There is hope in Jesus!

I have ladies younger than me attending my home cell! The responsibility to encourage and pray for them is upon me-well at least that’s what I believe! They are saved and excited about the Lord but anything could happen! I got born again when I was twelve years old, lived a solid Christian life for three years, and oops, something happened and I went back to the world! Played in the world for six years and finally came back to my God! It really helps boost their faith and confidence in the Lord! I know that the faith and confidence levels go down once we experience painful, tempting and disappointing seasons so that is why I always feel the need to encourage these young ladies, get them involved in the home cell and remind them of the greatness that they possess within them!

This journey is not easy! Life is not easy! Honestly, sometimes I get frightened by unknown persecution as I dig deeper into God’s will! Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice? Sometimes I do wonder if it was all worth it! But well, where could I have gone to for a better life? Who can I depend on when I have tried everything else and all didn’t seem to work?  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

The other day I had a friend from high school coming over at my place to do my hair! I asked her to spend the weekend with me because I don’t have any friends to hang out with! In my mind was the perfect picture of the high school days where we went to prayer, bible study, church, movies and did all kinds of fun activities together! She told me that there’s no way she’s spending the WEEKEND with me! At least if I drank alcohol then she’d organize guys to take us out! Now, who do I turn to when I don’t have friends to hang out with?  There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother…Who do I turn to when I am so boring because I do not drink or give my body away to be used as a sex object to men who don’t appreciate me?

Yesterday I asked a certain guy to buy me a laptop! I was quite amused at his reply!   “Ask the guy you are sleeping with to get you one! There’s nothing free in Africa!” Actually I was disgusted at the fact that he’s clearly buying sex? Isn’t he supposed to feel ashamed of himself? I mean I know how men take girls out to fancy restaurants, buy them alcohol, while they leave their wives at home  and get sex freely in return! Aren’t they supposed to feel disgusted at themselves? We sell our bodies that cheap?  So who do I turn to when I am in need of a laptop and somebody tells me that nothing is free in Africa! God supplies all my needs according to His riches…

I have been in school for quite a long time, saying this with embarrassment!! ! And sometimes I don’t do well in my tests no matter how hard I studied! It stresses me, it makes me feel bad about the amount of money I have wasted in the past and how my parents continue working so hard for me to get an education! But who do I turn to when I have studied so hard and still don’t perform well? Perhaps alcohol will help? Perhaps frequenting parties every weekend could help! Who do I turn to when obtaining my degree seems like an impossible task? But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head…

I have tried it all and nothing helped! I only have one God I can put my hope in and that is Jesus Christ! He promised me life, and life to the fullest! See, I have nowhere to go but back to Him! I am an orphan if I cannot depend entirely on Him! I don’t have a boyfriend I can run to, my earthly father and I don’t talk freely about everything, my mother is many miles away, my sister is always with her boyfriend or at school, my house mates always have their own businesses to run…but there’s someone who promises to be with me until the end of age? Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but I will remember the name of my Lord…

I feel the need to encourage these young girls all the time because I know that this journey’s not going to be all roses and honey! I lived the Christian life for three years and as soon as something went wrong, when I was away from the prayer group and the bible study, I fell! I almost destroyed myself trying to find quick solutions to my problems because I did not know that there was someone I could really depend on and not irritate Him! Jesus loves you and He delights in hearing from you! When everything seems to be falling apart in my life, I know that I have somebody, the lifter of my head and I will hold on! Seasons come, seasons go! Today I’ll be happy, the next day I’ll be sad, but my hope in God remains steadfast! If you can’t seem to be getting that degree, turn back to God! If you are constantly being used by men and can’t seem to be loved, turn back to God! If you have an incurable disease, turn back to God! If you don’t have enough money to meet your needs, turn back to God! When you have messed up so badly, turn back to God! Put your hope in God and not in human beings! He will know what to do with you, you are helpless without Him!

It doesn’t really matter how long it takes, God stays faithful to His Word! God says in Isaiah 55:10-11, As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it! There is extreme hope in God! 

 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.Isa.55:7