He Takes Care of His Own

“… 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒅 𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚. 𝑺𝒐 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, “𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒅, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒕. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆.”

Did you read the text?

Jesus won’t only feed your spirit. He will provide for your physical needs, too. He takes care of His own.

In Mark 8, a crowd of roughly 4000 men (not counting women and children) gathered around Jesus to hear words that would nourish their spirits. After a while, they grew tired and hungry. What they didn’t know was that the One who nourishes immortality also sustains mortality.

You know, there’s a reason He is called The Good Shepherd. He takes complete care of His own. He taught a great deal and could have packed up and left, like his disciples wanted, but he cared too much to ignore their humanity. He couldn’t just feed their spirits and leave them deal with their human condition.

This is one amazing thing about Jesus. He was fully God and fully man at the same time. He understands. He truly gets us.

He sees how much effort you put into pursuing a relationship with Him. He sees your limitations, too.

He knows that you feel great after hearing the sermon on Sunday, but the zeal and enthusiasm don’t last long when you were back at home or at work, face-to-face with the reality of the problem. He knows you need strength for the road.

If you read further down in that chapter, you’ll see that even though the disciples are overwhelmed by the task of feeding the crowd, Jesus wasn’t. That’s what He does. He doesn’t netlect or abandon His own.

Jesus is the answer to ANY PROBLEM you will ever have. Any problem at all.

You do not have to figure it all out on your own.

He gave you that business, He will give you the resources to keep it afloat.

He blessed your home with kids, He will give you the means to care for them.

He gave you the marriage. He will give you the wisdom and courage to nurture it, too.

He gave you the admission, he’ll also give resources to pay the fees and keep you in school.

Most importantly, He called you into relationship with Him, He will engrace you to build and strengthen that connection.

“𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞—𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐧 – 𝐇𝐞𝐛 𝟒 :𝟏𝟓”

He knows the human condition extremely well, and He is the only one to ever overcome it. He’s not asking you to do anything other than abide. Stay close to Him. Abide in His presence – like a vine connected to a branch. Give Him a home in your heart, and one by one, He will take care of your needs – ALL of them.

No Fear Zone

When you imagine signs of fear in a person, you may picture someone cowering, shrieking or crying out for help. On the inside, fear presents itself as increased blood pressure, heightened heart rate, and blood flow changes.

Here’s something else to consider: fear shows up in our behaviours too.

-Fear of losing control or influence, so you scheme and manipulate.

-Fear of feeling anxious, so you have fits of rage and angry outbursts.

-Fear of consequence, so you lie.

-Fear of rejection and loneliness, so you posture and people please.

-You fear being outsmarted so you also outsmart and cheat.

-Fear of embarrassment, so you over-compensate.

-Fear of failure, so you self sabotage and give up.

I could go on and on.

You would be be surprised at how many dysfunctional behaviours and habits are actually rooted in crippling, paralyzing, diarrhoea-inducing fear. The dread and terror that come with fear are enough to alter personalities and trigger the most outrageous responses. The things we do are not nearly as intruguing as the reasons why we do them.

Whether the fear is reasonable or not, is another discussion entirely. The response doesn’t invalidate the fact that it is there, and like a wrecking ball, it is wreaks havoc, leaving a trail of bad experiences behind it.

No wonder The Bible lays so much emphasis on dispelling fear. It’s not just about the feeling, it’s about what it makes you do, and who it makes you become.

The old testament is riddled with verses telling us not to be afraid and giving us reasons. The Book of Isaiah alone has so many verses addressing fear. It usually starts off with a command, and a reason. For example:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” – Isaiah 41:10

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you”. – Isaiah 41: 13

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” – Psalm 23:4

God isn’t just shoving us out into the world to face the things that terrify us alone. He is telling us not to fear because He is bigger than fear. Because He is WITH us, and because He is IN us. The courage to face fear is not external, it is already in you. When you surrendered to Christ, He gave you a spirit without fear, but with love, power and an excellent mind. The Bible says if God is with you, who (what) can be against you? Jesus said the world will give you reasons to fear, but don’t fall for it- I have stripped it of its ability to hurt you and my victory is final (John 16.33) .

So what do you do to fear when you learn that you have the backing of The One who rendered it empty and powerless?

You face it.

You do not overcome fear by running from it, you face it and tell it what God said.

– Dont fear consequence, all things are working together for your good. Own up to mistakes don’t lie

– Do not fear losing God control. God is the master of your destiny, His plans for you are excellent. Be straightforward and have good intentions, don’t manipulate.

– Do not fear loneliness or rejection. You are precious, valued, loved dearly and tenderly by God. Be confident and content. Don’t posture, or people please.

– Do not fear being outsmarted. You have an excellent mind and you discern matters correctly. Your God is exceedingly rich enough to meet all your needs. Don’t cheat or swindle.

For every negative behaviour that seeks expression, there is a positive alternative that is both befitting and liberating.These are the actions and motives that heaven recognises and celebrates.

While on the surface, it may appear that you are losing or missing out, you are actually building character, strengthening your walk with Christ and demolishing fear and its stronghold over your life.

The Whosoever Wills

We have a natural need for inclusion. Being part of something gives us a sense of identity. It’s one of the reasons we group ourselves into races, ethnicities, religious denomimations, and many more.

Two main groups cut across all others; good guys and bad guys.


The good people; we tend to like, and reward with inclusion. The bad people? We don’t want anything to do with. They’re like bad eggs that deserve exclusion and probably harsher punishments too. We ‘other’ them and keep them far away from ourselves.


Not Jesus though.


Jesus hangs with one group of people – the ‘Whosoever Wills’.


Whosoever will come.

Whosoever will believe.

Whosoever will trust.

Whosoever will…attend.

At Matthew’s (A Tax Collector) house , He invites some of society’s most despicable people to have dinner with Him – other tax collectors.

Understand who tax collectors were back in Jesus’ day. They were traitors, hated with considerable levels of passion. Being Jews who worked for the Romans, they played a key role in ensuring the Roman Empire maintained its oppressive grip on their own people. What’s worse? They often collected more than was due, and the Jews had no choice but to pay. They were the bad guys of the times.

Jesus chose to hang out with these people, and other sinners too. He probably shared a joke with the robber, talked intimately with the adulterer, showed interest in the affairs of the swindler. He got so comfortable talking with them that the Scribes and Pharisees, who maintained the margins of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ became extremely uncomfortable.

Here’s the thing, Jesus didn’t see them for who they were, He saw them for who they could be. They may have been outcasts to society, but they were also, the exact sort of people Jesus was looking for. He knew that reaching the lost, required having some contact with them. He knew they were guilty, but chose to personify mercy in place of condemnation. He didn’t come to judge the ‘bad guys’, He came to offer them salvation.

Sitting at that dinner table, Jesus shook the faulty tenets of righteousness, good and evil that were in effect. What is even more beautiful, is that he did it over and over, and over again (John 4:27: Luke 7: Mark 7: Luke 5: Luke 19).

The souls of men are of far greater importance than the frowns of a few and threat of exclusion. Jesus knew that and we should too.

No matter what you’ve done, no matter how long it’s been. Even when the whole world counts you out, Jesus still invites you in.

This Too Shall Pass

A good friend of mine taught me about times and seasons in the most profound way. He showed me.

We became friends in university, and I’d always known him as a ‘classic man’. No kidding, he wore the finest clothes and always had the trendiest stuff. In a nutshell, this fellow took very good care of himself.

Fast forward 5 years later, we hadn’t seen each other in a while, and I happened to be in his neck of the woods, so we met up. I was stunned to see my friend not looking as prim and proper as I knew him to look. He told me he’d been out of work for a while and was hopeful he’d find something new soon. I was so shaken by his appearance that I was about to give him my sympathy when he told me ‘Look Amaka, I’m in a season. This season isn’t meant for fancy clothes and comfort. It’s for rolling up my sleeves and doing heavy lifting. The season for all that will come around. But this isn’t it’.

I saw him a few years later, and truly, he had changed. He was married and was working in a top financial institution, and true to his nature, he had on the baddest suit I’d ever seen, lol.

I remembered our conversation a few years back. How he didn’t give into the pity party I was unknowingly trying to throw. How he looked beyond his daily struggles and discerned that it was only a season, not his final destination.

My Bible tells me that life is made up times and seasons. Winter, summer, spring, day, night – they all come and go. It gives me examples of men like Daniel who knew when the times required intense prayer, and the sons of Isaachar who were so good at discerning the times that they were strategic resources whenever Israel was at war.

Sometimes, we get so caught up in daily activities that we don’t discern our season and the lessons that lie therein.

Are you in a season of plenty? Yes, it’s a season to enjoy the finer things. Could it also be an opportunity for you to double up on your savings? Invest? Do things for people who deserve it?

Are you in a season of want? Is that an opportunity for you to improve your resource management skills? Be financially disciplined? Learn to repurpose?

Are you in a season of sadness? Could it also be an opportunity for solemn reflection? An avenue for you to become more compassionate??

Season of waiting? Is God teaching you patience? Dependence on Him? Humility?

All seasons are significant, even when they come with a sting. The bottom line is that they will come, and they will go. If we take time to speak to the Holy Spirit and give things time, we will see the essence of the season.

Another thing I learned from my friend is never to make lasting judgement on someone who’s going through a temporary situation.

Thank you for the lessons, O.

God bless you for being a blessing.

The Convenience of the Flesh, the Glory of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit taught me a lesson from Genesis 1: 11-12, which tells us that everything produces after its own kind. He showed me that spiritual growth and maturity comes as a result of exercising your spirit to the point where it becomes your default mode of operation.

The human response to pressure and discomfort is usually fleshly. We choose the most convenient / accessible option; we choose the thing that makes us feel good (even when it truly does not resolve the issue).

When we operate out of the flesh, we remain spiritual babies, easily swayed, never truly understanding who we are and what we have been placed on earth to accomplish. The flesh is extremely convenient, but it yields no desirable thing.

It’s easy to respond to malice with malice. To receive insults with a quick clapback, to respond to fear with impulsiveness or even anger, and so on. It is under circumstances like this that you find believers exhibiting what I term as ‘contradictory christianity’, where they are Christians until they come under pressure. Sanctified until stressed! Oh dear.

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. - (Galatians 6:8 NLT)

When we give into the flesh in this manner, we give no room for the growth Christ desires for us (Galatians 6 : 8). Each time we do this, we refuse the Holy Spirit from working in us and through us.

But we won’t give into carnality because the Holy Spirit has a higher calling for you and I. Paul says since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives- (Galatians 5:25). One reason it’s so important to remain tuned into your spirit at all times is because life’s situations are your spirit’s physical gym; it is where you test ability and grow capacity.

It is where you gain mastery of your flesh. When you continually put your spirit to work, you learn that physical things are fleeting, but things of the spirit are permanent. That anger is a response best suited to the unwise and that a gentle answer turns away wrath. That it is more blessed to give than to receive and that truly, increase comes from God. I could go on and on, but you get my drift.

What Christ desires is for us to be so confidently persuaded of His love, that we only speak and act in a manner that pleases Him because we know it is for our growth, and edification- no matter the situation.

This won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it.

How do you do this? Fellowship. Fellowship. Fellowship.

I find that frequent fellowship with the Holy Spirit is the oil the wheel of life requires to remain switched on and tuned in. Our time with the Holy Spirit shouldn’t be reserved for bedtime and wake time only. Talk to Him during the course of your entire day. Never stay too far from your secret place. For you will hear a voice behind you saying “This is the way, walk ye in it”- Isaiah 30:21. Because “there is a way that seemed right unto a Man but the end thereof is destruction”- Proverbs 14:12

I remember telling the Holy Spirit I didn’t have time to talk with Him as much as I used to because I took on some responsibilities that required more of my physical attention. He told me, ‘my altar is in your heart, we can fellowship anywhere, anytime’.

Friends, you can never go wrong when you choose to stay with The Word and in tune with your spirit. For the Spirit will always bring with it goodness and God’s glory.

He Knows

According to Philippians 2:7, Jesus took “the very nature of a servant.” He became like us so he could serve us. He entered the world not to demand our allegiance but to display his affection.

He knew you’d be sleepy, he knew you’d be grief stricken, and hungry. He knew you’d face pain. If not the pain of the body, the pain of the soul. He knew you’d face thirst. If not a thirst for water, at least a thirst for truth. And the truth we glean from the image of a thirsty Christ on the cross is: Jesus understands.

When we feel lonely, knowing someone understands can make all the difference. You can be surrounded by people but still feel lonely if you don’t feel known. And you can be alone but not feel lonely if you are known. God became flesh, so we would always feel known by him.

His Heart is with Us

“Relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews” (Esther 4:14). Mordecai said those words. Though a holocaust had been declared, Mordecai changed from desperate wailing to issuing this bold statement. What caused this change? Well it dawned on Mordecai that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was very much alive and well and undefeated in battle. God had not forgotten his role as a covenant keeper. God’s heart was still attached to his people—a remnant living in exile in Persia.

To some, the situation was hopeless. The Jews had no king, no temple, no priesthood, no sacrifices. But to God, it was no matter. God is to problems what a hurricane is to a mosquito – no match. Mordecai got this. Do you?

Yes, the journey ahead includes deep waters. But the scripture promises, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” (Isaiah 43:2).

Made for More

In Jeremiah 33:3, God tells Jeremiah ‘Call unto me and I will answer you and I will show you great and mighty things you didn’t even know existed’.

Have you done all you know to do without tangible results? Have you gone through many options with little success?

If you’re on the verge of settling for less or totally giving up, I’ll tell you the same thing God told Jeremiah – ‘All you know is not all there is to know’.

There are dimensions where effort is multiplied and errors are minimised. There are certain keys that unlock certain doors.

Will you give the All-knowing, All-seeing Game Changer a chance? I call Him the God who sees in the dark and hears behind closed doors.

He is willing to show you hidden solutions and concealed treasures, as long as you are willing to give Him your full attention. You have to gaze on Him for your face to be made radiant. Prove your dissatisfaction with the ordinary and the doors of the extraordinary will be flung open to you.

He is the only basket where you can safely place all your eggs.

He says ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened unto you – Matthew 7:7.

Look closely; these statements are not probabilities. They are certainties. Cause and effect. When you take take certain steps, certain things happen.

Lean on God.

Lean on Him fully.

You can have more. You can be more.

#madeformore💖
#graceuntold

Speak to The King of Heaven

Are you, like Esther, facing an impossible challenge? Then imitate the queen. Esther could have remained hidden, she could have done nothing. Or she could have rushed into the presence of King Xerxes, but instead she chose prayer.

And you? This is the time for a no-nonsense, honest, face-on-the-floor talk with the Lord of all. Garments need not be ripped, but veneer must be removed. Fasting is optional, but the prayer of genuine humility is not.

What challenge are you facing? Is your job in jeopardy? Is your loved one in hospice? Is your faith in tatters? Retreat into your prayer closet. The queen could enter the throne room of Xerxes because she had spent time in the throne room of God. The same is true in your story and mine. Once we’ve spoken to the king of heaven, we are ready to face any king on earth.

The Weaver

In the famous lace shops of Brussels, Belgium, certain rooms are dedicated to the spinning of the finest lace, with the most delicate of patterns. These rooms are completely dark, except for a shaft of natural light from a solitary window. Only one spinner sits in the room. The light falls on the pattern while the worker remains in the dark.

Has God permitted a time of darkness in your world? You look but you cannot see him. You see only the fabric of circumstances woven and interlaced. You might question the purpose behind this thread or that.

But be assured, God has a pattern. He has a plan. The Bible in Romans 8:28 says, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” He is not finished. But when he is, the lace will be beautiful!