As a poor teenage boy, the discovery of God’s calling upon my life to a ministry that would take me around the world filled me with abundance of joy and expectation. It pulled me out of the pit of depression to which poverty, sickness and academic failure had sunk me as I had an assurance in my spirit that God would use me for His glory and in the process also meet my needs and bless me financially. God has a knack for declaring the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). At the start of Abram’s journey with Him, he showed the patriarch how He would make of him a great nation and even bless all nations through him (Genesis 12:2-3). In reaching out to Israel to deliver her from Egypt, the promise was to take her to a land filled with milk and honey (Exodus 3:18). God shows us the future from the present, the finishing line from the start and the joy set before us before we face the cross.

 

As I thought of what to share with the graduates of the Lagos, Nigeria Campus of Rhema Bible Training Center last Saturday as commencement speaker, I couldn’t but realize how much their faith would have been built and inspired by the amazing teachings they must have received. In my youth, some of those teachings had nurtured me and inspired hope in me as I sought to answer the call of God upon my life. The likes of Bible Faith Study course, Bible Prayer Study course, The Holy Spirit and His Gifts, Bible Healing Study course, Understanding the Anointing, Ministry Gifts, The name of Jesus and scores of others enlightened me, imparted faith and equipped me with wisdom for my future. As I looked at the graduates, I could tell they were filled with hopes and dreams and others were already confronting the challenge of starting new ministries and churches. Like them, at the outset of ministry, I did not know I would need to develop my faith for finances, deal with delayed manifestations, handle difficult people, experience betrayal, sacrifice financial savings and pay prices to fulfill the plan of God. As a human being, I would probably have run away if I had seen every detail of the journey ahead. God has a way of hiding the details in the beginning. He makes the path of the righteous like the shining light that shines more and more into the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). In the wisdom of God, the gradual unfolding of the journey allows us to develop in tandem with increasing capacity and maturity to deal with the challenges of growth. If Israel knew all they would go through in the wilderness, they would probably not have left Egypt.

 

The story of Zachariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1:5-25 demonstrates my heart for this article. They both started out as lovers of God and servants from the tribe of Levi. According to the Law of Moses, they deserved to be blessed. However, the bible days they did not have a child. By the time Elizabeth had reached menopause, they gave up. When an angel of God appeared and said ‘Your prayer is heard’, he probably thought it was about the requests of the thousands of people in the temple courts at the hour of incense. For the man of God and his wife, their dream of having children had gathered dust on the shelf. You will be tempted to give up along the way like them. They threw in the towel but God remained mindful. It is instructive that even though they had forgotten, God did not. Zachariah’s name means God remembers, and God proved that He is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love (Hebrews 10:6). Elizabeth means daughter of an oath which reflects a covenant between her parents and the Lord. Their names reveal God as a covenant keeper who always keeps His side of the bargain (Psalm 89:34). God is faithful and He will bring every word and promise to fulfillment in our lives. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

 

Zachariah and Elizabeth must have wanted children immediately they got married as all others in that time of history but God’s plan was greater than their immediate need. While the blessing of the fruit of the womb tarried relative to their own expectations, it was humanly frustrating. However, even though they could not explain the delay, they kept serving the Lord. God’s visitation would eventually come while Zachariah was offering incense as a priest on behalf of the Jews. Many people leave the places of their assignment as soon as they face challenges. If only we would learn to remain faithful to God’s calling even when the circumstances are contrary, we would eventually see the goodness of God in His own timing because ‘He will not tarry’(Habakkuk 2:3). In the midst of our own delays and unfulfilled dreams, we ought to keep serving the Lord, keep our focus on serving others and we would eventually realize that what we make happen for others, God will make happen for us’.

 

I look back today at how far God has brought my wife and I. As a young couple at ages 26 and 25, we founded Global Harvest Church. We commence our 28th church anniversary this evening. Today, we worship in over 30 locations across four continents and growing. Like Sarah, even though a good part of the vision God showed us remains unfulfilled, what God has done so far makes us judge Him faithful (Hebrews 11.11). Every word of promise will definitely come to pass. We also can see how God has brought us out of the planting phase of ministry where we had to sell cars to pay church bills, struggle to pay children’s school fees as we prioritized God’s work to a place where our needs are sufficiently met. Everywhere we go, many lives we have impacted over the years joyfully care for us and give to us. Truly, if we are not weary in well doing, in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6.. There is a due season for every seeker of God, every servant of God and every giver to God. As the angel of God announced to Zachariah that his prayer was answered, he could not wrap his mind around it. He and his wife were too old to produce children except there is a miracle. Yes, but God is a miracle worker. Even if impossible, He will work a miracle to fulfill His promises in your life. Don’t give up, payday is coming!!