As Scouts

Joshua 14:¹² “So give me the mountain that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns…” (emphasis added)

Caleb could confidently give his testimony as a scout because he was faithful. If Caleb were lying, what do you think Joshua would have said? I thank God that most of the Pastors and leaders that I served under are still alive. Apart from my spiritual father who has gone to be with the Lord. But you know his testimony of me while he was alive. It is a choice that I made early in life that none of my leaders will have a bitter taste in their mouths because of me.  It is not that they were perfect people. No, they were not perfect, as I am not perfect, and as you are not perfect also. But not once did I leave a bitter taste in their mouth. Why? It is because of this principle of life.

Luke 16:¹² “And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?” Why should you be trusted? God is not prodigal with His resources. God is not prodigal with power. Have you discovered that God anoints people you do not want Him to anoint? Why is she so anointed? Why is he so anointed? And you are angry because left to you, he or she should not be anointed. But God has not left it to you, it is up to Him alone. Psalm 66:^11-12 “He trained us first, passed us like silver through refining fires, brought us into hardscrabble country, pushed us to our very limit, road-tested us inside and out, took us to hell and back; Finally, he brought us to this well-watered place.” (MSG).

God will always train before He promotes. You are going through ‘small’ fire, and you are jumping out. You are not ready, get back into the fire. People see the well-watered place and they say, I receive it. One of the challenges we have in church, there is usually not enough time for testimonies. However, people always share ‘the well-watered’ place. I went through this, waited on God for X number of years, and God did a miracle. We fasted and prayed, and God did a miracle, now we have twins. Then everyone else looks at themselves as if something is wrong with them. You did not tell us how you had the first miscarriage.

You did not tell us how you had that surgery. You did not tell us how your mother took you to a witch doctor. You did not tell us how you got to the vigil and Pastor said, there is somebody here who is just coming from a witch doctor’s place. You came forward and you were delivered. But God says when you go through all that, He is training you, passing you like silver through refining fires, bringing you into hardscrabble country, pushing you to your very limit, and road testing you inside and outside. Taking you to hell and back, then bringing you to the well-watered place.

Prayer: Father, I ask for strength and grace to go through my training, in Jesus Name. Amen!