Reverent Fear, Fervent Prayers, and Steadfast Love!

As delicate as laid eggs in a nest, the embodiment of a shell, it is still prone to crack prematurely.

Forever Young.

The nucleus to my circumference, exceedingly small but holding it all. Very fearful yet so self-expressive.

Full-circle.

A blended turn of life events, a character implored. Clearly much to explore and learn from. Teachable is goals.

The faith growing, a stronghold to my inner-being. A way of life that transforms.

I have aspirations.

The fragile , but agile senses of being. A process-filled human nature uncontrollable.

I surrender.

A life I am, the little pieces of what is Peaceful I beam, an influence I aspire, the Love I long to give.

I am Light.

It is all so tender, and to render a willing spirit, I say fervent prayers.

Amen.

In settling my mind and heart to harnessing peace for my contentment in the Lord, I am finding it inevitable when I ruin that for myself. I am finding that the intention to be soaring in stillness is depicting areas where I am clipping my own wings. The need to over-share,  for acknowledgement where I long to be most cherished is letting me down. This peace-keeping matter needs peace-making with where, who and what rejects me as well, I seem to forget every now and then. Being a spiritual-being, it is everywhere, by everyone and everything on any given day where God will speak. Out of my control, but a willing spirit to hear Him is needed. I trust that my feelings, and events at hand can easily work against or for me. However, the mindset on peace, stillness and contentment is always helping me pick myself up. Not always being in my feelings but rather recalling the intentions and thoughts that are healthy is helping. I am also sure that managing expectations is part of what extends ones delivery in the end. The interactions that lead to many residuals , which provoke growth or even turmoil are all necessary in the end. It is a reality of the living. - The faith growing, a stronghold to my inner-being. A way of life that transforms.

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Matthew 5:14-16 - “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

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From many, three of my favourite musicians (Sun El Musician, Msaki and Karyendasoul) tell me I am light , and this is as well an assertion to what my Maker says about me. To go right or left, the obvious choices one always must make as they grow older. A time to reflect is needed, to prompt another journey to embark on. If it is not clear, I am saying we are somehow responsible for the lack of light projecting in our lives for we tend to dim it down single- handedly. But if we were to mind our gifts and talents and examine on their approval with the one who bestowed them to us, perhaps we would soar. Unprovoked but by lacking self-will ( motivation), awareness and love, we go against our own light. By thoughts that it is owed from external effects, we are left affected for retrenchment from our own prosperity. Due to laziness and at times unnecessary engagements, we willingly waste opportunities that help us grow. What can God establish for us if we do not even plan to do something worthy and pray about it without ceasing? - It is all so tender, and to render a willing spirit, I say  fervent prayers.

Image by Aaron Burden

I can tell you for free any given day, that without some sort of intention nothing and a lot will happen either way. You will always reap from what you are sowing and not sowing either way. Without Love for the Lord as a Christian, a lot will go against living content. That is exactly what the bible teaches us in I Corinthians chapter 13. To rest also needs planning for. All circumstances need presence of sorts. It may be physical, psychological, or other forms. There will always be nuances that derive a cause, a need , an effect, and impact. The peace with this is required for us to truly be as we ought to be in the Lord. - A life I am, the little pieces of what is Peaceful I beam, an influence I aspire, the Love I long to give.

So, how at peace are you with time, choices to make and to be made. Are you at peace with the reality to accept and a being you are? - The fragile , but agile senses of being. A process-filled human nature uncontrollable.

I will pray for contentment by saying ; “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.”- Psalm 51:10-12

Image by : Tomma Wang

Deep within me I know the truth. Peace, I search for you still. - It is all so tender, and fervent prayers I say. It remains comforting to know that I matter to God. You Matter -to God too!

Point of Reflection are on the following as this month concludes:

Spiritual Encouragement for April 2025

Topic : The Favor of being in Accordance with the Lord, for your Contentment.

Genesis 6  - 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

The background on this involves God’s regret, of creating human beings on earth at the time. Humanity had become wicked, and this troubled the Lord. Noah, however, was righteous and blameless at the time and he walked faithfully with God.

Many of us are living in regret and are troubled in our lives because we are not righteous or firm in our walk of faith. We are not blameless nor victims in many of our troubles. We are not living according to what the Lord prescribed here on earth, where we are, RIGHT NOW. As a result, we do not find favor in the Lord like Noah did back then. In most times when suffering and certain circumstances in this world befalls us, WE WON’T BE FOUND BLAMELESS. This then makes it hard for us to live a peaceful life, wherein we are content. No spirit is settled when it is guilty or regretful of something.

Some reasons why we are not content in the Lord when we go through Different Life’s Circumstances

1. The main reason being -  Galatians 5:16 - But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. We are meant to be spirit lead but many of us succumb to the that which elevates the flesh. You either serve the spirit or your flesh. You are either righteous or unrighteous. You are either conforming or transforming – in your walk of faith. Being in between or Lukewarm is not a choice attached to your salvation or your journey to the Kingdom of the Lord. 

2. Secondly,  we do not follow instructions as they are (We do not trust and obey). In Genesis 6 verse 22 - Noah did everything just as God commanded him. Genesis 7 verse 5 - And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him. And it was a lot – it was detailed and placed orderly.

3. Thirdly , we are Lazy. Noad had to build an Ark on his own following instructions to the tea, with his bare hands. He was not a young man at his youth. Genesis 7 mentions that by the time God flooded the earth, Noah was 600 years old. He was 500 years old when he had His first-born son. So, he was building the Ark with a lot of faith and probably not his might.

4. And we are not Patient or lack Endurance. Genesis 7 verse 24 - The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days(5 months of waiting -) During Covid-19 many of us struggled to remain steady during lockdowns. Movement was allowed but restricted. We were not denied access to essentials. Other people were still working. We were not unable to greet the neighbours. Though we couldn’t go to church, we had means to still congregate.  But other people still manage to break the law and put themselves and others at risk – to death. Some of us don’t need natural disasters to even blame for our lack of patience, we simply take and prefer shortcuts (calling it smart), break the law, cheat, hate, lie on a normal day with everything enabling us to choose and do different. We know what is right but choose otherwise. We thrive in ignorance and laziness and in the end, we are never really satisfied even when we are favoured because the conscience isn’t clear. Peace is never at our feet for this kind of reasons.

Genesis 8 verse 3 - The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. If you do the math, Noah with his family and the creatures that were in the Ark had to be there for over half a year. He still even waited for the Lord to get the green light to come out of the Ark, even when He himself,  had sent a raven once, then a  dove not once but twice to be able to read the outside world. Genesis 8 verses 13 By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”

Conclusion

Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 : A Time for Everything

Verse 1 - There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…

Many of us are not content in the Lord because we forget this Fact of Life, and Fact of our walk of Faith. Meaning, Physically and Spiritually – the timing of our lives (what we are going through and when we go through whatever situation -good and bad) – there is a reason, a purpose, and a God who is in control. This is why it is important to be continuing to walk by faith, to be obedient, to be hard-working , persevering, and patient IN THE LORD for our salvation and His Glory. He knows the right time.

By the time Noah died , he was 900 years old. After the flood, even He himself fell from grace and did some imperfect things(He indulged in wine and drunkenness brought Him to shame) -Genesis Chapter 9. This is a reminder that we will not be exempted from having to deal with our bad choices, mistakes, moment of weakness and failures. But Noah still, Noah remembered the Lord before His death. Meaning, our faults don’t have to define us.  Genesi 9 :- 18 to 28 18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth. 20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded[j] to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” 26 He also said, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. 27 May God extend Japheth’s[k] territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.” 28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.

Noah -still placed his trust in the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31 - But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

May this be you, in your life, as you live – that you live placing your hope in the Lord so that you will remain soaring and of inner strength, in your walk of faith , till the end.

This is a matter of Upliftment for your Contentment in the Lord.

@youmatterlt