Hi, Thanks for taking the time to visit my website. I hope to ensure that this year is journaled as much as possible. I am not to sure what to expect, but I am sure it will be an amazing journey.
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Great news Yinka, I’ll be praying for you in this next step in your ministry
I believe this is the time for the sort of growth and regeneration that goes on in plants in winter so we can be really beautiful and productive in the time to come. I want to grow.
MARY WAITED…….
In the night hours the Lord woke me and revealed a very simple, yet mind blowing revelation from a passage of Scripture I have always loved. This time the Lord took me deeper, and asked a question which I believe He wants me to share with others.
The verses of Scripture He revealed were from John chapter 20:10-16:-
‘…Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Mary said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
As I read those words again I realised afresh how precious that moment was for Mary. Jesus spoke her name!
Even as I reflected on how special that was, the Lord began to ask questions, “Where are you throughout the Sabbath of sorrow? Where are you on the dawn of the first day? Where are you when I seem silent? Where are you when I continue to remain silent amid the turmoil? Where are you when your prayers seem to fall on deaf ears? Where are you in those times? Where are you when it seems I have died?”
As I pondered these very blunt questions the Lord reminded me again of the words in that passage of Scripture. During His earthly life Jesus had told His disciples on more than one occasion that He would die and rise again. He had given them warnings. Jesus had known they would abandon Him, that Judas would betray Him, that even Peter and John would leave the empty tomb, believing it was all over. And in this passage we find they have left the empty tomb and returned to their own homes, clearly assuming it is all over they went home to grieve and wonder why…..…?
But Mary waited. Something still held Mary, even in her sorrow. Mary wanted to stay where Jesus’ body HAD been resting. Mary sought from the angels and ‘the gardener’ where His body might be so that she may take care of Him, honouring Him with her anointing oil and special linen, even though He was dead. Never before had I seen so clearly that even the body of Jesus was so precious to Mary that she continued to wait – weeping and distraught yes – yet still she waited. If there was any chance of finding Jesus’ body, Mary intended to.
On the Sabbath of sorrow Mary was preparing the anointing oils and linen for Jesus’ body – a beautiful fragrant gift for Him even in His death. Mary anxiously awaited the dawn when she could hurry to His tomb bearing her gift on that first day. Mary wanted to honour her precious Lord by anointing His body. She loved and valued Him in death as greatly as she had loved Him in life. Mary was equally as distraught as the disciples, yet something still caused Mary to wait. Mary was determined to be near Jesus, even in His death.
Suddenly I knew what God was teaching me. When our prayers appear to go unanswered, when we are living through a Sabbath of sorrow, where are we? Where am I? Am I like Mary, still longing to be near Jesus even when He appears to be silent and my very faith in the goodness of God is in shatters? Am I found preparing a gift for Him, as Mary was with her anointing oil and linen? Or am I like Peter and John and the others? Do I retreat into a place of doubt and grieving, seeing even my faith as hopeless? Where am I right now?
These are the questions the Lord was asking me in the night. When all seems to be spiralling into the abyss. When we can’t see our families and wonder whether we will ever see them in this life again. When a planned wedding can’t go ahead; when we may lose, or have already lost, a precious family member or friend and we weren’t permitted to be with them at their end; when we lose a job; when the whole world spirals into debt and turmoil and no-one knows the best way forward, when our hopes and dreams are shattered? Where are we? Where am I?
Many wonder where God is when the world is suffering and good people, including children are dying in such a cruel way? Where is He when those who need treatment for cancer and other life threatening illnesses are put on hold? In those times, where are we? Where am I? Where am I when God seems to be silent?
This is a testing time for the whole world and no-one on earth has any real control over it. Many believers even begin to lose their faith and question how a God of love could allow this to happen. Quickly we forget all that He has done through Calvary. How our sin and the evil in this world inflicted such humiliating torture upon Him – and yet He willingly laid down His life as a ransom for our souls. He bought us for all eternity by shedding His own precious blood. He took the torture you and I deserved. And our precious Lord did all this willingly. Why? He did it because His love is not for this life alone but for all eternity if, like Mary we are willing to wait when we don’t understand…..
My prayer and aim is that we will all answer His times of silence in the way Mary did, and in our bewilderment when doubts and fears rear their ugly head, may we too use this ‘Sabbath’ experience as a time of preparation and waiting. Mary continued to wait beside His tomb, even when all seemed lost; but all that waiting was worth it because Mary was so greatly rewarded for her waiting. Jesus, the Messiah, now risen from the dead spoke her name and immediately she recognised His voice.
Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me..(John 10:27)
May we, like Mary, make this a time of preparation. May we too be found preparing our own humble gift for our precious Lord. May we too be found waiting, and as we do I know that we too shall be rewarded when suddenly and unexpectedly, in a moment of silence, He speaks our name…..and in that moment we shall reap the reward and know that same joy that Mary knew when she heard Him speak her name.
Then the Lord led me to Psalm 40 and I saw that David waited too, and He too was rewarded for his waiting.
Isaiah 40:31 gives us a promise for those who wait:-
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”
Thank you so much Godon, I think of you often
I am in agreement