

The

Most Important Thing

You can do

The Key to a worthwhile life

DEBORAH E. AGHIMIEN

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

Copyright © 2014 by Deborah E.Aghimien

PUBLISHED BY:

Deborah E.Aghimien on Smashwords

All Scriptures quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

The author has emphasized some words in the scripture quotations. These words are not emphasized in the original Bible versions.

Dedication

I wish to dedicate this book to my children, Destiny, Martin and Stacey, who showed me unconditional love while God was walking me through my healing process.

Thank you my lovely children, for loving me even when I wasn't being the mother I was supposed to be.

You are my blessings and the answers to my prayers and I love you all beyond words!

Destiny, thanks for the cover photo of this book!

I also dedicate this book to Louis Ogbebor, who was there for me during the trying times of my life to listen and to encourage me to hold on to God.

Louis, thank you for those phone calls you made every single day and for years telling me to hold on and that God is going to see me through. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have someone like you to pour my heart out to and you were always there to listen. Thanks for being there through the tears and the laughter, thanks brother!

I also want to dedicate this book to Angela Schiavone, who although don't know me yet volunteerd to design the cover of this book.

Thank you Angela, for helping a stranger like me, people like you just make life easier. Thank you and God bless you!

To all the prayer warriors out there who were busy praying for me and my children when I was sending out prayer requests, this book is also for you.

I may not know you but God does and He has answered your prayers.

Thank you all for your prayers, please, keep praying, for our God is indeed the hearer of prayer.

And to God almighty, who has given me this message to share, I say thank you for your love, for your mercy for your grace and for things too many to mention.

Thank you Lord, you are indeed the hearer of prayer! Thank you, thank you and thank you!!!

What is the most important thing you can do?

Have you ever asked this question? Well, you should because this is one of life's most important questions. Why is this question important? You may ask. Before answering you, would you please stop and think for a moment about this question, what do you believe is the most important thing you can do in life?

Different people will give different answers to this question. So, it is very important that you know the right answer to this question because your success in every other area of your life, hangs on it.

As you will find out later in this book, there is absolutely no way anyone can be happy or fulfilled in life, without finding and applying the answer to this question.

To help you understand how important it is that you find the right answer to this question, here are some of the benefits the answer to this question provides when you find and apply it in your life.

Some of the benefits answer provides

The answer to this question can or will:

- make your life enjoyable

\- teach you how to live smartly

- help you find genuine happiness when you apply it in your life.

- honor you with the best things of life

- give you abundant health

- make you sleep soundly throughout the night

- make you know what you should do in every situation

- give you long and prosperous life

- make you wise

- offers you riches, honor, prosperity and wealth

- protect you and keep you safe

- make you great

- give you a bright future

There is no end to this list; it goes on and on. In short, the answer to this question basically provides you with every good thing you can ever ask or wish for and many, many more.

This sound too good to be true! Yes, I know! Yet, everything is true. How do I know? You will see for yourself later as you read on.

There is nothing good you could possibly need in life that the answer to this question does not provide. No wonder it is the most important thing you can do.

Checked

Of all the things you have to do in life, this is the most important of them all, because;

It does not matter what you have acquired in your life, without this, you will make a mess of every other thing including your life.

Now, having read some of the benefits the answer to this question provides you when you find and apply it in your life, you will agree with me that, this is indeed one of life's most important questions.

You can learn to avoid the pitfalls of life

You know, there are things we all wish we had known or being told earlier in life that would have made our journey through life easier and more pleasant; this is definitely one of them.

This book is a treasure out of the trials of my life. What I share with you in this book, took me years and years to learn, when I decided to search for significance in life.

Although sometimes, it does take us a painful experience to learn but it doesn't have to be this way.

Our time here on earth, is very precious because it is limited and we only get to live it once. The more reason you don't have to ''learn safety rules by accident'' because even if you do make it out of those ''accidents'' alive, you may have been physically, emotionally or psychologically wounded, scared for life, and you may never recover from those wounds. Like I said earlier, it doesn't have to be this way, you can learn to avoid the pitfalls of life, save yourself a lot of heartache, pain and trouble and enjoy your life.

Yes, there are things we all wish we had been told or known earlier in life that would have made life easier and more enjoyable for us, but the truth is that, you should not expect the valuable knowledge you need to live a meaningful life to find you, you have to go in search of it and let me tell you the truth, it will require the kind of effort you will need when you are searching for some hidden treasure. For indeed, you are searching for a ''hidden treasure'' when you go in quest of the vital knowledge you need to live a purposeful life.

And it helps to know that, it is worth all your effort, for it will indeed require all your effort.

I am not talking about just any knowledge here, do not go for just any knowledge or what you would like to hear, but go for the truth, however hard or bitter it may be to swallow, for this is where you find life worth living, true freedom and peace.

Some would think it's a burden because getting this life's crucial knowledge requires your diligent effort, patience, and commitment. Well, ignorance is no option either because it will cost you more. Ignorance can cost you your very life. Yes! It is deadly to go through life without the knowledge you ought to have.

Besides, it is hopeless for a human being to be without knowledge.

Do not make fun of the vital knowledge you need to live a satisfying life and wait to get into trouble then you are in agony, distress or panic before you make up your mind to learn.

Of what use is it learning to charm a poisonous animal after you first let him bite you? What I am saying is that, you can avoid a lot of trouble by educating yourself early.

When you have the right knowledge you need, you will be able to make better choices in life and save yourself a lot of misery, worry and pain because what you know, will help you know what is appropriate in every area of your life.

A very important reason why people suffer is because they lack the know-how of things and of life. And not knowing does not excuse them from the pitfalls nor from the unintended consequences of the ignorant choices they're making.

There is danger in ignorance and that is a fact!

Some people may have this vital knowledge about life pass down to them. Well, I say: how lucky they are, to have life made easier for them! But if this is not your case, not to worry because there is good news: instead of making excuses or blaming your parents for not equipping you with life's essential knowledge that they themselves may not have had, you know the saying: ''you can't give what you don't have'', so, instead of blaming others and feeling sorry for yourself, you can do something, you can start taking steps to educate yourself today because this knowledge is for everyone who is willing. So, if you are willing, then go for it!

You want to know if is not too late? I say: it is never too late to find out what is crucial in life and go for it. What would you rather do? Keep doing the same thing over and over again even though you know it is not working or make a courageous turn for what works?

Are you a parent? You are encouraged to do your best possible to prepare your children for life, and let them know the things that are crucial for a meaningful life. You do not want them to be ignorant of the important knowledge you know they must possess.

But, if you as a parent do not have this knowledge, then you cannot pass it on because you can't give what you don't have but the good news is that, if you are willing, then it is yours!

One of the reasons this book is written, is because I believe that the best thing you can do with significance like this, when you find it, is to share it, to help make life easier and more pleasant for as many as possible.

Yes, we all have our stories in life, everybody goes through stuff but not everybody overcomes or pulls through. Why is that?

Your knowledge is your power. This is true because, you are empowered to do better by what you know. We hear it all the time that, more important than what happens to us in life, is how we choose to react to what happens to us.

The way you choose to react, will depend on the knowledge you possess about where you are at in life, the quality of your choices will therefore depend on the quality of the knowledge you possess.

We make choices every day and all the time. So, to a very large extent, your life is the product of the choices you are making, and if the quality of your choice depends on the quality of the knowledge you possess, then you will agree with me that, you having the right knowledge you need to make the right choice is very vital.

So, the difference between the one who survives the trials, troubles and pains of life and the one who didn't depends largely on what they know and what they do with what they know.

To a very large extent, the quality of your life depends on what you know and what you do with what you know-Deborah E. Aghimien

Surviving the ''storms of life''

Remember what I said about this book been a treasure out of the trials of my life? Let me tell you more about it.

Although this is not a book about all the unpleasant details of the trials of my life, but i like to let you know that i have been through stuffs: Depression, loneliness, abandoned, abused, heartbreak, heaviness, heartache, rejection, failure, etc.

I will also like to say here that I take full responsibility for some of the things I went through or suffered in my life, how is that? No one made my choices for me.

That, I was ignorant of the consequences of some of the choices I made, didn't exempt me from the consequences of those choices. So, I am not making any excuses, even though the consequences I got were unintended.

I meant well for myself though and I thought I was on track but little did I know I wasn't. As a young girl growing up, like most people, I had a big dream for my life. I had this painted picture in my mind of how I wanted my life to look like: to be successful, happy, fulfilled, I wanted a beautiful home, a family and I also wanted to reach out and impact the world I live in and I was doing the best I knew how to do based on what I knew then, to make my dreams come through.

I said to myself ''if I could get a good education and work very hard in life, then I can work out my dreams'' so, I was working very hard; I got education up to university level, I was depending on what I thought I knew and on the knowledge and wisdom of men, to live the life of my dreams.

I stayed away from all kinds of trouble, many refer to me as a beautiful, decent, hardworking and intelligent person and I depended on these qualities. I had no doubt in my mind that I was going to live the life of my dreams. When I was afraid that my dreams may not come through, I would work harder.

Everything seemed to be working out for me and I was happy with the way I was building my life but I was soon to learn that there is absolutely no way you can be fulfilled in life when your priorities in life, are out of order. My priorities then, were not in order, unfortunately I didn't know this.

I was soon to learn that I lacked that vital knowledge about what really make life worthy. Although I had a list of what I wanted to do with my life but what I didn't know was that the most important thing I can ever do in life, was not even in my life's to-do-list.

No wonder, all I was building with my life didn't hold for long but it came crumbing down before my very eyes, when the ''storms of life'' came against me.

What is the storm of life you may ask? This is how I have come to understand it: In life, we are builders: building our lives and our dreams, but what we don't know is that, at a point in our lives, the foundation upon which we are building our lives will be put to the test, what we are building or have spend our lives building will face the ''storms of life '' ( troubles and trials of life,) and everything in your life that can be shaken will be shaken and up to your very core.

Like I said earlier, ignorant to this fact, is no excuse. That I didn't know about this, didn't exclude me from the fact that every one of us gets to go through the ''storms of life'': the heartache, the trouble and pains of life.

So, it is not a question of whether or not the storm will come against you, your dreams and all that you are building or have built with your life, because it will, but it is a question of when and where you will be, by the time the storm is over. Will you, your dreams and all that you have built or building with your life still be standing or will you be down, your dreams gone and all that you have built or building come crashing down before your very eyes?

Your awareness of this fact about life enables you to give serious thought to the way you build your life and taking necessary precautions also. Knowing that your survival will depend largely on the foundation upon which you build your life, therefore, you want to choose your foundation very carefully because you need a reliable foundation that can support you through the trials and troubles of this life.

If the foundation upon which you are building your life and dreams cannot weather the ''storms of life'' when it hits, then, your life and dreams will come crashing before your very eyes, this is not what you want, is it?

You must know also, that you building your life on a trustworthy foundation and taking the necessary precautions, does not mean that the ''storms of life'', will not come against you and what you have built, because it will but it means that you will not be afraid of it because you know that you have build upon a secure foundation and that when it's all over, you and all you have built with your life, will still be standing.

So, with a dependable foundation and you given serious thought to how you built your life, your survival is guaranteed.

In my case, I never thought about the foundation of my life, I didn't even know that I was suppose to think about it, let alone take the necessary precautions but ignorance is never an excuse. The ''storms'' came anyway, it came against me and it shook me to my very core and because my core then, whatever it was, couldn't withstand the ''storms'' my life came crashing before my very eyes.

To say that, it was a very tough period of my life is to say the least. During that period, I went through depression, heartache, loneliness, rejection, self pity, I was abandoned and judged.

At that time, I didn't understand why. I thought I did the best I knew how to do, in trying to build my life, I didn't know what else I could have done differently, I was confused, I couldn't figure things out, I just couldn't understand why it happened. That was really a crisis moment in my life.

I had questions: I wanted to know where I went wrong and the lesson in what happened. I wanted answers to all the questions I had going on in my head at that time.

There were a lot of thoughts going on in my head then. I was an emotional wreck and each day was very painful and difficult for me to get through.

There were times when I didn't even know how I could make it through the day; every day seemed worse than the one before, each day was a struggle to get through, I was messed up. I would cry and cry, I would cry myself to sleep and I would wake up crying, I would drenched my pillow in tears but the crying and the too much thinking, trying to figure things out, didn't help matters but instead, it made things worse for me, because it started to take its toll on my health.

I was getting weaker by the day, going without food, not getting enough sleep, I was a mess.

Things had already started falling apart in my life years before it came crashing, I was only trying to hold it all together, but a futile effort it was.

At that time when I hit rock bottom, the oldest among my three children, was 7years.

They would watch me cry all the time. Sometimes, I would hide from them; go into my room and cry my eyes out, when I am done crying, I would wipe my eyes and try not to make them noticed that I have been crying again, but sometimes they still would noticed that I have been crying and they would always asked questions like: 'what is it with your eyes, have you been crying again, why are you crying?''

I would say things like: '' yes, I have some things troubling my mind, but do not worry about me because I will be fine'' but most times, as I say these words, tears would come running down my eyes, because I didn't know if I was going to be fine, they would go get something to wipe my eyes, then they would sit with me, when I look at their eyes, I would see tears running down their eyes and this would just break my heart the more because, I could see that my children were hurting because I was hurting, this was not what I wanted.

I know the saying: ''hurting people, hurt people.'' whether or not I was hurting my children intentionally, does not change the fact that my children were hurting because I was hurting. I could see that, the pain and misery I was going through was beginning to rub off on them. I knew I was hurting but I didn't want it to rub off on my children in any way.

So, at this point,I knew that I had to do whatever I needed to do to heal from the hurt, whether or not I was ready.

I needed to do this for my children and for me also, so that, I can be there for my children whom I love so much and deserve a happy mother. So, after much crying and self pity, I had a decision to make. I could either chose to keep feeling sorry for myself, and hating others for not feeling sorry for me, crying myself out day and night, be angry, resentful and bitter towards those who hurt me, trying to get back at them, etcetera or I could chose to start putting the broken pieces of my life together and move on with my life.

I made a choice to heal from whatever had happened to me and pick up the broken pieces of my life and move on, but I didn't know how I was going to do that, I only knew that I needed to get over whatever happened and get back up.

Something inside tells me that there is a way forward and I was going to find that way out of the mess I was in. I was determined to rebuild my life, first for the sake of my children who didn't ask to be born; I own them to be there for them.

Yes, I was going through the most trying time of my life but should that be an excuse not to be the mother I ought to be to the children I brought into this world and whom I love so much beyond words can express? I didn't think so.

I do want to succeed in all my life's endeavors but I would rather succeed more as a mother even if that means failing at all others. If I succeed in every other thing and fail as a mother, then I have failed in all but if I failed at all other and succeed as a good mother than I have succeeded in all.

This is how I view my responsibility as a mother.

So, driven by this ''I must succeed as a mother responsibility'' I was going to do everything I can, to start rebuilding my life.

But, when I made the decision to start rebuilding my life, it was like some forces were saying ''let's see how you do that'', because, things got tougher for me, a number of things I tried to do failed, I put in my best at something and I got rejections, judgment and failure. Yet, there was this strong strength from the inside that believes so much in me, that kept telling me that I can pull through it all, with this strength from within and looking at my children, I was going to fight for my life, I also knew I could not do this on my own. I was determined to do and get all the help that I needed, to help me get back up, to be there for my children and back on the road of life again.

A very tough period of my life it was, but it was also the turning point of my life. This was the point in my life where I really started to search for significance.

Something told me that the reason for my suffering was lack of accurate knowledge of the essential things that makes life worthy and that, if I was going to live a fulfilled and purposeful life, then I must first have to get the know –how.

Because I believe that it is never too late to search for significance in life and go for it, I was willing to take full responsibility for my life, I was looking again at the basic questions of life: like why am I here in the first place? And what am I suppose to be doing here? And so on. .. I had to evaluate my life; I wanted to know if my priorities in life were in or out of order.

Everything I thought I knew, had failed me. I had exhausted all my sources of solution; I had basically come to the end of myself. My situation left me with no one to turn to for help but God.

So, I decided to get to know my creator more, and get the answers to my question from Him, I said to myself ''I believe I have a maker and I know if He made me, He also cares about me and He can help me. So, if I will go to Him for help, He will help me''.

One day in my room from the depth of my heart and soul I cried out I said ''God if you are there, please, I need you to help me, you are my only hope''

Although I wasn't born into a Christian family, nor raised as one, but I did join a church back home when I was at school. Though I was going to church then but it was for me, more of a ''Sunday, Sunday thing'' than worshipping God; I served God my own way, I would read the Bible when I felt like doing so but I wasn't sure if I genuinely believed its content.

In other words, I heard about God, I read about Him but I had no personal relationship with Him, I was serving Him with a divided heart: I couldn't honestly say then that, I believed in God, I wasn't really acquainted with Him, I didn't appreciate Him the way I ought to, it showed in the way I spoke and lived my life, God was not first in my life then, neither was He the ultimate necessity of my life. I depended on me and on the wisdom of men to get me through life.

But when I came to a point in life where I was been twisted by life, been shaken to my very core, and when I came to the very end of myself, I remembered all I heard about God, I needed help that only He can give me.

When I turned to God for help, I didn't really know what to say to Him, it was more of ''hot tears running down my eyes '' and just begging Him to help me. I would be saying things like '' my creator, please help me, please I need you, I cannot go on if you don't help me, please help me''.

But God seemed silent. I would say: 'please, for the sake of my children please, help me.'' Even though it seemed like my creator was silent, somehow I knew He could hear and see me and feel my pain, Somehow I knew this because if He has given me ears, eyes and the senses to feel, I believe that He is also a God who hears, sees and feels. So, I knew that my prayers were not falling on deaf ears.

After much talking to God and expecting to hear Him speak to me like hearing a voice, He didn't speak to me that way, nor was there an immediate transformation or changes in my life but He did gave me the strength that I needed to make it through each day at a time while He walked me through a healing process.

When God didn't speak to me audibly like I was expecting Him to, I said to myself ''may be, I need to find out more about my creator from His word: The Holy Bible''. I started to read the Bible.

I have read some chapters of the Bible before now but then, I wasn't looking to really know or find God in its pages but now that I have come to the end of myself and all my sources of solution were exhausted, I really wanted to know God and find Him in the pages of the Bible. My heart was wild open I was going to search and search until I find Him. He is the only hope I had left.

I started to read the Bible diligently with an open heart to find and know my creator in its pages. I have heard the saying: '' if you will search for God with all your heart you will find Him.'' And that God never turns away anyone who seeks Him.

I began to ask God to speak to me through His words. I began to spend more and more time reading the Bible and talking to God like He was right there besides me. Now I know that He is everywhere I am and not just up there looking down at me.

As I talk to God, He talks back through His words and through this gentle and calm voice in my heart.

I used to hear people say that God spoke to them and I would think that they must be very special people after God's heart and I would wish that I could hear Him speak to me also.

But now, I know that all this time I had wished that God would speak to me, He had actually been speaking to me and to each and every one of us and all the time also but most people don't know this because they don't recognize His voice.

It is important that you recognize the voice of your creator because His voice is not the only voice you hear in your heart.

How then do you recognize God's voice among others? It is very easy. It's like this: you always recognize the voice of your father among others when he calls you, how is that? This is because you know and you have spent time with your father. On the contrary, if you do not know or spent time with your father you will not recognize his voice among others when he calls you, even though he is your father.

In the same way, to recognize the voice of God, you need to know and spend time with Him. If you do not spend time with Him to get to know Him, then you will not recognize His voice among others when He speaks to you even though He is your God.

Now, I know that voice because I have learned and still learning to spent time with God. I enjoy spending time with God because His presence is my ''soft place to fall 'and His words in the Holy Bible teaches me who I am in Him, how to deal with everyday trouble and stress of this life and many, many more.

His voice is that calm, gentle voice I hear in my heart teaching and telling me what is right and what I need to do, keeping me on the right path. He is my adviser, my comforter and my all.

When you learn to recognize and follow the lead of the voice of God, He will guide you through life and then you are like a sheep with a shepherd.

When I couldn't recognize His voice, I was without guidance. In short, I was like a sheep without a shepherd, I was lost.

Imagine a sheep without a shepherd, that is a sheep with no direction, no destination that is a lost sheep, the list of what could happen to that sheep is endless, It may even be heading for danger without knowing it, it has no one to protect it from danger, anything can happen to it at anytime and that sheep is also a target to any wild animal on the field. Besides, it will certainly lack what it needs; it has no one to lead it to where to find food or water, that sheep is on its own.

When you make God the shepherd of your life: when you let Him lead you through life, when you are willing to obey and follow His teachings, you are like a sheep with a shepherd not just any shepherd but He is the good shepherd: the good shepherd who is willing to lay down His life for His sheep. He sees and knows what you do not see or know; nothing is hidden from Him, He knows where the danger lies and He knows where the treasures are.

He knows the way of life. When He is your shepherd, you will never lack anything you need. He will not just make sure that you have food to eat but He will guide you to where you will ''graze on the best pasture'', He will protect you from becoming a target to all the ''wild animals on the field'' if you are going the wrong way He will bring you back on track, if you get lost on the way, He will search for you and He will find you , if you are in danger, He will come to your rescue, if you get hurt, He will bind up your wound, if you get sick, He will take care of you, comfort you when you need comfort, when your strength fails He will carry you, He will see that you are refreshed on your journey through life, when you are weak He will be your strength, He will lead you through life and protect you from hidden dangers. We are the ''sheep of His Pasture.''

You must also know that, you making God the shepherd of your life, does not mean that you won't have problems or troubles in life, because like everyone else, you will encounter problems, difficulties, troubles, pain etc on your journey through life, there are valleys to cross, there are deep dark places to go through, the Bible refers to these difficult places in life, as ''the valleys of the shadows of death''. So long as you are here on earth, you will go through these places as you travel through life. You cannot separate tribulations from life; in short the Bible warns us that in this life, we will have tribulations but God does not want these troubles, pains and heartaches you may encounter on the way, to prevent you from enjoying your life. This is the very reason He wants you to make Him the shepherd of your life, so that He can help you, guide you through these difficult places and bear the burdens for and with you, so that, you can enjoy life despite its ups and downs.

There is no way you can survive the journey of life on your own. Let God carry you through them and protect you from the pitfalls you do not have to encounter in life, you will not be alone, because God will be with you, when you get hurt on the way, He will nurse your wound, when you fall, He will help you up, you may fall seven times, but you raise back up eight times. God will comfort you when you need it. He will see that you are refreshed and not worn out during your journey through life and with God you will overcome whatever you encounter on your way.

But this is not the case with the one who chooses to travel the journey of life alone, and refuses to make God his shepherd, he is alone, he does not even know the road of life, (you may know your way around planet earth but the road of life is not a physical but a spiritual road) he does not know when he is going astray, even if he has a destination in mind he may not even know how to get there, he has no guidance, no protection, he is the target of all the wild ''spiritual beast'' out there, when he gets hurt no one to bind up his wounds, when he gets weak no one to carry him, no comfort when he needs it the most.

He goes through life afraid of the dangers on the way, he is afraid because, he knows that he cannot overcome them on his own, he chooses to bear the burden of life alone, no wonder he is exhausted, defected, he is wounded and bleeding emotional with no one to clean up his wounds, he hates life, he sees no meaning in it and he wished he was never here, he never gets to enjoy the journey at all, he never makes it to the other side, he may even want to drop out of the journey of life before it is time for him go, he just cannot make it on his own.

But there's good news: He doesn't have to live this way.

You see, even if you are unknowledgeable about this fact of life, it does not excuse you from the consequences of this unfortunate choice. So, it's your job to educate yourself.

You may ask why does one need to ask God for help before he can be helped. I have also asked this question and here is the answer I found: God will not invade your life, besides God wants to work with you to better your life. So, if He invades your life, will you be willing to cooperate with Him and do what He wants you to do? Just imagine what it is like to work with someone who has told you to your face that he does not need your help and that he is fine or better off without you?

I think this is one of the reasons why God will always wait to be invited. You and God in your life, are partners you have your role to play and God has His role, so, is you and God working together to help you. If you are the one who invited God into your life, then you will be willing to cooperate and do what He tells you to do.

Life is beautiful but like I said, its road can be rough and deadly, there are mountains and valleys to cross, and there are deep, dark places to go through. If you are here on earth you will encounter these things it is only a question of when, this is the bitter truth about life. That is why we need help. Do yourself a favor, do not travel the road of life alone; do not bear the burden of life alone, by depending on your intelligence because it will surely fail you, do not depend on people, because like you, they are only humans who are not even sure of what they are doing and nothing but dust.

Don't get me wrong, yes! God can use humans to help you but on their own, they can do nothing. God wants to carry your burdens with you and for you if you will let him.

Make the lord your shepherd; this is the smartest way to live. You do not have to bear the burdens of life alone.

Motivated by love so intense

I have read from the Bible and I have come to understand that God loves me dearly and that His love for me has no end. Although I do not deserve His Love, yet He chooses to love me and His love is His free gift to me.

I know that, I can rely on His strong love for me. I am aware that nothing can ever separate me from the perfect love that God has for me, nothing I will do, or will not do, that will make God to stop loving me. The Bible tells me so, and I believe it. This is how much God loves you also.

His passionate love for me is what draws me to Him and makes me want to do my best to honor Him with my life and follow His plans for my life.

How can I not respond to a love so profound! I am so thankful that God loves me the way He does and His intense love for me is my motivation in life.

My Bible also tells me that God will not hesitate to discipline me when the need arises and that He does this for my own good and because He loves me, it is just like a parent will discipline his child because he loves him, God loves us, but He will not hesitate to discipline those who disobey him.

What do you think? that because God loves you, so much, so, He is going to let you get away with unfair behavior like making life miserable for others? Then think again, because one of the attributes of God is that, He is a God of justice.

That simply means that God sees every wrong doing and He will see to it that justices is done.

Believe me when I tell you that God wants the best for you and whatever He tells you to do is for your own good. Well, this is not my word, the Bible says so, and yes, I believe it. What could God possibly want from you? He created everything and everything belongs to him. He only wants to help you. And what could He possibly want to take away from you or deprive you from enjoying? He created everything for you to enjoy. So, be smart and work with God and learn to make better choices and save yourself a lot of misery.

What can I say? God's love for us is a balance one.

Transformed by God's word

My God! I have more peace now. I thank God for His word that has power to transform lives. God said in His word that whatever He tells us to do, is for our own good

I never knew that life can be so much fun even in the midst of all the things that life throws at me, I have learned and still learning from God's word : the Holy Bible how to deal with everyday trouble and stress and live life to the very fullest.

God's word has taught me how to have the right approach, because it is not the what but it is the way you choose to you approach whatever it is you are facing in life, that matters.

Besides, I will be happier and have more peace if I learn to have the right approach towards things and towards life. So, I have to learn a new way of doing things ways contrary to the ways I was used to.

I learned from my walk with God, that His word is the best solution to every problem.

What are you facing in life? Find out what the word of God has to say about it, if you will cleave to and obey the word of God concerning that situation you are facing, you will see result, because God will surely honor his word.

Take forgiveness as an example, God's word have thought me to let go of all the negative feeling I have been carry around about people who hurt me because those negative feelings does not change what has happened neither can it make me feel better but rather negative feelings like anger, hatred, bitterness self pity can affect the quality of my life and If I do not let go of these feelings, it can have negative effect on my health also.

I have also learned from God's word that forgiveness does not mean that the offender is gotten away with what he has done, even if I have forgiven him, the fact remains that, in this life, no one gets away with anything. God's eyes are everywhere; He sees every unfair situation and He will see to it, that justice is done. Justice may not be done how or when we want it, but make no mistake about it, justice will surely be done.

God said in His word that we should leave vengeance to Him. He said that He will surely pay. It is also interesting to know that God keeps every promise He makes.

Forgiveness to me simply means: you go on with your life and let God handle it for you because He can to do a better job than you.

I have also come to accept the fact that, humans are not perfect and so, they do imperfect things. So the question then is not whether people will hurt or disappoint you, because they surely will. It doesn't matter the type of relationship you have with them or how much you trust or love them. If they are humans, they sure will behave like one: imperfect beings doing imperfect things.

Come to think of it, even though it wasn't intentional I know that I have also hurt or disappoint others in so many ways.

Before now, when people hurt me, I will isolate myself so that I do not get hurt again but I later realized that I was dying of loneliness, then I learned that God did not create me to live in isolation but that He created me for a relationship, relationship with Him, relationship with me and then for relationship with others. You have to have these three relationships in your life to be balance. In short the Bible warns against isolation.

So, I decided to get out of my shell and live life. I decided that I will continue to relate with people the way I ought to and if they hurt me, I will do what the word of God says: I will forgive them because they do not know what they are doing. Leave vengeance to God, let God heal me from the hurt and keep on relating with people still but I was not going to hide in my shell any more.

This sounds easy, the fact is, it is not but if you have ever carry bitterness, resentment, hatred, and the likes, you will agree with me that more difficult than forgiving those who hurt you, is living under the bondage of unforgiveness.

Thank God that with His help we can do what He requires of us, God is very realistic He knows our imperfections and limitations if He tells us to do something, He also give us the grace to do it.

God cannot require from us what He has not given us His grace to do.

Everything in you might be against it, but if God says you should do it, then, it is for your own good, so, you have to make a deliberate choice to obey the word of God even if you feel like doing the opposite.

Forgiveness to me, also means drop all the negative thought and feelings you are carry around because of what has been done to you and about those who did it to you because it will not do you any good or change what has happened but instead, you will be hurting yourself and those around you and ruining your life, so, stop hurting yourself and let go of the negative feelings, let God handle it for you and go about your life and like I said, you can trust God to do a better job than you!

I also know that this can be very a though thing to do. It is something you have to do by choice knowing that it is for you and not for your offender. Just like Love is underserved, forgiveness is also underserved, the offender does not have to deserve it or ask for it but do it for you and break free from the issue having control over the rest of your life.

I am so glad that I made a choice to obey the word of God because when I thought I was setting my offenders free in turns out that I was setting myself free, it took time but with God's help I have dropped it all, I have moved on with my life and I feel lighter. Wow! It was Indeed for my own good, when I choose to move on with my life and let God handle it the situation for me.

Besides forgiving others, I have also learned to forgive myself when I make mistake, God knows that I am made from dust. He expects no perfection from me, why should I expect perfection from myself? It is an unrealistic expectation.

I try to put in the best I can in all I do, whatever the outcome is, I am thankful, I learn from it, and hope to do better next time. Thank God that each day He allows me to see, is another chance for me to try again.

This is something I have to learn to do, still learning to do and I keep reminding myself to remember to do it. It is a continuous learning process.

Yes, sometimes I fall short but I am learning and am growing. When I take a look at who I am now and who I was, I say; ''my God, what an amazing transformation!''

Another example that many can relate to, is the issue of a broken heart.

It is written in the Bible that God can and will heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds.

Is your heart broken? I know what it is to have a broken heart. My heart was shred into pieces and I am also a proof that God can indeed heal the broken hearted. No doctor can tell you that he can heal your broken heart but God can nurse your wound and pain and heal your broken –heart. Note: ''nursing'' your wound and pain until it heals. By this I mean to say that healing is a process.

God is close to the broken-hearted, if you are in pain, if you have been wronged, crushed, God is right there with you. God can never turn away a person whose heart is broken. It does not matter who you are. He will surely take care of you if you will let Him but when you come to God with a broken heart, give Him time to nurse your wound and pain and remember that healing is a process that takes time. It is just like when you get a physical wound, it takes time for it to heal.

What I write here, is from my own experience. So, believe me when I tell you that God can indeed heal the broken hearted. At times, the healing might not be instant and sometimes, the healing process can also be a ''painful'' one. You may say '' I am hurting and I have come to God to take the pain away, why would He want to walk me through a painful process?''

Like I said, it is just like when you get a deep physical injury, the healing process can Sometime itch, it can ache, sometimes the pain from the healing can make you cry, the pain from the healing process can even cause you some sleepless nights but the good news is that, the process of healing though can sometimes be painful but it is the one that will lead to your healing but if you will not go through this temporally painful healing process, then your pain will never go away the wound will never heal and it will be that way for the rest of your life or may even deteriorate into something worse.

What do I mean by deteriorate into something worse? Just imagine an open wound that won't heal, it can be infected and when that happens, then you have a bigger problem.

If you are willing to let God walk you through the healing process, He will also compensate you for all the troubles you went through. This is so true! The Bible says so and it is my life experience also.

You may wonder why God would choose to heal you when you get hurt rather than preventing it from happening to you. I have also thought about this myself. You know sometimes, we make unfortunate choices that can ruin our lives and then we turn around and blame God. Imagine you as a parent warning your children about the dangers of making unwise choices, God forbid that they go ahead and make these choices, got the consequences that go with these unfortunte choices they made and then they turn and ask you why didn't you stop it?

Moreover, God knows what we do not know, He sees what we do not see and He does not do or see things the way we humans do. His ways of doing things are far beyond our human understanding. So, I have learned to trust Him instead of questioning His ways. And to accept that He knows better and that I can never know all that He knows.

Besides, God never promise us a problem free life, or that our heart will never be broken or that we will never get hurt but He did promise that He will be there to help us through it all and that He will give us double for our trouble.

There were some very tough times in my life and I would pray for it to end but instead, God would let it go on and on and when I ask, why? All I hear in my heart is ''what you need is my strength to go through it and that I have given you. Things will work out for good, because I am with you'' Most times the reason God did not stop it will all be clear to me when I get to the other side of that tough time I was going through and all the things I thought were working against me were actually working for me.

When I hit rock bottom and pray to God for help, the changes in my life didn't come over night or happen instantly but God chose to walk me through a process. Some of which were very hard and painful. Sometimes I would cry to God and say things like; ''God, this is too hard, please, help me but I would hear the same thing in my heart: ''my strength is enough for you and I am with you and I will never allow you more than what you can bear.

One day, when I was crying telling God that, what I was going through was too much for me to bear, I heard in my heart: ''Gold is a chunk of metal that has made it through hell!'' God spoke these words to my heart when He was walking me through my healing process.

Have you seen what a raw Gold (impure gold) looks like when it is dug up? And what the refined gold looks like? Big difference is it?

The raw gold (impure gold) has to go through a refining process _:_ it is a process that will remove all the impurities so that the beauty of the gold can be seen.

The raw Gold has to go through ''hell'' to look beautiful, precious, and valuable. It is a series of tough process. Just imagine that, the raw gold could talk to the goldsmith or to the person refining it, it would say things like: ''I cannot take this anymore, or it hurts, it is painful, I have had enough, take me out of this fire, why are you putting me through all this? '' and so on.

And the gold refiner, who knows why he's put the raw gold in the refinery furnace, would say things to the gold like: '' I know that, what you are going through right now is tough, but you have to go through it, it is for your own good that you complete the refinery process, I cannot take you out of the furnace when the process is not complete".

The process that God will walk you through to bring out the precious gift He has put in you may be a tough and sometimes a painful one to bear, but is it is not to punish you but rather, it is to remove all those things in you that are preventing your potentials in life from being seen and used, those ''impurities 'in you cannot survive the ''heat of the furnace but you will''.

God said I will never allow you more than what you can bear. In other words .God is saying: '' I am keeping my eyes on you to make sure that the heat is not too much for you. When this process is completed, the gift that I have put in you will shine through, and you will be put on display and be very valuable and precious''tto the kingdom of God

When God spoke these words to my heart when He was walking me through my healing process, it helped me to hold on and bear it all, I would cry and talk to God but I understood also that it was in my best interest to complete the process tough or not, I had to let God do whatever He needed to do in me so that I can be the person that He has created me to be. Today, I can say that, it wasn't easy but it was more than worth it!

God who created you, knows your potentials, He also knows what is preventing you from reaching your full potential in life. So, when you decide to come to Him for help, you are like that impure Gold that is dug up from the ground muddy and dirty and needs to be cleaned and refined. You have been out there in the world doing your own thing, your own way and you have no doubt picked up a lot of things from the world that is not doing you any good but instead they are preventing the real beauty in you from been seen and used.

When you come to God, He will pick you up just as you are but He will not leave you to remain the way you were before you came to Him. No, He will not! No one comes to God and remains the same but God will work on you to take away those things that are preventing you from reaching your full potential in life and that is preventing your potentials from been seen and used.

Refinery is for Gold but when God wants to transform you, He works on your heart.

Proverbs 17:3 says ''the fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts''. KJV

Yes! God transforms us, cleanses us or refine us from the inside out.

Contrary to what you have picked up from the world, you will have to change your way of living by learning God's way of doing things. All these are written for you in the Bible. It is a mind renewing process.

To be transformed, you have to renew your mind with God's word you have to start learning a better way of doing things and you have to learn to make better choices and decisions.

Find out what God wants you to do and the blessings He has for you, knowing that whatever God tells you to do, Is for your own good and start putting them into practice and you will see the result in your life but how do you put what you do not know into practice? That is why we are encouraged to read God's word every day, so that we do not forget what God wants us to do. It is a continuous learning process.

God has promised a lot of blessings in the Bible but you must also know that, these blessings are not without conditions.

If you want the blessings, then you have to do what is required of you. What do I mean?

For example, the wicked cannot have the blessings meant for the righteous.

Yes, God loves you, no doubt about that but if you chose to live your life purposely hurting others, causing them pain and misery, you do not expect God to reward you for that, do you? But rather if you choose to live your life in a way that put smiles on people's faces then you should expect a reward for that.

So, you see, God's blessings are not in just going to church, or just reading the Bible, but it is in the doing. If you will apply what you learn in your everyday life, you will see result. This is so true! Now, let's consider the example of forgiveness that I gave above.

For years, I was very angry about what was done to me, yes, I had good reasons to be angry and I told myself that, I would never forgive them because what they did to me, almost cost me my sanity and my life.

So, I carried this anger, bitterness, hatred, grudge etc that I had against those who hurt me with me and where ever I went and for years also. I can tell you that, these negative feelings are very, very heavy things to carry around and as a result, these feeling were beginning to hurt me instead of my offenders: I was not happy because I was bitter and angry, I couldn't relate well with my children or others I got easily irritated, I couldn't give my whole self to whatever I was doing whether it was my work, study or relationship with others.

These negative feelings were taking a negative toll on my life. I was failing in the things I was doing, I was miserable. So, I started to pray to God for peace.

I learned that, to be free from all these negative feelings I had to forgive and get past what has happened to me. When I heard that, I said, that cannot be from God because these people really hurt me to my very soul; so, I asked myself how could I forgive them? Besides, they haven't even asked me for forgiveness. So, I refused to forgive them, I held on to these negative feelings and I wouldn't even allow God into that area of my life because I wanted to handle it myself and my way.

My point is, I have heard a lot of preaching on forgiveness, I have also read it in the Bible that I must forgive, otherwise I will not be forgiven, I have prayed and I have been told that I needed to drop it, yet, I chose not to forgive. As a result, I didn't see the fruit of forgiveness in my life. I went on this way for a long time, I was so miserable.

When I eventually got it that, it wasn't working for me, I finally made the choice to let go and let God be the judge of whatever these people did to me.

I prayed. I told God that this forgiveness thing was hard for me and that if He will help me that I am willing to do it His way: forgive them all.

Again this was a process. But today, I can tell you that I am so happy that I made the choice to do it God's way. I can honestly tell you that I have come to a place of peace with what happened.

Have I forgotten what these people did? Of course not! But you know what? These issues do not have control over my life anymore because it now has its right place in my life and that is in the past, where it belongs.

Whenever the thought comes to my mind, I would talk to myself. Yes, I would talk to myself, I would say things like: '' yes they hurt me so bad, but what do I derive from holding on to bitterness and resentment? Nothing! But holding on to these negative feelings, only hurt me the more. So, because I do not want to hurt myself the more, I have chosen to let it all go, it's all now in the past, where it belongs and if God says that I must forgive, who am I not to forgive?''

It is not as easy as it sounds but if you are willing, God will take it from there, you might be forgiving someone who hurt you but the favor is all yours.

I learned from this experience that, you will never regret doing things God's way and also that just going to church hearing sermons and reading the Bible are very good for you, but to see the fruit in your life you have to apply the word of God to situations and you will see results, otherwise you are just a churchgoer and a Bible reader. What is wrong with being a churchgoer and a Bible reader?

Let me ask you this: what is the point of going to church and reading the Bible if you are not going to apply what you are learning in your life?

If you believe what you are learning and reading from the Bible, then you will apply it in your life.

Do you know that the devil knows the Bible also? Yes he does! But he doesn't obey what the Bible says. He quoted it to Jesus when he was tempting him in the wilderness. So, knowing the Bible is not enough you have to believe it and you have to act on it.

Moreover, we are told that not everyone who says: Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of God but the doer of His word.

What about Grace? You may ask.

I say let us not abuse God's grace: let us not use God's grace as an excuse not to obey Him because God cannot be deceived what you sow is what you will reap. All the things written down for us in the Bible like forgiveness, love, etc are not written for nothing, so I say God's grace is to help us do what is impossible with us.

God gives you His grace to help you to obey Him because He knows that you cannot do it on your own. In other words God cannot ask you to do the things He has not given you His grace to do.

God refines us, approves of us and then promotes us

If you claim that you know enough to move to the next level with God then you have to take the test in a real life situation, the test will reveal your true worth and quality but at that time of the test you will not even know that you are taking a test from God.

Test from God? Yes! Test from God. God do test us, but He never tempts us with evil it is important that you know the difference. The evil one tempts us with the hope to bring us down but God test us to promote us. Is just like taking an exam, if you pass it, you go to the next class, otherwise you have to keep taking the test untill you pass it.

The test is not for God to know your level because He already knows. But when you pray and ask Him for promotion and wonder why you are not getting what you ask for, then God has to let you know where you are at.

God knows that every level has its own blessings as well as challenges, and before He puts you there, He will prepare you for that level. This whole process is how God refines us, approves of us, and promotes us.

Some of the test can be very tough and the test will depend to a large extent, on the level you are at and the challenges that come with the next level you are going.

For example, if the next level requires trust, then you have to take and pass the trust test.

So, the more well informed you are about God's way of doing things and what He expects of you, the better your chances of doing well in these tests.

This is all about how well you know the Bible and practice what it says and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and with the help of our lord Jesus.

It is important that you know that sometimes, God will usually work you through a procedure because many do give up after some days, weeks or months when they don't get that immediate change or transformation they were expecting to get when they come to God. They give up and conclude that this stuff doesn't work.

From my walk with God, I know that sometimes, this process can be a very difficult one, because you have to change your old ways of doing things, and learn new ones that work. How was I able to make it through these years holding on?

I thank God for His grace! God says that: His grace is enough for us. God still answers prayers; He helped me and my children through each day at a time, while He renewed my mind with His word.

Like I said, my transformation wasn't drastic, I just kept begging God to help me, I kept reading the Bible diligently and studying it, I kept talking to God (praying) and I was sending out prayer requests to men and women of God, I kept listening to the word of God and very often also and there was also this inner voice that kept telling me that I can pull through it all.

During this period and even till now, I always love to hear the word of God playing around me, listening to great men and women of God, telling me about God, helped build my faith in God. I thank God for this great men and women of God who may never know how God used them to impact my life.

I pray that they keep doing their good works so that many around the world can be blessed.

I felt in my heart that, I may never meet them to say thank you for what God has used them to do in my life, so for them to keep doing the good work they do, I decided to support them both prayerfully and financially. This is something I have never done before but I obeyed and I started to give to the men and women of God what God put in my heart. I was given a certain amount to support their ministry every month.

Still, there was no drastic change in my life but what I didn't know then, was that, even though it seemed like God was not working, He was actually working out things for me I only had to wait to see what it was. Meanwhile, I tried to do things in a way of rebuilding my life but they all failed. I was still crying because I couldn't understand it.

I was determined to move on with my life, I was still begging God to help me, I was saying: ''oh God please help me, oh God, please help me, God, please I need you to help me otherwise I cannot make it, please, for the sake of my children, please, help me'' and when I am done crying, I would wipe my eyes and go on.

I made up my mind to keep moving forward even if I had to do so with tears in my eyes. I want to stay in the race of life, take care of my children and finish strong. I was willing to wait for as long as it takes God to do whatever He wants with me, I was willing to walk the whole way with Him, I had tried everything I knew and they failed me, God is my only hope.

For me, giving up wasn't an option, because I needed to be here for my children. Besides, I didn't like that place I was; it was a place of self pity, depression, it was a deep dark place that no one should ever be. It can best be described as the ''valley of the shadow of death'' here, I realize that the line between sanity and insanity is a very, very, thin one.

Each day was difficult and painful to get through, and sometimes, I wasn't even sure if I could make it to the next day. It is not a place for anyone, and definitely not what I wanted, I knew I was hurting but the way out was not to hurt myself the more or stay down, I knew I couldn't afford to give up, besides the fact that I want to there for my children, I also have not given up on my dreams even though I had tried and failed a number of times, I only wanted to know what I did wrong, learn from my mistake, try again and hope for the best.

I realized that I cannot trust what I thought I knew. So I didn't care how long it was going to take, I just wanted to be making progress and keep moving forward. I was not going to stay down for the rest of my life.

It was during one of my crying and pleading from my heart and soul with God for help, that I made a promise to Him. I said: ''God, if you will help me, I will in turn go out and tell others who are still where I was, that you can help them also".

Words cannot describe that place I was during the test and trials of my life; I can only say that no one should ever go through the pain and misery I went through.

Now that I am out, thanks to God the hearer of prayer! But it is heartbreaking to imaging that there are people out there going through what I went through and do not know how they can get out of that ''valley of the shadow of death'' that place of heartache, pain, heaviness, loneliness, rejection, abuse, that place where every day is a struggle, painful and heavy to get through.

I was desperate to get out of that situation I was. So, I begged God to help me so that I can tell others that He is real and that He can help them also.

I forgot about this promise I made to God but God didn't. When He did His part, He reminded me of the promise I made to Him. You will read about this later in this book.

I must say here that, even though I didn't see immediate changes or the changes that I was expecting to see in my life when I called on God for help but at a point in time, I did notice, that I was stronger by the day and that every day gets better than the one before. Yes, there were still some very difficult days in-between but there was also this strength from the inside.

So, I knew I was making progress to where I need to be. Knowing that I was not stuck, but moving forward, and that I am on my way to where I want to be, helped me to take the slow but steady step by step process, day by day through the years.

You can do something about your life: You can take steps to change your life.

There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve years. For twelve years she tried to find a solution to her problem but nothing thing works. I find it very interesting that although she has been trying and failing for years, yet she never gave up trying and believing that there is a solution to her problem.

Then one day, she heard about Jesus and all that He has been doing for people. She decided to go and try Jesus, believing that He is the solution to her problem. Although she had reasons not to even go near Jesus: because of her bleeding problem; she was regarded as an impure woman; for people including Jesus would be defiled by her touch.

So you see that normally speaking, she was supposed to stay away from Jesus. But no! Not this woman: who was determined to find a solution to her problem? She would not let that stop her.

She had her plans: to go and just touch Jesus' garment and believing that if Jesus is as powerful as she heard, the healing power will flow and heal her as she touches His garment.

It worked! She touched Jesus' garment and her twelve years problem was gone!

When I read the story of this woman who took steps to change her life, it made me ask questions like: What if she had stayed at home that day and just say '' I have tried so many things and nothing worked, I do not believe that this too will work, I have no time to waste, may be this is the way God wants me to live my life, I will just accept and learn how to leave with this diseases'' or use the excuse that she is an impure woman so, cannot touch Jesus, then, she would have missed her healing that day and lived with that problem and be miserable for the rest of her life. Thank God she took steps to change her life!

What I am saying is: if you do not like the way your life is going; you can do something about it. Do not just sit there and be miserable for the rest of your life because if you do nothing about your situation noting will change.

All you need to do is take that first step and keeping putting one leg in front of the other, a step at a time in the direction you want your life to go. Like the story of the woman you just read, do not let many failures stop you. If you are willing and if you believe, then it will happen for you. As you keep taking steps you will be making progress towards where you want to be in life, it might be slow progress, do not worry, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep on moving.

The story of the woman with the issue of blood is one of my favorite Bible stories. I learned from this story that nothing changes in your life, unless you do something about where you are at. You can find this story in the Bible book of Mark 5:25-34

Persistence pays

Let me share with you another story I read from the Bible that also inspired me to hold on believing that God will hear and help me. This is a story about a woman whose persistence paid off

In a certain town, there was a judge who neither honored God nor respected anyone. And there was a widow in this same town who kept coming to him for help she knew he could give her. For a long time the judge refused to help her but she made up her mind to keep coming until she gets what she wanted from him.

Then one day, the Judge said to himself ''although I have no respect for God nor care about people but because this woman will not stop come here until she gets what she wants, she is driving me crazing, So, I am just going to give her whatever she wants, so that she stops bothering me''.

If the unjust judge could say that, then God who is all just, will never turn away His children who keep crying to Him day and night for help.

Jesus told this parable to teach us that we should be persistent in prayers and not give up. You can find this story in the Bible book of Luke 18:1-8

Stories like this from the Bible helped me to hold on and wait for God to help me while days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months into years, while I was doing all I could to rebuild my life: trying out things and hoping for the best, I kept talking to God in prayers, and reading the Bible.

I had a mind set to keep on praying, waiting and believing that God will hear and help me and even willing to die believing that He will hear and help me than to give up.

Now I understand that sometimes God can help you instantly, while other times, He walks you through a process. But when you are going through this process you will think that nothing is happening but if you don't give up and complete the process then, you will understand that all the time you thought nothing was happening, you were actually going through a process. This was how it was for me.

The most important thing you can do

It was during one of my Bible study one day that God revealed something to me and that revelation transformed my life.

I have read this particular chapter and verse of the Bible before now and a couple of times also but this time, God was going to reveal something to me in the pages of His word and from the chapter and verse of the Bible I have read times without number.

That day, I was reading the Bible book of Proverbs then I read up to Proverbs 4:7 it says:

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Proverbs 4:7 KJV

This time, when I read this verse of the Bible, I just couldn't get past it, there was this question going on in my mind: ''do you understand what this means?'' I said yes, this is very easy, I heard the question again ''do you understand what is written here?'' I just couldn't read on, then I heard in my heart, ''it is very important that you understand this, because in it, lies the secret of life, I said ''God this is your word, pleases teach and help me to understand your word,''

As simple as the verse seems, I knew I needed a revelation from God to understand the depth of it.

God began to reveal to me the deep secret meaning of this Bible verse I have read a couple of times over the years but never really understood what it meant until God revealed its meaning to me.

This time, God was going to teach me why I was where I was in life, why things weren't working the way they ought to and He was going to reveal to me from His word the things I needed to do to turn my life around.

I learnt from my experience with this Bible verse, that, we need revelation from God to understand the deep secret meaning of His word. I can tell you from my experience that there are hidden meanings to the word of God, we need revelation from God to help us understand His word and when you get the revelation of the word your life will be transformed.

Why will God want to hide the meaning of His word? I have also asked this question and this is the answer God dropped in my heart He said: '' do you know that the devil reads the Bible? Yes, he does but he doesn't understand it because the meaning is hidden and he has no revelation of the word, what if the meaning were not hidden?''That means the enemy of God and mankind will know all the great plan of God. Then I said ''thank God that the meaning is hidden not from His children but for His children ''

I also learnt that it is ok if I don't understand what God does because no one understands what God does but that, I should trust and accept that God knows what He is doing.

It is important to know that, the type of wisdom proverbs 4:7 is talking about here, is not just any wisdom but the wisdom of God. How do I know this?

We are just getting started, by the time you finish reading this book, you will know better and what you know, will empower you to do better in life.

Let me assure you here, that nothing will stand in your way if you apply it in your life. Let's start from the meaning of wisdom and the type of wisdom Proverbs. 4:7 is talking about.

What is wisdom?

The wisdom that Proverbs 4:7 is talking about has a definition which can also be found in God's word: The Holy Bible

Do you know that ''the Bible explains the Bible?''

God has also taught me that sometimes, the explanations to His word can also be found in His word.Yes, this is true!

You can ask God for the understanding of His word but most times He will refer you to places in the Bible that explains what He meant.

The Bible explains the Bible.

The Definition of the type of wisdom that Proverbs 4:7 is talking about can be found in the Bible.

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Job 28:28 KJV

This definition of the wisdom of God is the one given by God Himself.

Yes, I know you have questions, not to worry, it will all be clear just read on. God will help me to explain what He revealed to me and you will understand it and it will change your life for the better.

These two: the wisdom of God and the fear of God go together, they are inseparable.

Where there is the fear of God, there you will find the wisdom of God and where you find the wisdom of God, the fear of God is present. You cannot have one without the other, this is why God said: ''Behold, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom''.

Of course there is more to this, as you will learn later.

This Wisdom that Proverbs 4:7 is referring to, cannot be gotten from humans, by this I mean that, the wisdom of God is not what you go to school to learn it doesn't matter what type of degree you have, neither can you buy it because it is not for sale, It is priceless, the value of the wisdom of God is far beyond human understanding, It cannot be valued in terms of riches, no amount of riches or wealth can ever equal the value of the wisdom of God.

This same wisdom of God is the one apostle Paul (the man who God inspired to write almost half of the new testament of the Bible) talks about. He said:

Howbeit (though) we speak wisdom among them that are perfect (spiritually grown): yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought (nothing):

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1 Corinthians 2:6-7 KJV

It is very important that we don't replace God's wisdom with human wisdom.

If we try to replace the wisdom of God with the wisdom of men, then we destroy our very foundation.

That's right! Your life is founded on the wisdom of God and only upon the wisdom of God upon which your life is founded you should build.

When you take away the wisdom of God you take away your very foundation, and your life will not stand.

Just imagine a building without the right foundation it needs. That is exactly what you are doing when you take the wisdom of God out of your life.

Yet many think that, they can build their lives, homes, family without the right foundation that they need: the wisdom of God, or that they can build on a false foundation: the wisdom of men, the result is what we see all around us today, it has never worked, it is not working and it will never work. Why? Because no other foundation will sustain you through life but only the foundation upon which your life is founded: the wisdom of God.

What do I mean? Like I said earlier in this book, life is very beautiful but also there are valleys to cross and there are deep dark places go through, this is the bitter truth about life, the Bible warns us about this also and this is one of the reasons you need a reliable foundation.

It is only when you build your life on the secure foundation of the wisdom of God that you can make it through the ''storms of life''.

The wisdom of men can only end in despair, misery, frustration, anger, emptiness, unhappiness, to name a few and the more human wisdom you get, the more you will get confused and frustrated.

Thus, if you think that you are wise by the standard of this world, you need to think again because what humans believe to be wisdom, is silliness in the eyes of God.

James 3:17 tells us about some of the attributes of the wisdom of God. It says:

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

James 3:17 KJV

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Proverbs 4:7 KJV

Now, let's talk more about this wisdom of God.

Why is the wisdom of God a must get?

There is absolutely nothing you could want that can compare with the wisdom of God. Yes! The wisdom of God is incomparable. How do I know this?

Remember the benefits I listed at the beginning of this book, I told you that they are all true, now, I am going to give you the chapters and verses of the bible where you can find and study them for yourself.

* She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Proverbs 3:15 KJV

You may want to stop for a moment and think about this. That there is nothing you can desire, that can compare with the wisdom of God?

I do not know about you but this one really got me. The wisdom of God is indeed the principal thing!

* For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold.

Proverbs 3:14 KJV

In other words, wisdom is worth far more to you than riches. No amount of wealth or riches can compare to what you gain from the wisdom of God. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that money is not important, it is. We all need money, who doesn't? But the wisdom of God is worth far more to you than money.

Read what Ecclesiastes 7:12 says.

For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 KJV

* Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Proverbs 3:17 KJV

We all want to enjoy life, don't we? The wisdom of God can help you to enjoy your life.

You have read from the previous chapter about the nature of the wisdom of God, James 3:17 tells us that the wisdom of God is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

So, you can be sure that the wisdom of God is able to lead you through peaceful paths and pleasant ways in life.

* Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

Proverbs 3:16 KJV

This is one of the advantages of wisdom over riches. Wisdom gives you riches and many more including length of days. Length of days here means eternal life, life without end, life free from pain, troubles, and sickness: it is a perfect life with God in paradise.

He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days forever and ever.

Psalm 21:4 KJV

* Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

Proverbs 4:6 KJV

Wisdom can also be your caretaker.

* Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

Proverbs 4:8 KJV

* She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. Proverbs 3:18 KJV

I just love the way the Bible puts this verse: 'and happy is every one that retaineth her'.

This is so because whoever finds wisdom receives favor from God and once you get the wisdom of God, you don't let go but you want to hold on to this favor you receive from God because in this heavenly wisdom lies your happiness.

Your real life begins when you find the wisdom of God. This is the fact because; your real life is hidden in the wisdom of God. Note here the word ''hidden''

If your true life is hidden in the wisdom of God, that means to find your real life you first have to get the wisdom of God and unwrap her and that also means that, you need the wisdom of God to experience real life.

No wonder the Bible says: "Wisdom is the principal thing.

The Bible confirms this also when it says that, your real life is not about getting more and more material possessions.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Luke 12:15 KJV

But that, you find life when you find the wisdom of God:

For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.

Proverbs 8:35 KJV

*. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

Proverbs 2:9 KJV

Imagine what it is like to always know what to do in every situation you face in life.

Often we feel lost and confused in life not knowing what to do or which way to go but with the wisdom of God, you will know what is appropriate, you will know every good path.

This is not my word, you just read it the Bible says so.

Proverbs 3:6 agrees with this when it says:

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths _._

If you will let God into everything you do, He will give you His wisdom to guide you, to help you know the right path to follow.

* For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Proverbs 3:2 KJV

There you have it also that wisdom offers you long life. Not just long life but life worth living all the days of your life and after your life here on earth, you get to spent your eternity (length of days) in paradise.

The wisdom of God is everything! There is no exaggeration in my statement and it is not for nothing that, the Bible says that wisdom is the principal thing.

If wisdom is the principal thing, you will therefore agree with me that, acquiring this heavenly wisdom is the most important thing you can do.

We will talk about how to get the wisdom of God later in this book. But for now, let's consider more benefits of the wisdom of God.

You become wise when you get the wisdom of God. Wise people; not people who are wise by the standard of this world but people who have gained Godly wisdom are happy and reputable people.

Every human being living ought to be wise, why? There are more than enough reasons; to be wise is better than being strong, after all, you must make careful plans before you fight a battle and the more good advice you get, the more likely you are to win.

A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 24:5-6 KJV

This is so because nothing stands in your way if you walk wisely.

Another reason why is better to be wise than be foolish, is that, foolish people will always be servants to the wise. That's what the Bible says in the book of Proverbs:

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Proverbs 11:29 KJV

You also want to be wise in the decisions you make because we make decisions every day and every time thus, you could say that, life is about making decisions. The question now becomes: how do you make wise decisions? The wisdom of God can help you.

Hence, you want to be truly wise by getting the wisdom of God.

* But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. Proverbs 1:33 KJV

You have read from the previous chapters that with the wisdom of God you will know what is appropriate. If you listen to wisdom, you will be able to avoid evil, dwell in safety; under the shadow of the almighty God.

* When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Proverbs 3:24 KJV

There you have it! The wisdom of God can help you get a good night sleep.

Are you surprise that this is also one of the benefits you get from the wisdom of God? Well, don't be because like I said earlier, there is absolutely nothing you need or wish for that the wisdom of God cannot provide. Let me say this again: the wisdom of God is everything!

* My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 24:13-14 KJV

This is huge! Why? Because the benefits of the wisdom of God, is not only for this present life but also for the life hereafter.

Yes! For surely there is the great beyond and that expectation shall not be cut off.

That's what the Bible says in proverbs 23:18

Do you know that, wisdom actually confirms these benefits written above?

Yes! Wisdom confirms all these benefits written above.

Wisdom gives a speech

You ask how can wisdom speak, is wisdom a person? Wisdom is a spirit.

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

Job 28:21 KJV

This Bible verse above, tells us that wisdom is hidden from the eyes of every living creature.

While in Ephesians 1:17 Paul in his letter to the saints at Ephesus says that he prays that God may give them the spirit of wisdom.

Wisdom invites and appeals to every human on earth, whoever and wherever they are, to come and get good knowledge and the best advice about life from him.

Wisdom says that he is better than riches and nothing you desire can compare with him and that, what you get from him, is far more than money can give you. He says that he has riches, honor, prosperity, success and many, many more good things to give to you.

Can you trust these words?

Yes! You can because wisdom says that what he is telling you is the truth and that he hates lies. He says that those who listen to him will not regret it but will be happy they did but those who did not will be sorry.

You can find this speech of the wisdom of God in the Bible book of Proverbs 8. Please, read the whole chapter if you will.

You have read it for yourself; wisdom confirms all the benefits you read in the previous chapters. Hope you are now convinced, if you want more proof, I say the best way to know if something is true or not, is to give it a try.

Give the wisdom of God a try? What have you got to lose? Absolutely nothing! But you have everything to gain.

Wisdom tested and approved

Wisdom has been tested and approved by God Himself.

The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.Proverbs 3:19 KJV

Everything God created including you is founded on His wisdom.

In Proverbs chapter 8, (I encourage you to read the whole chapter) Wisdom tells us that he was beside God as lord and master of the creation process and that he is glad with the human race.

He said that, kings, rulers, governors, leaders and any one in authority can only do their job well with his help, he said that without him, they cannot rule govern or make good laws. No one in authority can successfully serve his people without the help of the wisdom of God.

The same goes for a home, a family and for every individual. For you to successfully run your home, to be able to make good decisions in life, you need the wisdom of God.

The Bible says so too:

By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

By me, princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

Proverbs 8:15-16 KJV

Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established:

Proverbs 24:3 KJV

Rulers, governors President, kings, queens, homes, family and individuals cannot succeed without this helper: the wisdom of God because God didn't create you to function without His wisdom; your very life is founded on His wisdom remember? So, do not take His wisdom away, if you do, things will fall apart, yes, things will fall apart because you cannot stand without the foundation you need.

Do not think that you can build on a false foundation by relaying on your wisdom or on human wisdom because it will fail you. It's logical isn't it? That you build upon the foundation upon which your life is founded. No other foundation will hold, why? Simple, your life is founded on no other.

Many have tried but they only end up hurting themselves. So, be smart, save yourself a lot of pain and know that without the wisdom of God, you can do nothing.

God tested wisdom during the process of creation and He gave His approval. The Bible says so: in Job 28:25-27

Only God knows the true value of His wisdom and He knows that you need this helper also.

Where can the wisdom of God be found?

Great men of old have also asked this question and shared the answers they found with us in the Bible.

In the Bible book of Job, the question was raised:

But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

Job 28:12 KJV

And Job 28:13-19, says:

Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

Job 28:13-19 KJV

The reason for this Bible verse, is to let us humans know that the wisdom of God cannot be found among us humans and not anywhere on our planet.

Some say that wisdom comes with age, well, I say: it depends on what you call wisdom, because the wisdom of God does not come with old age.

Job 32: 9 agrees with this when it says that, Wisdom doesn't come with age.

Maybe you are a highly educated person and I say: that's very good!

May I ask you these questions? Were you taught about life, were you taught how to handle the heartache and pains of life, were you taught about the most important thing you can do? Were you taught the things that are essential to live a meaningful life?

Do not get me wrong, you need this worldly knowledge also but this alone, cannot get you through life, you need to balance it up.

What you learn in school may prepare you to be successful (Financially) in the world; I also want to be successful in every area of my life, financially also, who doesn't? But you will agree with me that, there is much more to life than financial success.

The Bible book of Luke 12:15 confirm this.

For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 KJV

You need the knowledge about what makes life worth living. Because if all you have is a lot of worldly knowledge and you don't have the wisdom of God, then you have a case of ''an educated illiterate.'' No wonder many have a lot of knowledge from school and with so many degrees to their names also, yet they don't know what to do with all the knowledge they have acquired.

This is so, because it is only the wisdom of God that will help you make sense of the knowledge you may have acquired. You will become balance when you get the knowledge about how to live life from the pages of the book of life: the Holy Bible.

Education without the wisdom of God is not balance. _Deborah E.Aghimien

Many have read so many books in their life time except the one book they need to read: The Holy Bible-Deborah Aghimien

This brings us back to the question; where can wisdom be found?

Here is the answer we are given:

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

Job 28:23 KJV

This Bible verse tells us that, only God knows where wisdom is found.

And wisdom confirms this in his speech in proverbs 8, he said:

The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old

Proverbs 8:22 KJV

Yes! Wisdom belongs to God and God alone, is also the giver of His wisdom.

The Bible book of Proverbs 2:6 says: For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

This tells me that, there is hope for everyone because this precious gift is from God and is given freely by God to all.

James was a servant of God. In his letter to God's people scattered all over the world, he said:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James 1:5 KJV

Now let's look again at the definition of wisdom given in the Bible book of Job, It says:

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Job 28:28 KJV

How to get the wisdom of God.

To get wisdom you start from the fear of God. Yes, the fear of God is the genesis of Wisdom. This is what we are told in the Bible book of psalm 111:10 it says:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom:....

Psalm 111:10 KJV

There you have it! There is no other way around it; it starts with the fear of God. You cannot separate the fear of thy lord from the wisdom of God, these two are connected. You could say that: God's secret wisdom is reserved for those who fear him. We will talk more about this later. But first, what does it mean to fear God?

What does it mean to fear God?

To fear God does not mean to be scared of Him, but it simply means to accord to God the respect due Him, it means to give Him His place in your life, to Honor Him, to reverence Him, to worship Him, to acknowledge Him as the God who created the heavens and the earth, the sea, everything including you.

In short, to fear God means to love God with all your heart with all your mind and with all your soul in words and in deeds.

God loves us all. You do not have to love God for Him to love you but you have to give Him His place in your life by acknowledging Him, honor and respect Him as your lord and the giver of your life.

God has given us everything we need; all He asks is that we give Him the honor due Him. Do you think that He is asking too much? I do not think so.

A son honoureth his father and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the Lord of hosts unto you,...

Malachi 1:6 KJV

As a matter of fact, this is the first and most important commandment God gave to us humans:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

Matthew 22:36-38 KJV

And it is worth knowing that this is the very reason God created you. Yes! God created you to honor him.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV

This is the principal thing that God requires from you; this is your assignment, your duty, your calling. It is not for nothing that God gave this to us as the very first commandment; to honor (fear) him

So, you see that this is huge! The fear of God is not only the beginning of wisdom, but is also the root of all happiness because God's compassion and favor are on those who fear him.

No wonder Proverbs.14:27 says: The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

This tells me that life springs from the fear of God and that the fear of God is the bedrock of all happiness.

That is why I say that Honor and respect for God, in words and in deeds, is very important for a meaningful life. Without Honor and respect for God, life is meaningless

-Deborah E. Aghimien

It is worth knowing that this is all about you. How so? Look at it this way: God is already God and He is the almighty God. Therefore, whether or not you honor him, does not make Him bigger than He is.

Well, these are not my words, the Bible says so.

Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

Job 35:5-6 KJV

You giving God His place in your life, allows Him to partner with you and help make your life what He intended it to be. God didn't create you to live without Him He created you for a relationship with Him. Just like we humans have children because we want that great parent child-relationship.

God knows that you are not perfect and He loves you still. God can never ask you to do something He knows you cannot do.

His expectations of you are realistic. He is aware of your limitations also. You might make mistakes a million times, if your intentions are right, that's all that counts. Remember that He sees the heart and knows what is in there. God understands, as a matter of fact, He is the only one who truly understands. He expects no perfection from you. Keep in mind that whatever He tells you to do is for you own good.

That's right! Everything God tells you to do is for your own good. Even the commandment to honor God is for your own good also.

And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.

Deuteronomy 6:24 KJV

Like I said in the previous chapter, you do not have to love God for Him to love you, but the secret things of God, are revealed to those who fear Him. God always work and trust His secret things to those who fear Him. Again, this is not my word.

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Psalm 25:14 KJV

The fear of God brings you to a place of honor, riches, kindness and all other blessings, that God promised those who fear Him.

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

Proverbs 22:4 KJV

It will always be well with you if you fear God.

You must know that this does not mean that you are exempted from the heartache, troubles and pains of this life but it does mean that you will not go under them but that you will raise above them all because God never forgets or disappoints anyone who fears Him.

God fearing people are people after His heart and never to be forgotten by Him. That is what the following Bible verse tells us.

Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

Malachi 3:16 KJV

All over, God is looking for people who fear him.This has always been the case and still is. If you look at the men and women that God worked with in the past and still working with today, they are imperfect people like you and I, the difference is that, they learned to fear God and that brings them into a place of relationship with Him.

Let's consider a few examples:

Abraham was a man who feared God. The angle of God confirmed this when Abraham passed the test with God, passed the test? Yes, passed the test!

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

Genesis .22:1 KJV

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Genesis 22:12 KJV

You can read the whole story in the Bible book of Genesis chapter 22.

The result, Abraham passed the test and God blessed Him abundantly.

Joseph was also a God fearing man. In Genesis chapter 42:18, Joseph said that he is a God fearing man. This claim was put to the test again and again and he passed. One of his tests was when his master's wife asked him to go to bed with her, Joseph refused, his reason? He said that he is a God fearing man. He asked: "how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" You can read about Joseph in Genesis chapter 37 to 50. The result is always the same; God blessed Joseph abundantly and also trusted him with many lives.

Job was another God fearing man the Bible says so.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed (abstained from) evil.

Job 1:1 KJV

Job also passed the test when he refused to curse God and die even after he had lost everything he had. His reason is that, he feared God.

God blessed him and gave him double for his trouble. For more about the story of Job, you can read the Bible book of Job.

And there are many more examples but they all have one thing in common: they were God fearing people.

I am yet to come across a place in the Bible where God trusted His secret things to those who do not fear him. Yes, we have God's love and grace as His free gift to us and like I said ealier in this book, we have to be careful not to use God's Grace as an excuse not to honor (respect) Him in words and in deed as He commanded us to.

You cannot earn God's love, but you can earn His trust and His approval by learning to fear Him not just in words but also in deeds -Deborah E. Aghimien

Even in this present time, God is still looking for, using and blessing men and women who fear (respect) him, not just in words but also in their lifestyle.

God knows those who truly fear Him. You may say that you fear God but remember that God sees the heart. So, if you say that you fear God, then, you have to take the test, the test is a real life situation but when you are going through it, you will not even know that you are taking a test. The test is not for God to know what you will do because He already knows. The test is for you to know if you are indeed ready to go to the next level with Him.

This is so because every level has its own challenges and are levels of spiritual maturity in God.

God will test you but He will not tempt you with evil you. He will test you because the test will reveal your true worth to you. His aim is to refine, to purify and to bring out the best in you and Yes, to let you see if you are ready to go to the next level with Him and to see if you ready to handle the challenges that come with that level because every level comes with its own blessings as well as challenges. In order words, God will not give you blessings you cannot handle, God prepares you for whatever He gives you.

Let me tell you something; the last thing you want, is something you are not prepared to handle. So, when you keep telling God that you are ready to go to the next level with Him and you keep wondering why He is delaying your promotion, then He lets you see that you are not as ready as you think you are to handle what you are asking for.

Just imagine what it is like to be given what you were not trained to handle. So, you see, It is all for your own good.

God will take you just as you are when you come to Him and He loves you no matter what you do or do not do. You ask why then do I have to fear God? Because God commands us to. Don't you think that the almighty God the giver of your life is worthy to be feared (honored)?

If He tells us to, we have to trust that He has good reasons for it: we have seen this in the previous chapters. We have read that His friendship, His secret things belongs to those who fear Him and His goodness is reserve for those who fear Him. These are not my words, the Bible says so and I believe it.

Psalm 31:19, says:

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

God always work and trust His secret things to those who fear Him. If you are a God fearing person, then you have an heritage with Him.

For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.

Psalm 61:5 KJV

Why fear God?

It is the fear of God that helps us to abstain from evil.

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. Proverbs 16:6 KJV

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs 8:13 KJV

Let's consider the following people and see how the fear (respect, honor) they had for God, helped them to choose to do what's right when they were faced with the most trying situations of their lives.

Job refused to curse God and die even after he lost everything, why? Because he feared God.

The Hebrew midwives did not obey the king of Egypt when he told them to kill the male babies of the Hebrew women, their reason? They feared God.

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

Exodus 1:17 KJV

Joseph refused to sleep with pharaoh's wife when she asked him to, his reason? Joseph said ''How can I do this great evil and sin against God? '' Joseph was indeed a God fearing man, he was even willing to suffer for choosing to do what's right, by so doing, he was saying ''I would rather fear God than man.'' He spent several years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. When he passed the test, he got God's approval and God trusted him with many lives in his time and gave him more than double for his trouble: he later became the second in command in the government of Egypt. Genesis 41:39-57 (you can read more about the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis 37-50)

Nehemiah made a choice to obey God and did the right thing. Why? Here is the reason he gave:

But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.

Nehemiah 5:15 KJV

So, you see that, it is the fear of God that makes you choose to do what's right and by so doing, you save yourself a lot of trouble.

Now, if it is the fear of God that helps us to avoid evil, what do you think of the person who has no fear of God? I can only say:

Beware if you are dealing with a person who has no fear of God because he does not have what it takes to abstain from evil, he is therefore capable of anything.

-Deborah E. Aghimien

Here are more reasons to fear God

The truth is that, this list has no end, so, we will consider but a few.

*The Goodness of God is reserved for those who fear him.

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Psalm 31:19 KJV

Can you imagine what the goodness of God is like? One thing is sure, it is great and can never be exhausted and this Bible verse tells us that the goodness of God is stored up for those who fear Him.

* The fear of God: is your wealth.

Proverbs 22:4 says: By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

*The fear of God opens the door to all the goodness of God

O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Psalm 34:9 KJV

That is why a God fearing man is a blessed man! Come to think of it, why won't he be? When all the goodness of God is reserved for him.

Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

Psalm 112:1 KJV

*God fearing people are dear to His heart, they are His friends.

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Psalm 25:14 KJV

They enjoy His companionship and He reveals His deep secret things to them: things that those who have no respect for Him will never know, yes! God confides in those who fear Him and Proverbs 3:32 agrees with this.

* God's loving kindness toward those who fear Him is so great.

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

Psalm 103:11 KJV

Am I saying that God is not kind to all? Not all! But I am saying that God hates evil, He cannot work with evil and He will not reward bad behavior. Just like you as a parent will not reward bad behavior. To be able to work with God, you have to be on the same page with Him, you have to hate evil and it is the fear of God that will help you do this.

In addition to that, God cannot be fooled you will reap what you sow! God's word told us that, we are doing ourselves a favor when we are kind but when we are not, then, we only hurt ourselves because you will reap what you sow. If you put kindness out there, you will get kindness in return on the other hand if you put wickedness out there, wickedness will come back to you. So, be careful what you sow because you will reap it!

*God is watching over those who fear Him.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; Psalm 33:18 KJV

My Bible tells me that, God is watching over those who fear Him. What does that mean? Does it mean that God is not watching over those who don't fear Him?

I have learned that it is the fear of God that makes us avoid evil. That tells me also that, if you are not a God fear person, chances are that, you don't care about what God thinks about what you do with the gift of life He has given you. When you have no respect for God and you do what you want, when you want and how you want, chances are that, you are dreading on dangerous ground and that also means outside the safety zone: God's protection. We know that choices come with consequences and that you cannot fool God, what you sow, you will reap but those who fear God will learn from Him the path that leads to life.

*God will never forsake those who fear Him, they enjoy His everlasting presence.

Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: Ecclesiastes 8:12 KJV

* The Fear of God gives confidence to a man.

In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

Proverbs 14:26 KJV

A God fearing man has the confidence that comes from knowing who he is in God, knowing that God loves him dearly, that His goodness are stored up for him, that He is watching over him, that he has an inheritage with God and that, that expectation will not be caught off.

Knowing all these, gives strong confidence to a God fearing man.

*The fear of God is simply the way to life, follow it and you will find true life.

What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. Psalm 25:12 KJV

*The fear of God protects you from evil.

The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Proverbs 19:23 KJV

*The Bible tells us that, the fear of God is more to be desired more than fine gold: riches because there is a huge reward in keeping the fear of God.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:9-10 KJV

Fear God for your own good

Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

Job 35:5-8 KJV

There you have it: that whether or not you fear God, does not affect him but the choices you make only affect you and others. So, it's all about you enjoying your life and letting others enjoy theirs also.

God wants you to enjoy your live and the fear of God can help you do that. How is that? We know that choices have consequences and it is the fear of God that helps you choose to do what's right thereby, saving yourself a lot of trouble.

How do you reverence or fear God?

In Deuteronomy 31:12-13, Moses instructs the people of Israel to learn reverently to fear (honor, respect) the lord:

Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear theLord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

Deuteronomy 31:12-13 KJV

This tells me that, the fear of God is something you can learn to do.

Thus, if you say that, you want to honor God but you don't know how to, the Bible says that, you can you learn to do so!

That's why the Bible says that, honor (respect) for the lord is an education in itself.

Yes! Honor for God, is an education in itself because it is something you learn to do.

Reverence for the Lord is something you learn to do.

You will agree with me that it is not easy to honor, respect or love someone you don't know, that is why you have to start by getting to know God first.

You will get to know Him through His words to you from the pages of the Holy Bible and through talking to Him in prayers.

You also can not have a relationship with someone you don't know, so, to have a relationship with God, it also starts by getting to know Him. It is a relationship because when you talk to God, He talks back to you and in so many ways also. For example, through His word: the Bible or through that calm voice you hear inside.

You will learn from His voice the path that leads to life. If you will follow His lead, you will find and enjoy true life in abundance.

Find out what God loves, what He hates and what He expects from you, yes, you have to educate yourself about God, find out also who you are in Him and all that He has for you and how to get them. You will find all these, in the pages of the Bible. Read the Bible diligently and prayerfully, talk to God and He will help you and you will succeed in learning about Him. The Bible also tells us how to do this. It says:

'My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5 KJV

The mistake we often make is that, instead of getting to know God first and begin a personal relationship with him, we often start by going to Him and asking for things: money, fame, power, honor, and so on and with the aim of getting them, go away and come back when we are in need again

It is not wrong to ask God for these things, as a matter of fact, God already knows that you need them. It's just that, there are right ways to go about things.

How would you like to have a relationship with someone who is only interested in what you have to give?

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33 KJV.

In other words, give God His place in your life and that will bring you to a place of honor, riches, kindness, goodness, and all other blessings, that God has for those who honor Him.

Look at it this way, the creator of the universe, loves you, wants to have a relationship with you and wants to teach you how to make the most of the life He has given you.

You may say "I do not need any one to teach me how to live my life" Well, it might interest you to know that, what you call your life, is not your own, neither can you live it your way and be fulfilled.

What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV

O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Jeremiah.10:23 KJV

This is because you are not created to be independent of God.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:5. KJV

Therefore, be smart and do not let it take you a painful experience to submit to the fact that you cannot do it on your own.

As you have read in the previous chapters, your very life is founded on the wisdom of God and upon this foundation only you should build.

Just imagine trying to build a house without a foundation or without the right foundation. It is a futile effort. It does not matter how hard you try, as a matter of fact, it is a complete waste of precious time. This is exactly what you are doing, when you ignore the wisdom of God and think you can do it your way.

God knows your thoughts, He created you, He knows you even before your days began and He knows how many years you have here on earth. When you get to the point in your life where you do not know what to do and at the verge of given up, He knows exactly what you should do.

You deserve life in all its fullness. Learn all you can, do what you have to do to claim what belongs to you. Do not say ''oh this is hard, I can't ''

Let me tell you something; if anyone can, you can also.

People who do ordinary things achieve ordinary things live ordinary lives and remain ordinary people. Hence, if you want that something extra out of life, then you have to dare take on extraordinary things, then you will get extraordinary results and live extraordinary life but If you think that educating yourself about how to live a meaningful life is hard, then try live life ignorantly.

Do you know what's hard? Let me tell you what's hard: ignorance is hard, poverty, depression and loneliness are hard to deal with, it is hard when friends and family fails, divorce is hard and the list goes on and on. So you tell me, which is harder?

Living with these life problems and educating yourself about how to deal with them so that you don't go under them, so that you can enjoy your life despite these problems, now you tell me, which is harder?

You want to help yourself by learning how to deal with these life problems so that they don't twist, tangle and defect you.

It doesn't matter what path you have been following before now, I say: it is never too late to find out what really works and go for it. Yes, it does not matter how far you have gone on a wrong road you can always make a turn for the right one.

If you really want to educate yourself about God, you will surely be successful in doing so; I am a witness to this fact. So, if I can, anyone can also because God is no respecter of anyone what He does for one He will do for the other.

If you are willing and hungry for God ''as your soul's top need'' you will surely find Him.

And the Bible agrees with me also.

And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 2 Chronicles 15:2 KJV

You must know that you can never come to know God, if you try to reach Him with the logic (philosophies) of men.

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21 KJV

No one can do without the wisdom of God

- Everything God created including you, is founded on His wisdom

- Wisdom helps governors to make better laws

- Kings, presidents, governors and every leader on earth can only rule with the help of the wisdom of God.

Again, this is not my word, please, read the whole of Proverbs chapter 8 if you will.

Thus, for you as an individual to be successful in your life's endeavors, whether as the head of a home, as a mother, or a businessman, whoever you are, whatever you do, you need the wisdom of God to help you, he is the helper that no one can do without.

If God created everything there is, with His wisdom and if your very life is founded on the wisdom of God, if ruler, kings, princes, judges, governors, presidents, heads of homes, mothers, to name but a few, cannot make it without the wisdom of God, who can? No one can.

Are you highly educated? Please, balance it up with the wisdom of God because it is the wisdom of God that will beam light on all the knowledge you have acquired, otherwise, your education won't do you any good because you can have a lot of knowledge from school and still won't know what to do with them.

This is one of the reasons why getting this precious helper is your number one priority in life because without this helper, you cannot do any thing successfully in life. That is why I said earlier in this book that, your success in every other area of your life, hangs on this.

Wisdom says that he gladdens God's heart daily! If you get wisdom he will also be your daily source of joy, he will be putting smile on your face daily because what he will give you is more than what riches or anything else for that matter can ever give you.

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Proverbs 8:30 KJV

Consequences of rejecting wisdom

You are the one who benefits when you get wisdom and if you don't, you are the one who suffers.

For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. Proverbs 8:35-36 KJV

Look again at the benefits of wisdom, if you will.

The consequences of not getting the wisdom of God, means life without these benefits.

Can you imagine life without these benefits? Who wants that? And why would anyone want that?

Life without the wisdom of God, means: life without happiness, peace and joy, always confused because of not knowing what to do or which way to go, it means life full of worries, life full of fear: fear of the future, it's simply a life without a purpose, without meaning and not worthwhile. It is the direct opposite of what you get when you have the wisdom of God. You will agree with me that, life without the wisdom of God is more than difficult. Unfortunaly this is the exact pictures of many lives, homes, families, and countries today and it's really sad.

This also explains why lives, homes and nations fail; it is because they have taken the wisdom of God away and try to build on the wisdom of men which is a false foundation. No wonder it is not working, it has never worked, and it will never work.

I've been there and I've done that, when I tried to do it all on my own and rely on what I thought I knew, it failed me. The good news is that, we do not have to live this way.

You can find your way out also, Instead of roaming around life and getting nowhere, turn back and head for the right direction. What have you got to lose?

Some people ask: why can't God just leave us alone and let us do things and live the way we want?

Imagine your child asking you; why you won't leave him to do what he wants, when he wants and how he wants'' what would you tell that child? I guess you will say: ''it's because I you love you very much.''

In the same way, God corrects you because he loves you; He wants you to enjoy your life to overflow, it's just like any good parent will correct the child he loves.

Choices, we know have consequences, God wants to protect you from things you do not see or know. He sees and knows everything; whatever he tells you to do is for your own good. You get to benefit if you obey and you hurt yourself if you refuse. .

Having read all these, the choice is all yours.

A SMART REQUEST

Just imagine that, God appears and says to you: ''ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.''

What will your request be? Would you ask for power? Peace, happiness, fame, riches, long life, or for God to punish those who hurt you. I hear you say that ''your request will depend on what you are facing at that moment in life.''

And I say: you have a point there.

Honestly, if you had asked me this question years ago before I came to know God the way I do now, my answers would probably be one of the above.

If you ask for any of the above it is ok, expect, that why choose something good when you can have the very best.

But now that I know better, my answer will be to have that one package that has it all in one, that one solution to every problem. Yes, my answer will be to be given the wisdom of God!

Remember that there is nothing that you can want in life that can compare to the wisdom of God.

Now, let me tell you about a man who got this chance with God his name was Solomon. The Bible tells us that Solomon loved God, he found favor in the sight of God, then one night, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and ask him ''what would you like me to give you''

Solomon's request was a smart one! Why? Because Solomon asked for the wisdom of God

The Bible says that God was so pleased with Solomon's request, because he asked for that one ''packet that has it all in one''

The result? Solomon had wealth and Honor more than any other king, he ruled over all the land west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah on the Euphrates as far as the city of Gaza. All the kings west of the Euphrates were subject to him, and he was at peace with all the neighboring countries.

As long as he lived, the people through Jordan and Israel lived in Safety each family with his own grapevines and fig trees.

Solomon insight and knowledge was too great to be measured. He was wiser than the so called wise men of his time: those who considered themselves to be wise by the standards of this world. He was very famous. In his time, Kings all over the world heard about his wisdom and they sent people to listen to Him.

For as long as Solomon walked with God, he enjoyed all the benefits of the wisdom of God.

For more about the story of Solomon, you can read the Bible book of 1 Kings 3

It might interest you to know that if God did it for Solomon; He will also do it for you. God is no respecter of persons. His blessing is for whosoever is willing and He takes pleasure in blessing His children.

Jesus Christ the wisdom of God

Are you ready for this? Because this is it! And I've been waiting to get to this part, oh; i am sooooooo passionate about this! So, let's get started!

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:24 KJV

Yes, Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God! I know you have questions but please, read on.

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 KJV

The wisdom of God

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 1 Corinthians 2:7 KJV

Jesus Christ

_Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory._ 1 Corinthians 2:8 KJV

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Colossians 1:27 KJV

That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2 -3 KJV

The wisdom of God

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

Proverbs 24:3 KJV

Jesus Christ

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11 KJV

Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Isaiah 28:16 KJV

The wisdom of God

The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

Proverbs 8:22-23 KJV

When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Proverbs 8:27-30 KJV

Jesus Christ

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:2-3 KJV

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: Colossians 1:13-16 KJV

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Hebrews 1:2 KJV

The wisdom of God

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. Proverbs 8:11 KJV

Jesus Christ

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Philippians 3:8 KJV

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:26 KJV

The wisdom of God

Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

Proverbs 8:18-19 KJV

Jesus Christ

That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:2-3 KJV

The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

John 3:35 KJV

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Matthew 28:18 KJV

The wisdom of God

For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.

Proverbs 8: 35 KJV

So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 24:14 KJV

Jesus Christ

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:4 KJV

The ''humanity of the wisdom of God'' with the name Jesus Christ.

The humanity of the wisdom of God is a very broad subject of its own.

The wisdom of God which is a spirit was sent to earth in human form: with the name Jesus Christ, for a special assignment: to lead us to salvation.

Why Jesus came

When God created the first man and woman, He did so in His likeness, He gave them paradise as home to live in; He gave them everything and put them in charge of everything. The only thing that God kept away from them was something He knew would destroy them. So, He told them to stay away from that which would destroy them, so that they can enjoy life and live forever.

God did not make them as robots, He gave them free will: they have the freedom of choice: to choose to obey or disobey and God also told them to be careful with the choices they make because choices come with consequences.

For example, God told them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and that if they choose to eat from it, they will surely die ''spiritual death''

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 2:17 KJV

But unfortunately they chose to disobey God and eat of the forbidden tree and the consequence of that is death. From that very day they choose to disobey God, they died spiritually. Their disobedience also affected their relationship with God: they were separated from God and we as their offsprings unfortunately inherited their sins and punishment.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalm 51:5 KJV

For this reason, there is no one who is without sin upon the surface of the earth.

I once heard someone say: ''how could Jesus have died for my sin when I wasn't even born when he came? ''

Now you know that everyone of us is conceived in sin.

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:10 KJV

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:23 KJV

A man once said to a preacher '' I am a good man, I help people, I do this, and I do that. And the preacher replied ''that is very good, keep it up! But unfortunately your salvation is not from good deeds because in sin you were conceived and born.'' So, we needed someone perfect to undo what was done.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Isaiah 64:6 KJV

This is why Jesus came to take the punishment meant for humans upon himself so that we can be reconciled back to God, Yes! He took your place paid your debt so that you can be free to come boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy and be free to relate with God again. He, was without sin himself yet he died a shameful death. All for you.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:3-4 KJV

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

# 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

_1 Peter 2:24 KJV_

Remember that the consequence of the choice our forefathers made is death, ''spiritual death''. Jesus Christ came to die in our place. So, you do not have to be afraid of death anymore because, Jesus has defeated death.

Your life does not end here on earth, after you life here on earth, God has eternal life for you.

If you accept the price that Jesus paid for you, your flesh may die, but your spirit will live forever with God in paradise: It is called eternal life.

And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage

Hebrews 2:15 KJV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 KJV

Why was Jesus Chosen?

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Hebrews 2:10 KJV

Besides, Jesus told us that he delights in humans, in others words; he came to lead the way to your freedom because he loves you.

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

Proverbs 8:30-31 KJV

Why Jesus came in human form.

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Hebrews 2:14-18 KJV

What more can I say? This Bible verse, explains it all!

Now that you know that Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God, let's look again at Proverbs 4:7 Remember what it says? It says:

''Wisdom is the principal (main, most important, number one) thing; therefore get wisdom.''

Yes, we have so many things to do in life but Proverbs 4:7 tells us that, wisdom is the most important thing and we have also seen why. So, if wisdom is the most important thing, you will agree with me that, getting this wisdom of God is also the most important thing you can do in life because like I said earlier in this book, your success in every other thing you do in life hangs on this.

You have read in the previous chapters that Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God and you have also read that getting the wisdom of God, is the most important thing you can do in life. Now that you know that Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God, let's rewrite the sentence above (Proverbs 4:7) by writing the name Jesus Christ where you see wisdom, then you have the sentence below.

'Getting Jesus Christ is the most important thing you can do''

Think about this for a moment if you will.

Earlier in this book, you read about the benefits of the wisdom of God and the consequences of rejecting wisdom.

If you will read these benefits again, putting the name Jesus Christ any where you see wisdom, you will understand the benefits of having Jesus Christ in your life and the consequences of rejecting him.

How do you get Jesus Christ?

You have read that wisdom is God's and that God alone is also the giver of His wisdom.

In the same way, the Bible tells us that only God, can draw any one to Jesus. No amount of money can buy you Jesus.

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:44 KJV

You have also read in the previous chapters that, to get the wisdom of God, you have to start from the fear of God. There is no other way around it; it starts with the fear of God Yes, the fear of God is the genesis of Wisdom, This is why we are told that:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...

Psalm 111:10 KJV

Is the fear of God essential for having Jesus Christ?

The following will answer your question.

Do you remember what it means to fear God? Now, let's look at this again

To fear God does not mean to be scared of Him, but it simply means to accord to God the respect due Him, it means to give God His place in your life, to Honor Him, to reverence Him, to worship Him, to acknowledge Him as the God who created the heavens and the earth, the sea, everything including you.

Yes, to get Jesus in your life, it also starts with the fear of or respect for God.

I am not saying that you have to be good enough to get Jesus Christ in your life. Salvation is God's free unmerited grace and not by good works. God will take you just as you are when you come to Him but you have to give Him His place in your life to get to work in you, by acknowledging Him. Yes, you have to honor and respect Him as your lord and the giver of your life.

This is why you say the prayer of salvation or the "Sinner's Prayer".

Have you seen someone asking Jesus into his/her life? Or you probably have done that yourself. The starting point, is saying a prayer to God: The Prayer of Salvation.

When you pray the prayer of salvation, you are talking to God (praying) you are telling Him that you believe He exists and that He is who He says He is. You acknowledge that you have sinned against Him, you tell Him you are sorry, you ask for His forgiveness and you tell Him that you are ready to leave your sinful ways behind and follow His ways and ask for His help to do so.

You declare that you are ready to put your faith in Jesus Christ as your lord and savior and that you believe He is the son of God and that He died and rose again. You invite Jesus into your heart to come reside in you and start living through you. All this you ask In Jesus' name.

Saying this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ shows that you recognize Jesus Christ as the way to God, as your Savior and as your Lord.

This expression of honor pleases God, because you have freely chosen to believe in Him.

Yes, honor for God, is the starting point.

Taught by God through His spirit

What I share in this book, is pure revelation from God because I have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ preached this way before.

How can one be taught by the spirit of God you may ask?

It takes the spirit of God to understand the things of God. Just like only your spirit knows all about you, same way, only the spirit of God knows the things of God.

Without the spirit of God, it is impossible to understand the things of God. That is why when you talk about the things of the spirit to a person who does not have the spirit of God, he will never understand, to him, you are talking nonsense, it does not matter how hard you try, if he doesn't have the spirit of God, he will never understand the things of God. You can only pray that God grant him/her His spirit, then, he will understand the things of the spirit.

This also explains why we cannot change people, because if what you are saying does not make sense to them because they lack the spirit of God that will help them understand, then your word will make no impact in their heart or lives but when God opens their understanding, then His word will impact their lives. That is why we pray to God to change people.

No wonder that even though I had heard the message of Jesus Christ preached to me a number of times before and even though I had also read the Bible a number of times in the past,

I wasn't transformed by what I heard or read, until God sent me His Holy Spirit to help me with the spiritual realities.

Indeed, you can never come to know God if you try to reach Him through the logic of men.

The Bible book of 1 Corinthians 2:10-14 confirms this.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:10-14

I told you earlier in this book that, when I came to God for help, nothing instant happened and that God walked me through a process, God was teaching me why things were the way they were with me, why I was where I was in life and the things I needed to do to turn my life around.

Why did God have to open my eyes to the reasons and not just help me? Honestly I am not sure of the reason, probably; He didn't want me to repeat the same mistake over and over again. Of course I didn't know then that I was going through a process but now I understand.

I was just a woman twisted by life and in desperate need of help. When I came to God for help and began to study His word: the Holy Bible, God opened my eyes to see that, my priorities in life were out of order because the most important thing I can do in life, was not even in my ''life's to do list'' and God through His Holy spirit taught me what is important for a purposeful life.

God taught me the importance of building my life on the foundation upon which it is founded and the key to a meaningful life: that getting Jesus Christ is the most important thing I can do and that, Jesus Christ is the foundation of my life and upon Jesus and Jesus alone, I am to build my life in order to live a worthwhile life.

This is what God revealed to me and this is the message He has given me to go share with others. I am very passionate about this message because I lived through it and I know it is true!

This revelation has changed my life for the better and it will transform your life also.

_The Renewed Me_

When I take a look at who I am now and who I was, I say: ''my God, what an awesome transformation!''

There are no words to describe were I was in life when I hit rock bottom, it is not a place to be but now, I feel like I have been given a second chance at life.

I am smiling again, I am a happier person now, I have more peace, and I am full with passion for life again.

Now I face life boldly with determination and confidence that comes from God. I have picked up the broken pieces of my life and I am rebuilding my life again with the help of God but this time, I am rebuilding my life on the very foundation upon which it is founded: the wisdom of God (my lord Jesus Christ) the reliable foundation that can support me through life.

Please, believe me when I tell you this because I say it from the bottom of my heart and soul that God truly exist and He is indeed the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.

I have learned to be still and let God be God. I try to put in the best I can in everything I do and let God take care of the things I can't do anything about, believing that God has answers to all things and that He will always guard my hearts and minds.

I try to bring Him into everything I do, by taking everything to him in prayer and reading the Bible to find out what he says about whatever it is that I am facing. This is something I have to learn to do and still learning to do, though sometimes, I fall short but I am making steady progress.

Yes, like everyone else, I do still face the trials and troubles of life but I know that, I will rise above them all because I am rebuilding my life on the solid foundation of my lord Jesus Christ: the reliable foundation that can see me through life's storms and troubles and give me life eternal. I know that this foundation can never disappoint me. This is the confidence I have to face and live life boldly.

Besides, God's word has taught me to have the right frame of mind towards things and life.

And the best part is that, my eternal life is settled with God.

I am so thankful to God for His mercies. What more can I say? But to let you know that God is good, He still hears and answers prayers.

I still wonder what would have become of me and my children if had not believed that God can and will help me. Thank God that I chose to believe in Him.

What God has done for me, He can do for you also, because He is no respecter of any one, His blessing is for whosoever is willing.

What I have taught you, go share.

When God helped me out of the crisis situation I found myself in, He laid it on my heart to go share what He has taught me, so that others who are still were I was can be free and also to prevent many from making the same mistake.

Since then, I have been going out telling people about the message of our lord Jesus Christ. Still I felt this strong conviction to share this in a book. Why? I asked. The reason is to reach those I may not have the opportunity to meet face to face.

For years I delayed putting this in a book, because I have never written a book before and I don't know how to do that but the burden in my heart to write this book only grew stronger with years.

I prayed and I said ''lord how do I do this, I have never written a book before?

Finally, i decided to do what i can and let God do the rest.

I pray that the lord who has laid it on my heart to share this message, also confirms this message in your life to His glory in Jesus name, amen.

Upon what foundation have you built or are you building your life?

Be sure to build your life on a dependable foundation that will support you during life's trial and tribulations.

Life is beautiful but like I said, its road can also be rough; there are ''mountains and valleys'' to cross, and there are deep, dark places to go through.

If you are here on earth you will face trial and tribulation, this is the bitter truth about life'.

In short, the Bible warns us that in this life, we will have problems and that is why you need a reliable foundation that can support you through them all.

The reliable foundation that never fails is Jesus Christ! No other foundation will hold expect the wisdom of God (Jesus Christ).

Don't let it take you a painful experience to accept this fact.

I learned this lesson the hard way and it is only by the grace of God that I live to share this. It doesn't have to be this way.

Yes, we learn from our, mistakes, but you don't have to make mistakes to learn. Some mistake may never give you the chance to learn from them because they will take that chance away.

Your very life is founded on Jesus and upon him and him alone you are to build your life.

The best part is that, after your life here on earth, you will live forever; Jesus has paid the price for you to have eternal life.

If you will accept Jesus, after your life here on earth, you will spend eternity in paradise. How do I know this? The Bible is very clear on this issue. First it says:

For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:18 KJV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 KJV

Would you like to enjoy your life here on earth (despite all the troubles that life throws at you) and a perfect life in paradise? Then you need Jesus Christ.

Would you like to accept Jesus Christ into your life? Then say this prayer below it is called the prayer of salvation.

I have explained what the prayer of salvation means in the previous chapters.

Now Say this prayer below:

''Father, I come to you just as I am, I am a sinner, I am truly sorry for all my sins. Please forgive me, please, help me to turn away from my sinful ways and teach me your ways. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, I believe he is your son and that he died and rose again, and I invite Jesus to come into my life today and stay and live through me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

If you've truly prayed this prayer of salvation from your heart then you are saved

Yes! For the Bible says:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:9 KJV

I am really happy for you and I welcome you to the family of God!

I encourage you to find a good church where you can be baptized. Tell the pastor that you just invited Jesus into your life, and ask for more information about what to do to keep growing in Christ.

Why go to church? Your believe in God gets stronger by hearing and hearing the word of God

Start reading the Bible, pray for understanding. If you have never read the Bible before, I advice that you start from the New Testament, the reason is that, some of the things in the Old Testament might be too difficult for you to understand as a new believer.

Read the Bible as often as you can because the word of God is food for your spirit.

You are made up of flesh and spirit. You feed the flesh every day, same way; you have to feed the spirit also with the word of God.

If you feed the flesh alone and neglect the spirit, then you create a void in your spirit man. Many have tried to feed this void with different things including material things but they soon learned that man cannot live on food alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Matthew.4:4 KJV

From the word of God you will learn how to deal with the trials and tribulations of life.

Yes. Every word of God is written for your own good to help you in every way you need help. That is what the bible says:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Tim 3:16-17 KJV

Another reason is that, if you don't study the word of God as often as you should, you will soon ignore what you already learn.

Again, a very important reason to study the word of God daily is written down for us in the Bible book of psalm it says:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psalm 1: 1-3 KJV

There is no way you diligently study the Bible, apply its teaching in your life and remain the same. The benefit of the word of God comes from putting it into practice not just in reading or knowing it. Do what it says and you see get result.

If you want something, you will get directions, if you will follow it, you will see result, if you do not; you will remain where you are.

For example, are you lonely? The Bible says if you want friends you must first show yourself friendly. If you do this, you will conquer loneliness.

Again the Bible also tells us that:

If you are a cruel person, you are actually hurting yourself because you will reap what you sow, you cannot be in the business of making life miserable for others and expect to live a happy life yourself, it is impossible. What you sow, you will reap.

So, you are actually doing yourself a favor if you are kind If are not, you only hurt yourself.

In this your walk with God, do not be afraid when you make mistakes, do not stay down when you fall, do not quit, do not bow your head in shame, just say you are sorry, God sees your heart, remember there is nothing you do that will ever separate you from the love of God. Just like you as a parent will never stop loving your child no matter what he /she does, you may not like everything your child does but you love him /her still.

God knows that you are not perfect, He also knows your limitations and He will not tell you to do what He knows you cannot do, He sees through you and He understands everything and as a matter of fact, He is the only one that truly understands.

God is not focusing on the things you do wrong, on the contrary, He is proud of every little thing you do right and He wants you to stay on the right path for your own good.

If you forget every other thing, don't ever forget that God loves you very much and that nothing can ever separate you from His love and that is one of the reasons Christ came and died for you, is because you are worth dying for.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39 KJV

