hills and valleys and gives me every joy and pain, yet through it all, He will remain. Today, I felt so weary, yet my Spirit prompted me to write this so that anyone going through storms and feels like they have hit rock bottom, I am here to remind you that you are not alone. You are God backed, and may He strengthen you till you reach your promised land. Every time you want to question God’s plan, remember that when God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, there was a shorter path that they could have used, yet God took them through the wilderness where they encountered the Red Sea. [Exodus 13:17-18]. God knew they were not prepared lest the Philistines followed them and fought them, or worse, return them to Egypt. I am reminded that God knows us better and acknowledges our weaknesses. God considers every minor detail concerning our lives when He makes decisions. The Israelites did not know the implications of that shorter route, yet God knew. This explicitly depicts the nature of our God. He loves us immensely and always protects us from unknown battles. When reading this part of the Israelites’ story, we often concentrate on how God demonstrated His power by parting the Red Sea, which is amazing. Still, we overlook the greatest thing He demonstrated. God showcased His love in the way He protected the Israelites from the impending danger they couldn’t perceive. Yet God knew He had gone ahead of them and seen battles they could not see. In our daily life scenarios, the mishaps we encounter make us question God, forgetting that His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways. [Isaiah 55:8-9]. However, even with all this knowledge about the nature of God, I often find myself in a place of doubt. I acknowledge how hard it is to hold on to the truth of God’s word. Today, God reminded me that my flesh may fail and give in to weakness; however, it doesn’t mean I am alone just because I am weary. The Spirit of God helps us in our weaknesses. And though we may be weary and not know what to pray for, the Spirit Himself intercedes us with groanings that cannot be uttered. [Romans 8:26]. This is the most crucial part I often forget when I wallow in my sorrows. I know I am not the only one who goes through this, and that is why I stand in prayer today and ask that God will always be reminded that we are backed up in our weeping season. May we always be strengthened by the Spirit of God when our flesh succumbs and fails us. And God’s right time is when we are at a point of full submission to His will. [Romans 8:28; And the Bible says, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose]. To love God is to walk according to His purpose, and we only get to walk in God’s purpose by doing His will. We do God’s will by fully submitting to His authority when we let go of our plans and embrace God’s plans. This is the hardest part, and I believe I am not the only Christian who struggles to walk in obedience. The flesh fights God’s will, and often, my desires are carnal. [Matthew 16:25] Jesus says that following Him comes at a great cost of losing oneself, but the alternative is to lose one’s life permanently. We cannot follow God and yet have different desires from His desires for us. To truly follow God means surrendering to God’s authority without question. Sometimes, we fail and let fear creep in, making us doubt what we believe. We start seeing our situations from our lenses, forgetting that just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are the ways of God. We cannot comprehend His thoughts and often question what doesn’t add up to our logic. Remember when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were to be thrown into the fire, they did not question God, asking Him why He would let them be burnt. Instead, they confidently entered the fire, knowing God would deliver them. [Daniel 3:16-25]. This reminds me that God doesn’t remove our problems; rather, He walks us through the problems. In the fire, God protected the three men and delivered them. This is the submission that God has called us His children into. All God has required of us is to trust Him, and His outstretched arm will deliver us from every evil. When I find myself in trouble, I first try to pull myself out of the situation, and when I fail, I call unto God. Today, I acknowledge this weakness, and as you read this article, may our hearts be united in one prayer: that we will learn to turn to God first before trying to figure it out. We will learn to be still and let God fight for us [Exodus 14:14]. God is in our midst, and we shall not be moved; He shall help us, just at the break of dawn [Psalms 46:5]. Today, as I was trying to find ways to clear my debts, I failed miserably. I was so heartbroken, angry, and disappointed. Those debts have been overdue for a long while, and every time I think I am getting a financial breakthrough, I end up hurt. And each time I question God today, I remember that at the right time, God will make it happen [Isaiah 60:22]. When I got this revelation, I questioned God again, asking why that right time wasn’t happening in my life. I question when God’s time truly is, and I found out God’s time is when I fully give Him access to do His will over my life freely. God’s time is when I stop having plans B and C and rely on Him as my only plan. I felt led to share this with someone who was also questioning God’s time. When we question His timing, we hinder His plans for us. Thus, we unknowingly delay our blessing because when we try to figure it out, it is like competing with God to see who finds the solution fast. We are either walking in submission or rebellion. Whenever we fail to follow God’s will, we rebel against His authority. And God can not act unless He is the one leading you. My prayer today for all Christians struggling with obeying God’s will is that the Holy Spirit will bestow upon us the gift of faith. With faith, there is trust, and it is easy to obey God when we fully trust He has good plans for us. Plans to give us hope and a future and that He will not fail us. All God requires of us while encountering the mishaps in life is to be still and know He is God [Psalms 46:10]. When we let God’s will be done, He will bless us according to His timeline, which is God’s right time. And whilst God can gift us with the grace of speed and acceleration, remember that we can only attain this grace by obeying Him. God is a loving father, and His plans for us are prosperous. He has bestowed favour upon us, His beauty rests on us, and He establishes the work of our hands [Psalms90:17]. Whenever you trust God for something, give Him something to work with, and when you are at a dead end like me, and you have no idea what to give Him, give Him obedience. Obedience coexists with faith and trust, and remembering faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain [Matthew 17:20]. You may not have anything to give to God, but our obedience moves our Father’s heart. I pray for anyone in a hopeless situation to take on the shield of faith and trust in God. Within a day, Joseph became a prime minister [Genesis 41:38-45]. God favoured Joseph, and let’s not forget that He always walked according to God’s will. He was put in prison for a crime that he did not commit, yet he chose to trust God, knowing that God has a good future for him. That same God is the one we serve and trust for miraculous breakthroughs, and remember He has promised to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power in us [Ephesians 3:20]. All we need to do is to trust and obey. God’s right time is at our point of total submission.

God’s love is amazing, and His mercy surpasses all.

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The Art of Forgiveness

FORGIVENESS

[Matthew 5:44: Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you]. I found this verse very hard and difficult to deal with you know. I mean forgive and love those who hate you, oppress you and do you wrong? Like how practical is that? It sounds very ridiculous, or so I thought. How can God expect me to forgive what is beyond broken? It gets worse when the trespasser isn’t feeling any remorse: yet God says I should forgive. I thought forgiveness is only reserved for those who are apologetic about their wrong doings. I even went farther to say that God gets to forgive us when we repent of our sins. Then He asks me to forgive someone that has  not acknowledged their wrongs? To worsen it the person keeps on adding insult to injury on daily basis yet God says I should forgive.

Forgiveness is a command from God. It is not a suggestion that is up for debate. [Matthew 6:14-15 says, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses]. Forgiving those who wrong as is a requirement for us to access the throne of God’s mercy. We are called to obedience and we get to yield when we do that which is illogical  but makes sense according to God’s word. That which beats the flesh’s emotions gives room for our spirit man to be elevated. And God is not asking us to do the impossible. He has already demonstrated that forgiveness of any grievances is achievable. He showcased that when He did not withhold His precious son from us. He could have chosen to destroy mankind it was just one man and one woman. Had God chosen to destroy them, He couldn’t have suffered any loss. And being sovereign as He is, He would have started a new creation and Adam and Eve would have become a story of the past or non existent. I mean this logically makes sense, but His thoughts towards us are higher than ours. His love being so unrelenting, He chose mercy over judgement. [Ephesians 2:4 says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy].

Logically, we are still presenting the argument that Adam and Eve were punished for there sin and that is right, but on a deeper level, God would have chosen total destruction and no one could stop Him. But He chose to withhold death at Eden. This just demonstrates that He is just in every way but His mercy also abounds. So back to forgiving our enemies, that person did not kill you right? That person did the worst, he exceeded the limits and hurt me in ways I never saw coming but God says I should forgive. And I contended with God with every argument but funny enough, before a Holy God, I had fallen short of His glory yet He chose to love me. I am created in God’s image and likeness and I project my heavenly Father. The Bible says in 1st John 4: 17: Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. We mirror Jesus here on earth and so if Jesus can forgive, I am also able to forgive.

I am very much empowered to love through hurt and pain and that is the power that worketh in me. The person who hurt me is also God’s child and God plays no favourites. The only difference between that person and I is that we are operating from separate kingdoms. I am operating from the kingdom of light while he is still immersed in darkness. And God calls us to spread our light. So how can I, a light carrier go round hating on people like someone who is ignorant of the knowledge of God? The same grace that was extended to me is the same thing God wants me to give out. The best part is that the grace is not mine in the first place. Grace is God’s gift and God does not want me to be selfish with the gift He has give n me. The same God who translated me into light is also in the business of transforming the wrong doer. [Ephesians 4:32: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you].

At times it may seem like God is unfair because those who hurt us keep on thriving at our expense. [Nahum 1:3: The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished]. No sin will go unpunished for He is a just God but He expects us as His children to trust Him enough to give Him room to seek vengeance on our behalf. God wants to fight for us, He desires to be our defender. After all, why would He need to possess so much power yet we do not allow Him to demonstrate it in our affairs. And can we please stop praying for our enemies to perish, I mean if all of them are wrecked, in whose presence will God prepare the table for us? And it is not necessary that because someone wronged you, they will be destroyed. That is also God’s child and if they repent, mercy will overwrite their sins and if you were looking forward to their downfall, you will start feeling bitter towards God’s form of justice, yet God does not operate in our way, His ways are higher than ours and He looks at the bigger picture.

Pray for those who wronged you persistently until all the feelings of bitterness, anger and resentment are dead in you towards that person. Facts are that if someone and you have to be in the same presence, it is logical that there is something you share in common joining you to the same places. As such, you should pray for your enemies to thrive so much that your table in their presence will be of greater value. Imagine if your enemy is a big shot and God has to prepare a table in their presence, and of course God loves to show up and show off, wouldn’t that table be so big and intense? Praying for the well being of those who hate us or wrong us is also a prayer of God’s elevation in our lives through supplication.

Furthermore, you can’t be a carrier of God’s agenda and do His will when there are loop holes of unforgiveness. That small window of resentment you are leaving open is an access for the roaring lion to devour you. The devil is known to be cunning and crafty; he can magnify a small feeling that is not of God and use it to hold down your destiny. Every time you are refusing to forgive someone, you bare burdening yourself with the devil’s baggage and stagnating your growth. Forgiveness is of more benefit to us that it is to God. Mostly we think we are doing God a favour by forgiving our oppressors but we are just creating room for God to use as more. And God’s will for us is more beneficial to us because we do not add to God nor take away from Him. He has been, He is and He will still be to the ends of the earth, His kingdom remains. What benefit can we simply give to the Almighty and sovereign God, what is our submission compared to the owner of gold and silver? Can we withstand the creator and make of earth, He simply uses us because He loves us and wants to make us significant by partnering with us. Burst out of that bubble of thinking you are doing God favours by obeying His commands, especially forgiving others. [Romans 12:19: Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord].

What is your revenge plan compared to someone who holds the power to part waters of the sea? It does not even hold a candle before His presence. Imagine the same God who caused the sun to stand still so that the Israelites could take revenge from their enemies going to take revenge on your behalf just because you chose to forgive and give room for Him to defend you. [Joshua 10:12-14 says, “On the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a human voice; for the Lord fought for Israel]. This is why it is important that you forgive because God will recompense you in every way.

We also have to be open minded towards God’s form of justice. Sometimes our enemies will not face any hardship. In fact, if they give their lives to God today, you might as well forget about seeing them suffering because the same mercy God showed you, He will show to them. And as a child of God who walks in the boldness of perfected love, why should you wish to see anyone suffer? Forgiveness especially to people who are not apologetic helps us to die to our flesh and give room for Holy Spirit to dominate and manifest His fruits in our lives. So basically, forgiveness in simple terms is choosing God will over giving access to satan to magnify issues in your life. Why choose a burden of destruction over room for elevation. Satan will use unforgiveness to stagnate you while God will use forgiveness to push you to your next level and fight your battles for you. Logically weighing the pros and the cons, I would choose forgiveness any time and day.

I forgive in absentia of apology not because they are deserving but because my desire to obey God outweighs every revenge scheme my mind can come up with. I forgive even though they keep on hurting me through the same mistake because I do not want unforgiveness to hinder me from fulfilling my destiny. I forgive because God forgave me before I asked. I forgive and love because I am loved right, and those who walk in love are healed and complete in every way. However, forgiveness does not always mean reconciliation. Do not stay in a toxic and abuse environment because you are trying to forgive. God’s desire is for you to forgive but what matters to Him mostly is your well being. Be wise in your forgiving. Do not be a doormat nor be too hard hearted for God to reach you. Ask Holy Spirit to lead you on how to forgive a person. Ask Him to guide you on the next course of action after forgiveness: is it reconciliation or walking away. There are people who deserve second chances but some are better off being loved from a distance.