

## Living In The Power of Grace

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### Living in the Power of Grace

### Copyright © 2016 Delmwa Dung Bot

### All rights reserved

### No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

### All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible, except otherwise indicated. Words in italics or bold print are for emphasis.

### For further enquiries, contact:

### +234 (0) 7036170537

### +234 (0) 8177807627

###  delmwabots@gmail.com

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### Table of Contents

### Reviews..........................................................................................

### Foreword.......................................................................................

### Dedication.....................................................................................

###  Acknowledgements .......................................................................

### Preface...........................................................................................

### Chapter One:

### Understanding Grace....................................................................

### Chapter Two:

### Grace Revealed Through Passion.................................................

### Chapter Three:

### The Purpose of Grace (I)....................................................................

### Chapter Four:

### The Purpose of Grace (II)....................................................................

### Chapter Five:

### How to Enjoy the Grace of God....................................................

### Chapter Six:

### Trial: A Necessary Tool..................................................................

### Chapter Seven:

### Questions You Need to Ask...........................................................

### Chapter Eight:

### More Experiences to Share..........................................................

###  Conclusion..................................................................................

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### Reviews

 Living in the power of grace is quite a fascinating piece, full of personal experiences of real life on the mission field. I believe it will be of great encouragement to Christians who are interested in missions as well as those on the mission field. – Rev. A.A Amodu, Regional Co-ordinator, North East, Four Square Gospel Church.

 Delmwa's book in brief is an encouraging and passionate description of divine grace as demonstrated in her life and mission adventure; enjoy it! - Rev. Allan P. Mudan, Allan Mudan Global Teaching Commission, Jos, Nigeria.

 Only the grace of God can produce patience and perseverance to flourish in our Christian life. Mrs Delmwa Dung Bot has presented this very well through her life experience with her family especially in the mission field. – Arc. Pam D. Gyang.

 This book is a master piece on the subject of grace. It is a tool for critical self evaluation. As you read through, you will discover that God is in the business of raising giants in faith through grace and grace alone. - Evangelist Judah Bedimma Gonzwak.

 Grace is not a last resort thing when the arm of flesh and all our efforts have failed. It is, as presented by sister Delmwa, in this book, the complete, incomparable, uncontestable, totally reliable and dependable power of God. - Philip Gompang, Lifeline Ministries, Jos, Nigeria.

 As field missionaries with her late husband, Delmwa had tried to release an impartation of the grace life in this most-read book. She is, no doubt, a living testimony of the power of grace. Reading through these pages, will certainly awaken the grace in you! – Samuel Dung Dagyang

 In this book you will find God's grace explained, expounded, explored, experienced and illustrated. I commend it to everyone who desires a deeper and fuller understanding of the work of grace in the lives of God's people as the vital equipment for service. -Dr. (Mrs.) I. I. Akinremi, University of Jos

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###  Foreword

### The author of this book, Mrs. Delmwa Bot, is a woman of faith that I have known for over ten years. She has demonstrated, beyond a shadow of doubt, consistency in her walk with the Lord. I give thanks to God always in every remembrance of her! In spite the trials she has gone through, she has neither capitulated to fear, nor has she become spiritually lethargic. Her resilience comes from the power of God's grace! Indeed, she is a true disciple of Christ!

### Living in the Power of Grace is a book that espouses the missing theology in the contemporary church, namely, the theology of suffering. In a postmodern era of spiritual compromise, where "prosperity theology" has become the norm, this book is an attempt by the author through her experience to confront the contemporary church to re-think its theology of grace. She argues that suffering is a means to an end and not an end by itself. Through the power of God's grace, one is able to navigate through the boisterous storms of adversities and not flinch. The purpose of this book is not to argue a theological treatise, but to present a subjective (personal) and an objective (biblical) understanding of the power of God's grace as reflected in the lives of great men and women in the Scriptures. Furthermore, the book does not only grapple with the "what" question, but also addresses the "what and how" question, as it relates to grace.

### Undoubtedly, this book is worth reading! The missionary field experiences alluded to in this book can serve as a reminder to those who are thinking of considering the call to missions or church planting. In addition, the godly counsel and exhortations embedded in this book can serve as a reference point to motivate a person who is going through trial or afflictions, either physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Finally, this fabulous work is gospel-centered, and Christ-exalting in its entirety. It echoes the gospel truth that God is Good, Great, Gracious, and Glorious! He is in control! In sum, it is a must read book!

### Yours in His grace,

### Rev. David N. Gambo

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###  Dedication

### For training that instilled in me the fear of God and a practical life of discipline, this is to the memory of my parents, the late Baba Biska Gotom and Nana Afiya

### For the cherished memory of the years we spent together in the mission field and for a life of humility and purpose, this is also for my husband, the late Rev. Dung Bot

### and also for

### my baby, Dagwom Jesse, who died a martyr in Kona land, and whose brief life tells me that every life has a purpose and that it is not how long a life is, but how useful.

### and for

### my brother, the late Pastor Barr. Tunbosun Oyelade, who invested hard-earned resources in all our mission fields; a Barnabas indeed, a Son of Encouragement!

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###  Acknowledgements

### I remain grateful to God Almighty for the wonderful experiences that have multiplied His grace in my life. I thank God for using Bishop Nathaniel Yisa to lead me to Christ. Thanks to the editors of this work, Pastor Allan Mudan, Dr. Mrs. Ihuoma Akinremi, Rev. David Gambo, Pastor Philip Gompang, Pastor and Mrs. Daniel Affi, Elder Sam Dagyang, Mrs Julie Ekundayo and Bro. Onesimus.

### Thanks to Mr. Lean Damak, for typing the manuscript, my brother-in-law Mr. Paul Effiwatt, for bearing the cost of the printing, Rev. Charles Barminas, for grooming me spiritually, and Rev. Austin Okomowho, who discipled my husband, visited us on the field and raised supporters for us, and also to my parents Arch. and Mrs. P. D. Gyang, Mrs. Rhoda Ahmadu, TOWOF Sisters, and Mrs. Salome Ishaya. Evangelist Bedimma Gonzwak, Barr. Bitrus Dung, Engr Mark Julson, Mrs Funke Kentebe, Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Ochekwu, Mr Gwom Choji, Pastor Andrew Omale, Mrs Ruth Nesla, Mrs. Jane Dung, Pastor Chris Bayefa – you are friends indeed, as also are Gyang and Rabi, our hosts for several years. My wonderful brothers (the Biska Gotoms) – Zachs Piwuna, Tongshakka, Yilnung, Kiyitwe, Gochin, Chinme – and my sister Nenman Effiwatt, thanks for every support. Pastor and Mrs. Leke Ajisafe, words are not enough to express my gratitude. Rev A. A. Amodu, Pastor Lola Adeagbo, and all members of Foursquare Gospel Church, Jos District, your love is practical. My gratitude also goes to my in-laws, too numerous to mention.

### My daughters, Niri and Renuyel, your God-fearing and disciplined attitude has made the journey easier for me. I release God's blessing on you.

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### Preface

### Having enjoyed the grace of God, I feel obligated to share my experiences with fellow Christians, especially those who are weary and about to give up in the heat of life's challenges, what God's grace can do in their lives.

### This work is not coming from a theological point of view or expertise, but from personal experiences that brought me to the understanding of the grace of God as a Christian, a wife and a missionary. I cannot help but imagine the depth of this subject because it is inexhaustible.

### Without living daily in the power of the grace of God as a believer, winning the fight against discouragement and every sort of difficulty is humanly impossible. We are in the last days and the weapon that we need to conquer the spirit that is waxing cold the love of many saints is the grace of God. The trials we go through at times raise a lot of questions in our hearts, but God's grace keeps us in the right direction.

### Every one of us is the product of the grace of God, which is his greatest gift to mankind. It is a mystery that unveils itself as you grow in the knowledge of God. Living in the power of grace is what differentiates you from an ordinary Christian. However, you cannot get to this level if you do not understand the purpose of grace. A gift is appreciated and the use maximised only when it is received with the understanding of what it is worth.

### Understanding grace causes you to do all you can, to obtain what you need to promote you in your area of assignment. The experiences you have in life are meant to produce the substance that shows forth the grace of God. Not only that, they also bring you in contact with those that have gone ahead, which grants you the opportunity to go to the next level.

### However, you must make up your mind to be focused, to keep on track, because it causes you to grow to the point of living in the power of grace till you finish strong.

### When you unlock the mystery of the word "grace," you will be able to stand firm and resist every obstacle planted by human or satanic agents to hinder you from fulfilling your purpose in the kingdom. This is because you will be delivered from fear, ignorance and carelessness. You will be transformed and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

### Through this, you will be able to help others till they too are equipped to fulfill their purpose and show forth every good work. The measure of the grace of God in you can be determined by the impact you make in the lives of others.

### Do not allow yourself to be like any other person; instead let the grace of God bring out the uniqueness that is hidden in you.

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### CHAPTER ONE

### Understanding Grace

### Grace! A short word, easy to pronounce, and commonly used, but frequently abused by Christians, yet it is one of the most powerful words in the Scripture, without which Christianity is baseless.

### There are twenty-three books from Acts of the Apostles to the book of Revelation, and I discovered that the word grace is mentioned with emphasis almost throughout, especially at the beginning and at the end of most of these books.

### Grace has created a great wall of difference between Christianity and other religions in the world. In Christianity, we do not depend on what we can do for ourselves because holiness and righteousness are beyond what physical strength can afford, and on our own we can do nothing. The Bible calls the best of our righteousness "filthy rags"; as such, in our weak and helpless state, we depend on the free gift of God which comes to us through faith. That free gift is called grace. While other religions boast of strenuous exercise, a great deal of mental and physical effort, and all manner of commitments, to find answers from their gods, Christians depend on the Lord to help them through His mighty power that is at work within. It is an established truth in Christianity that without the grace of God we are hopeless.

### As I began to study and meditate on the scriptures, I came to understand that the best thing that has happened to me in this life is my discovery of the grace of God. This grace showed me love and forgiveness instead of judgment. In the course of meditation, I gained some insight and discovered some secrets of the meaning of this word, which, to me, is better experienced than expressed in words. The Student Bible Dictionary defines grace as "Favor (Gen. 6:8). God's free and undeserved love that never quits (Eph. 2:8)... the gift of God that comes as eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23)."

### From my personal experience, I can say that grace is the total display of God's love to a dying world full of people like you and me, who were meant to die for our wicked, careless, and shameful acts. It has given us right standing with God, instead of condemnation. Grace has no interplay with human ability because it is beyond what the natural man can do or imagine. That is why God chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and uses the weak things to disgrace the strong (1Cor. 1:27-28). He chooses a person from the crowd and makes a showcase of His ability. Therefore, it is not what we can do, but what He can do in and through us.

### As I read through the Bible, I came to Psalm 82:6, that says, "I said, You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High." I was almost confused, and I paused for a while to ask what it meant. I realised that grace takes you from the natural to the supernatural, lifting you from your fallen state into a place of deeper relationship with God, and makes you think, talk, and act like your Maker. As a result, you display His character and virtues, and your life shows to people and the kingdom of darkness what God looks like, since no one has ever seen Him. The language of grace says, "Though men cannot see God with the physical eyes, all that He is can be seen in me daily." If you expect your biological children to look like you, then imagine how much more your Creator wants you to look like Him. Just like every plant or animal produces its kind, so also God puts His grace, which is His seed, in His children, to make their lives meaningful.

### I see the grace of God as the origin of our relationship with Christ Jesus, and the benefit of following Him, because it is revealed to those who know and walk with Him. It is true that we are living in the dispensation of grace, but there is a special access you gain as you walk with Him closely. The more you depend and walk with Him, the more His grace will be multiplied in your life.

### Let us look at the life of Apostle Paul in II Cor. 12:7-10. He was given a thorn in his flesh to torment him and he pleaded three times with the Lord to take it from him, but the Lord's answer was "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." God gave him "special access" because he acknowledged his inability without the help of God. He said, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak then I am strong." It takes a man who understands grace to accept his inability without God. Paul experienced grace that made him productive, in spite of the "thorn" that wanted to choke the purpose of the seed planted in him. The answer God gave to him reveals to us that grace is the continuous presence of our Lord wherever we are doing his will, and that nothing can substitute grace.

### The ability to face difficult situations with boldness and a smiling face, when everyone expects you to create a scene by running to and fro and attracting people's sympathy, is what grace alone can do. Living in the power of grace means remaining calm and self-controlled, no matter the circumstances. It means not to succumb or giving excuses about the situation, regardless of how rough it may seem. Instead, you deliberately lay aside your wisdom, knowledge and ability and allow Christ to work in you according to His plan for your life. As a result, your life remains active and productive in season and out of season. The rest of this book is a demonstration and testimony of living in the power of grace in my life.

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### CHAPTER TWO

### Grace Revealed Through Passion

### My childhood days were full of excitement, especially when I spent part of my holidays with my grandmother in Tuwan village, a quiet and beautiful place with flowers all around. There were foreign missionaries of the Sudan United Mission (S.U.M), whose children played around with toys and bicycles. It made the environment interesting; so I always looked forward to going for holidays.

### Those missionaries spoke our language and ate our meals. They were quite friendly and paid visits to families. I wondered how they were able to adjust to our way of life, having left their distant countries. The warmth they expressed and the beauty that surrounded Tuwan village made me believe that anywhere there were missionaries the atmosphere should be the same. I had great respect for, and high expectations of them.

### I professed faith in the Lord Jesus in 1985 as a Form Three student of St. Louis College, Jos. It was during a church service at St. Pirans Anglican Church, where non-catholic students of the College were permitted to worship. The joy that filled my heart that day was beyond explanation, and those close to me noticed that something good had happened to me.

### I was always thrilled to hear or read about the life of missionaries but I never thought of becoming one until I received a clear call in November 1990 during a church service, as a missionary couple shared their testimony. Meeting my husband, who was already a missionary in Koma Hills, gave me a deeper conviction. Being a missionary gives me a great sense of fulfillment, and today I feel blessed to be called one.

### Our experiences as missionaries in remote areas of Northern Nigeria were quite challenging. I recall the day I went to the stream to fetch water and met women bathing while some were washing dishes and clothes. It baffled me that people and animals were drinking from the same spot. I greeted them and asked if there was any other spot I could fetch from, but there was none. Another day, after I had fetched, I gently asked one of them if it was possible for them to fetch with buckets and move away from the fetching point to a washing area so as to keep the water clean for drinking, but the woman began yelling insults at me and calling me names. Jesting, she described me as the cleanest and the most intelligent woman in their community. I returned to my house speechless and in great shock, in addition to the thought of drinking unclean water! While I felt it was a closed door, my husband said it was an opportunity for my ministry to begin. To me, it was a hard saying since I never expected such an experience. Meanwhile, as I followed him every evening to visit the Village Head, the elders and youth, I started gaining access to relate with the women and eventually that particular woman became my friend.

### Initially, we were treating our drinking water, but it almost became impossible because as we moved from place to place in the course of the work, we were offered the "bad" water to drink. How it reeked with the smell of cattle urine! Meanwhile, the people would not accept our message if we did not accept what they offered! Over time, I discovered that rural dwellers are very observant, and no matter how you try to pretend, they know when you treat them with disdain or contempt and that could automatically shut the door against the gospel you have for them. When they offer you water, it is out of hospitality and an indication that you are highly welcome. To appreciate and identify with them, you are expected to, at least, drink some. After settling down, we tried to teach them the importance of treating their drinking water but many of them saw it as a waste of time and, moreover, they had lived that way for generations.

### The death of our son Dagwom Jesse was the most trying moment for us in our years of service. We had served the Lord relentlessly, and we saw no reason why God would not heal the boy of the sickness. Moreover, I went through a lot of trouble before his birth. I trekked eight kilometers to and fro every antenatal clinic visit and four kilometers every week for Children's Bible Club; I suffered severe attacks on my health, to the point that my husband was consulting the doctor on my behalf, since I could not get out of bed. This continued until the time God healed me. Shortly after, Yop, my sister-in-law who was living with us, took ill while my husband was on a journey. She was admitted to a hospital in Jalingo for nine days, and underwent surgery for a strange growth in her stomach. I accompanied her to the hospital and slept on a mat all the days she was there. I had all our babies through caesarian section and Dagwom's case was very special because I lost consciousness during a blood transfusion, until God restored me.

### I repeatedly asked God why our son should die after all the trouble I had during the pregnancy. All manner of prayer was said to avert his death, but all to no avail, as he passed away in the early hours of 2nd June, 1996, while on admission at the hospital. The grace to carry the corpse of our baby on my back on that Sunday morning, from Jalingo to the mission station, without anyone noticing, still gives me cause to wonder and to appreciate the God of all grace.

### When we left the hospital, it was too early for us to move to our station, so we trekked to our friend's house. On seeing us, he asked if we had been discharged from the hospital and if so, why so early? Though we answered yes, he noticed I was quiet. After some minutes, my husband told him that our little boy had died. He jumped up from the bed and took the corpse from me to be sure it was so. He prayed with us and when it was morning, we left while he wondered at the calmness he saw in us.

### We got to Minda village, where we had some colleagues, an hour to church service time. My husband called one of them and told him what happened. The man shouted, out of shock, while I stood quietly with the baby. The whole church followed us to Kaudad, four kilometres from Minda. We had a joint fellowship there while a coffin was prepared for the burial, which took place in the afternoon.

### The thought of the loss began to set in after the burial and we started feeling some sense of weakness. At a point, we felt there was no strength left in us to carry on. That was one unforgettable period when the grace of the Lord took over, and the greatest breakthrough we experienced in our years of service was in that very community. The progress we recorded in ministry after the loss was more than what we had witnessed earlier, because more souls were won to the Lord. "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this ALL-SURPASSING POWER is from God and not from us" (II Cor. 4:7, NIV). The stagnancy we had experienced eventually gave way, and the Church grew.

### In that community, loved ones were not buried outside their premises; as such, our beloved son was buried in the compound. Every day we awoke with new strength and the sight of that little grave kept us reminding ourselves of the need to move on without looking back. The ability to move out of your comfort zone and do what you are called to do in the midst of difficulties is beyond human strength. Speaking to the Church in Corinth, Paul said that to the weak he became as weak, and became all things to all men, in order to win some to Christ (I Cor. 9:19-23). He did this not because he could on his own, but because of the availability of God's grace.

### One thing you must accept is that God will never give you an assignment without equipping you because He knows everything you need to accomplish it and, moreover, He is not a task master. He will not put on you a load that is too heavy. Therefore, when trials come, He is only asking you to display what He has already put inside you. Manifesting God's abilities during difficulties is one of the ways to allow God to express His grace.

### Many times after fellowship, we recite II Corinthians 13:14, which says, "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." I often wonder how many ask what these words really mean. From the day I caught the revelation of this verse, my life has not remained the same and I stopped seeing it as a ritual that must be fulfilled after fellowship. I discovered it is the most powerful prayer I can ever pray. Whenever I quote it, I am asking for the ability that is in the Lord Jesus Christ to cause the seed that is planted in me to find expression in strength to live above sin, withstand every form of difficulty, and overcome what he overcame, in partnership with the Holy Spirit. In short, it means allowing the person of Christ that has taken over my being to be my all in all.

### Until you see grace as a divine gift that has paved the way for you to enjoy total freedom, you will keep living in timidity though you profess to be a Christian who has been saved by grace. Before Jesus died, he said "it is finished" because every form of limitation was brought to an end. However, you cannot enjoy this freedom unless you come to the knowledge of the One who paid your debt on the Cross. This knowledge changes the way you think and act. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (II Peter 1:3, NIV). From the day man fell into sin, a seed of wickedness and destruction was planted. However, the death and resurrection of Jesus destroyed it in order that the seed of righteousness and productivity may be planted in us for maximum impact in Christian living. God has made every provision so that as you come to know Christ and the purpose of the price he paid, you will be delivered from the molestation of the devil and live in total victory, spiritually, physically, materially, and so on.

### Always remember that God has a plan to give you a future and a hope; therefore, do not misuse the purpose of Christ's suffering. Grace is the announcer and enhancer of the goodness of God in the life of a person that has been despised by men. It also puts Satan where he belongs, just as it brings an end to every argument. A clear example is the life of Zerubbabel: "'... not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " (Zech. 4:6-7).

### God, who is a master planner, takes delight in using the very person that other people see as a "cannot" to display his wisdom, knowledge, strength and wonders, to prove that it is not where a man can reach, but where God decides to take him. Grace attracts the power of God towards an ordinary person.

###  *******************

### CHAPTER THREE

### The Purpose of Grace (I)

### People often mishandle valuable things because of ignorance and carelessness. Adults value money and other precious things, but a one-year-old child would treat money like any piece of paper because he or she does not know its worth. Again, just as putting a gold ring on a pig's snout does not make it feel any sense of importance (because it will go into the mud when given the slightest opportunity), a careless or ignorant person does not value good things. That is why some people have misused the grace of God and are living a life of defeat when they should enjoy total victory.

### Hosea 4:6 says, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." There is a common saying that "knowledge is power," which means what you know has the capacity to produce an effect. Permit me to say that it is only that which you know that will be useful to you; therefore, as you come to the knowledge of the purpose of grace; you will be productive as a child of God. True knowledge that can change and transform our lives is found in Christ and in the Scriptures.

### There are several reasons why God revealed His grace to us. We explore some of them in the following sections.

### Subduing Sin and Showcasing the Believer's Victory in Christ

### When Jesus died and resurrected, His victory became ours. That is why He commanded us to exercise dominion in His name. He also declared us more than conquerors because He conquered the kingdom of darkness. "And having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15). It is only when you conquer a thing that you exercise dominion over it. This victory has given us the ability to bring sin under control. That is why the Scripture says, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Rom. 6:14). The purpose of grace is to bring us to the knowledge of what we possess in Christ, and it takes determination, through this knowledge, to stop the devil from taking advantage of you. "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish" (Gal. 5:17-18). With grace in our lives, we have the ability, in our daily lives, to resist temptation that leads to sin.

### Restoring Sonship

### In the beginning, God created man for fellowship and to enjoy abundance on every side, but sin separated him from his Maker. Thus, man lost the benefit of that original plan and so, fellowship and abundance were replaced with suffering and death. However, God released His grace through Jesus, His son, to restore us to the original plan he had for us. This comes with salvation as a full package for everyone that puts his or her trust in Christ. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11). Just as someone's last will and testament lets the relatives know what they have inherited, grace appeared to bring you salvation that will grant you access to your inheritance. You cannot get anything outside of grace because it causes you to know your rights as a believer.

### It is the work of salvation that makes you realise how much Satan has stolen from you. It equally grants you the desire and ability to regain your lost glory and the benefits of being a child of God because He takes you into confidence and shares with you the hidden riches of His kingdom. "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant" (Ps. 25:14).

### Rendering Useless the Wisdom of this World

### God has a wonderful sense of humour. He uses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, by turning every human calculation into foolishness, while He turns the things that make no sense into great wonders. How else can we explain how David a seventeen-year-old brought down an intimidating giant that a whole nation feared so much? "So what about these wise men, these scholars, these brilliant debators of this world's great affair? Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" (I Cor. 1:20). Goliath saw himself as a threat to the whole of Israel and David should not have had any reason to approach or challenge him. Goliath despised not just David and the people of Israel, but God Almighty. "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak to shame the strong, God chose the lowly things of this world and despised things and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him" (I Cor. 1:27-29, NIV). The death of Christ seemed foolish but it brought the greatest destruction ever to the kingdom of darkness. "Which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (I Cor. 2:8). Thus, the Lord says, "Let not the wise man glory in his might...But let him who glories glory in this, that I am the Lord..." (Jer. 9:23-24).

### Empowerment for Good Works

### Everywhere Jesus went, He was doing good, without necessarily being mindful of whether the people were good or bad, friends or foes. Since we are beneficiaries of His good works, it is mandatory for us to display them in all circumstances because we are all undeserving of his goodness. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walked in them" (Eph. 2:8-9).

### We have been equipped to represent Christ in the world. Nothing you do for others is too much, since Christ gave His life for you, which is the greatest gift ever.

### The first time I travelled with my husband to his mission station in December 1992, I discovered that there was no access road to Gawe in Koma Hills, where he served. The truck we boarded maneuvered its way through the bush while passengers were beaten by branches of trees and shrubs as the vehicle moved. I began to think of the challenge of going through the same experience when going back. It was one of the farthest journeys I had ever made and, due to the roughness of the road and how long it took for us to arrive at the village I concluded it must have been four hundred kilometers from Yola, until I was told it was far less. The journey gave me the opportunity to imagine what it took for the early missionaries to reach my community with the gospel.

### On arrival, I did not see any house with metal roofing sheets. Two days later we went to visit three families. My husband had told me to prepare for something strange. After going round, he asked the man in the last house we visited to follow us home; so I began to wonder what he wanted to do.

### When we returned home, he took one of his best wears and gave it to the man, who only said "to" in Hausa, meaning "okay", and started to leave for his house. As he made to leave, my husband called him back and said "I gave you something and you did not even say a word of thanks." The shocking response I heard from him was, "Sir, did I ask you for it? Were you not the one that decided to give it to me?" Then he took his leave. My husband then smiled, but to me, it was quite strange. The next time we met he was well dressed in the clothes my husband gave to him and was happily going to the market. His attitude displeased me and left me wondering if I could live with people who could not say "thank you" and still offer them gifts and preach to them.

### Looking at the life of Jesus, we see that he went about doing good to people who were sinners. He trekked long distances and provided for people that never appreciated him. Many who enjoyed his good works turned their backs on him, yet he abounded the more in good works. If he did not withhold any good thing from us, He expects us to do the same to other people, if indeed we have experienced his good works in our own lives.

### The Ability to Wait

"Waiting on the Lord" means allowing God's purpose to come to fulfillment in your life, according to His timing, and not yours. It is proof of your trust and total dependence on Him and an expression of belief that he alone can give you the best and bring you to a beautiful end. It is also an acknowledgement of the fact that you cannot get anything without God, no matter the need in your life. I see waiting on the Lord as an act of worship because you remove your eyes from man and fix your attention on God, no matter how slow it seems.

### In the place of waiting, you make discoveries, and get fresh ideas that take you to the place of fulfillment because God will always direct your path. One of my favorite Scripture verses is Psalm 32:8 which says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye." You can only receive divine instruction in the place of waiting, and without the grace of God, it is very difficult to position yourself properly. Furthermore, the grace to wait is a virtue that you must possess if you truly want to walk with God and live in the power of His grace. We have great promises in the Word of God when we choose to wait on him. Isaiah says, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

### Grace Produces Boldness

### Boldness is a fearless approach to life's situations, no matter the challenges involved. Grace has given me the boldness to develop a positive attitude to life; so instead of feeling threatened, I have been able to withstand the challenges that came to negate what God has said concerning my life.

### The lives of Peter and John in Acts 4:1-13 provide a clear example. They were brought before the Sanhedrin council after the healing of the lame man at the Temple gate and were warned not to ever speak in the name of Christ. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, challenged that authority and they went on to speak without fear of the threats. When the Sanhedrin "saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realised that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). Boldness makes people see less of you and more of God.

### I was cooking one evening when one of the elders in the community walked into our house. I offered him a place to sit and we greeted. He then asked my husband how we were able to stay in their midst with all that we were experiencing. I got curious, so I offered him some pieces of meat from the pot just to find out what brought him. He became relaxed and began to tell us a lot of things.

### The first thing he did was to acknowledge the power and greatness of our God. He went on to say that when we first came, they held a meeting and decided that we would not stay beyond three days, but when they saw us on the fourth day, they extended it to a maximum of one week. Still seeing us after one week, they agreed that after tormenting us with snakes and scorpions and severe witchcraft attacks, we would definitely leave before the end of the month, but we stayed on, and after more than a year, they gave up. This revelation built our faith and confidence in God, who called us, and made us stronger and ready for greater exploits.

### A few days later, I went to Lemam, which was four kilometers away, for Children's Bible Club. While returning in the evening, I saw two vipers mating in the middle of the road with both tails joined, each head facing a different direction. It was such a narrow footpath and I was careful not to enter the bush because of the possibility of stepping on a reptile; so I stopped. Though I had a stick in my hand, it was difficult for me to strike since I did not know how to get both vipers at the same time as they faced different directions. I was seven months pregnant, with no one around to help, and it was getting dark. The only solution was to jump over them and proceed, which I did. Since Satan's plan had been exposed, I was not discouraged, but still went back the following week. The experiences I gathered during the years of missionary service gave me a fearless and bold approach to life, especially in malevolent communities, and today I live with confidence in God, who sees to everything that concerns me. I can confidently say that grace always overcomes opposition in the life of anyone that is willing and ready to stand in the face of trials. The moment you accept your divine assignment, grace comes and takes over until you fulfill it.

### A Guarantee of Divine Protection

### As children of God, we are bound to face danger in our daily lives. However, God's grace provides ways of escape when we choose to walk with Him. Many times I look at my life and see many reasons why I should not be alive by now, and wonder at the power of God's grace that has brought me thus far. I remember a day in 1994, when my husband and I were trekking from Jalingo to our station. We chose to explore a shorter route and, about four kilometres to our destination, we heard music and a lot of noise and, suddenly, a group of people surrounded us with spears and arrows, ready to attack. Their first target was my husband. They spoke a different language from the people we are reaching out to, so we had no idea of what they wanted. A few of them that could speak the Hausa language asked why we interrupted their yam festival. I told them we were strangers and had no idea of what they were saying. They then told my husband that if not for his wife's quick intervention, they would have killed us. They asked us to move away immediately. No wonder the Bible says that when we stand before our enemies, God will give us the words to speak.

### In February 2000, three weeks after I had a caesarian section, we returned to the mission station in Gwam village, Niger State. The weather was so hot that we usually sat under a tree near our house. One afternoon, some missionary colleagues joined us, so we took some time to pray instead of chatting. Suddenly, a very strong wind began to blow towards where we were. It lasted for a while, then moved with greater force into people's houses and destroyed a number of roofs and pulled down some trees. Our houses were all preserved and none of us was hurt. It was the strongest wind I had witnessed. Living in the power of grace is beyond our tactics or ideas. It is just God at work.

###  *******************

### CHAPTER FOUR

### The Purpose of Grace (II)

### The grace of God is so deep that its purpose can only be understood by divine revelation. In fact, the grace of God is what brings us salvation (Titus 2:11), which is the whole essence of Christianity. We explore other dimensions of the purpose of God's grace in the following sections.

### Power for Self Control

### Self control is the ability to bring one's feelings under control. It means to remain calm, no matter the situation, and to allow God to have His way. Self control is a mark of spiritual maturity. Jesus demonstrated it when he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, saying, "Not as I will but as you will" (Matt. 26:31). He restrained himself from doing things his own way, and chose God's way. It takes self control to submit to God because you must lay aside your desire, ability or right and allow God to prevail.

### Many times when people offend you, what first comes to mind is to retaliate immediately. Humanly, that is the best way to exhibit your strength; otherwise, you are seen as a weakling. But it is not so for the Spirit-filled believer. When you show self control, you are telling the offender that you are operating at a higher realm. The strength of your character is a product of your maturity. For instance, if you are known to be easily irritated by every provocation and you suddenly begin to overlook offences and take things easy, it means the virtue of self control is gaining ground in your life. The only way to live successfully in this wicked generation and not do what others are doing is by allowing this godly virtue to take hold of you, and God is able to make you stand. He helps you turn difficult and complicated issues into simple issues and grants you peace. It takes the power of grace to exercise this virtue and, sometimes, you may feel you are losing, but it produces great benefits. Self control always puts Satan to shame!

### Planting Churches in rural communities was a very big challenge. In Gawe, we lived in a compound with another couple. After we had worked there for a while, the husband was the first person to receive Christ in the whole community, but the wife tried to destabilise every effort to disciple her husband. Whenever it was time for fellowship, she would entertain her customers with burukutu (local beer) from morning until evening, in order to disturb the meetings, especially on Sundays. My husband observed that over time and decided to change the fellowship days and time, but her attitude became worse. She brought in her customers or caused quarrels with her husband all the time. In spite of all these, the man began to grow in the knowledge of Christ and, instead of giving in to her attitude he began to control his temper and decided to give peace a chance. One day around midnight, she had an encounter that transformed her life. She came knocking at our door early in the morning and broke down in tears before my husband and said that she has seen Jesus in the night. At the end, she professed faith in Christ. She did not only stop producing and selling burukutu, but she began to evangelise, going from place to place with the gospel. This impacted the neighbouring villages. The person that exercises self control will always win the battle over Satan and the kingdom of darkness. However, it takes grace.

### The Power to Excel

### To excel means to be extremely good. Excellence places you above your equals, and puts to silence every doubt about what God can do in your life. It makes you a point of reference and a solution, to the point that you stand before rulers and kings. It is a special ability that grants you access to uncommon opportunities in life, and because of this outstanding nature of God that is in you, people see solution and greatness whenever they meet you. The ability to do things in a distinct way brings about attraction and draws attention to you. We see this exemplified in the life of Joseph.

• He was envied and hated by his own brothers.

• His dreams were disregarded and mocked at.

• He became a foreigner.

• He became a slave.

• He became a prisoner.

### These events had already put him at a disadvantage and there was no hope of his becoming anything useful. As a foreigner, he did not have the rights of a citizen, and as a slave he had no right to choose how he should be treated by his master. Let me also say that a prisoner is a convict, who loses every confidence and rights of getting a valuable position in his community.

### How then did Joseph gain such recognition and favour as a slave and a prisoner? The power of grace specialises in turning condemned people into commendable people; that is why no one can stop you from getting to where God has destined for you. If Joseph's brothers, with all their plans and wisdom, could not hinder him, know that you are unstoppable. The secret is the power of grace that takes you from the most hidden place into the limelight, and makes your life a wonder, thereby announcing the excellence of God.

### Joseph was sold by his brothers so that the dreams he had would become useless, but even in the prison, his spiritual sight was sharp and he was a solution instead of a liability. The Bible says, "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper" (Gen. 39:21-23). Joseph did not allow the seed of grace that was planted in him to die; as such he was productive, even in the prison. The most unwanted place produced the most needed person.

### I see rejection, envy, and hardship as a stairway to your manifestation. God uses bad situations to keep the enemies of your life from seeing your best, in order to hinder them from stopping you. If Joseph's brothers had seen Joseph's end, they would rather have killed than sell him. Keep being consistent in whatever God puts in your hand, not fearing what man can do to you. The same dream that made Joseph an object of hatred and attack from his brothers propelled him into the limelight. If he had given up, the story would have been different. When the whole of Egypt was puzzled, waiting for who would solve the king's problems because no answer could come from even the magicians, God kept the answer with Joseph in the prison. They had to go to the most rejected place, where nothing good was expected to come from, to find him. It was then that the answer came and the entire nation was relieved. That was the moment of Joseph's promotion and glory. I call upon you to rise up and shake off the dust called the lies of Satan. Take that dream and begin to work on it because the world is waiting for you. If the whole nation, with its kings and rulers, could stand up for Joseph, a foreign prisoner, to be crowned, one day it will be your turn. Just keep holding on to the power of grace. Do not despair!

### You may be sitting in darkness right now, but do not give up, even if no one acknowledges you. Just know that there is hope in Christ Jesus. It is possible that you have been forgotten, like Joseph, but rest assured that you will be remembered. Joseph never went back to the prison because right in the palace, he was changed into another man: "And Pharaoh said to his servants, 'can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?' " (Gen. 41:38). Since no one can cage the spirit of God, not even the prison, I assure you that no one can cage what will announce the excellence of God in your life. As Joseph began to shine as a slave, then as a prisoner, before he came to the palace, you must shine in that dark corner, if you must be used of God to show forth His excellence. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

### The grace of God can never be hidden. You may be quiet but grace must find a way to manifest because God puts it in his children to attract the favour that will sustain them in life. He has given everyone the ability to do things well and He expects you to display your gift excellently. The purpose of your spiritual gift is to bless you and to make you a blessing. "Each one of us should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms" (1 Pet. 4:10, NIV).

### The Ability to Persevere

### To persevere means to be able to stand the test of time in the midst of difficulty. Many times you feel like throwing in the towel because all efforts to get things in shape seem to fail. At such times, there are so many reasons to want to give up, instead of holding on, and it takes the grace of God to persevere until you eventually prevail. You may be dealing with a wayward family member or friend, a child with slow learning ability, a business that has remained stagnant for years, a difficult boss at the place of work, etc. The grace of God gives you the inner strength to persevere in the place of intercession until you see light at the end of the tunnel. The most important thing is for you to be convinced that you are in the will of God. It helps you see things in the light of what God can do, by building confidence in and around you, and faith that one day it will be over. Grace is an uncommon virtue that turns impossible situations around. Perseverance pleases the Lord and produces an exceeding great reward. However, many believers find it quite difficult to hold on when almost everyone has given up on what they believe God is doing, albeit slowly, to bring to pass His purpose. It is a strong weapon that drives away regret and discouragement. It makes your life worthy of celebration.

### Let me use a little of my experience as an example. The five years of my husband's sojourn outside the shores of Nigeria were full of anxiety, and raised a lot of questions and concern. Many people came with all manner of negative counsels and suggestions, which would have made me take the wrong step. Instead of falling victim to the enemy, the Lord granted me grace to see the good that would come out of it if I persevered.

### He helped me to build confidence in Him and raise defences around the situation by resisting every negative influence. I prayed for my husband daily, which made some of them angry and call me a foolish and confused woman. I did not bother; instead, I persevered through positive thoughts and confessions, as I believed God for his return. Finally, he returned and the family was restored.

### God granted me the grace to teach our children to love and respect their father even while he was away. I refused to dwell on his weaknesses in their presence. This helped them to pray for him with positive minds in expectation of a positive result. Today the children and I rejoice over the fact that God used us to bring the relationship to a beautiful ending, which gives us so much peace. To Him be the glory forever!

### Many Christians are living in regret because they gave up too soon over their loved ones. You might have prayed for years without result, but don't give up because the answer is on the way. Are you tired and about giving up? Are people calling you names, just as I was, and you feel it is not worth the trouble? In case you do not know, Satan is always watching out for the words you speak and the actions you take concerning that person or situation. Any negative statement or action you take gives him a foothold, but when you remain positive, God will grant you victory. It's just a matter of persevering for a little more. Do not get worked up to the point that you cannot pray over the situation. Every one of us is human and there is always the tendency to falter, irrespective of one's personality. No one should be seen as a giant until he or she has finished the race of life successfully.

### In order not to give up easily, do all you can to bring the situation closer by asking yourself this question: How would you want to be treated if you were in the shoes of the person who is facing challenges? I'm sure you would not want to be condemned. If so, why join others to sentence the person involved to hell? Brethren, why do we treat others as if we never made a mistake or even committed any sin? This was my driving force, and today the same people that called me names have joined others in celebrating me. You may be the one to change the situation of that husband, wife, son, daughter, business or office boss. May God grant you the grace to persevere until you win and are celebrated. I assure you that after winning the battle, you will be sought after because there are many out there keeping close watch and waiting as well.

### I see the season of perseverance as a time of playing the fool. This is because the person you are praying for does not understand why you should bother about his or her life. And to make it worse, people that are not spiritually sensitive may regard you as jobless or unreasonable. Do not expect men to understand or clap their hands for you. The power of grace in your life is demonstrated by the extra miles you go to recover the lost.

### Another encouraging example is the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. The terrible description of the judge had already put a big question mark on her ability to get positive result. The Bible records that the judge neither feared God nor cared what people thought and for some time he refused to attend to the widow's request. But finally he said to himself, "Though I do not fear God or regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me... Then the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though he bears long with them? I tell you the truth, he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?"

### Dearly beloved, God will not overlook your request, but when He comes to visit you, will He find you persevering and exhibiting the quality of faith that will attract the answer that will turn the situation around? The machinery that sustains your faith and keeps you persevering in times like these is God's grace.

### The Ability to Help the Weak and Lift the Fallen

### When you are conscious of the fact that you are living by grace, you will serve as a source of encouragement to another sister or brother. We are often so quick to pronounce judgment on others that we hardly have time to consider our own weaknesses and turn to God in repentance. The grace of God exposes us to the reality of love and mercy instead of judgment. We must realise that none of us got to where we are on our own, without the grace of God.

### Lending a helping hand to the weak makes me appreciate the work that Jesus did on the Cross. It makes me count myself as a privileged product of the grace of God rather than thinking I am better than others. I have come to realize that taking time to see my shortcomings and how God brought me to where I am today gives me the opportunity to understand what others are going through and to pray for them to come to the understanding of what God's grace can do in their lives. The ability to share in the sufferings of others by helping them to stand and overcome every kind of challenge they face is God's desire for every Christian that understands the work of grace. "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification" (Rom. 15:1-2).

### God's grace helps you to remember where you were and how far the Lord has brought you, thereby enabling you to stand in the gap for that brother or sister who is weak, until he or she becomes strong. If you are willing, God will use you as a helper to many others because what He has deposited in you is meant to be a blessing. Since we accept grace as God's generous gift, we must use it for the benefit of the weak in our midst. There is always someone weaker than you; so ask God for the opportunity to reach out.

### I will never forget an experience I had in 1998, which taught me never to look down on the little ways I can be of help to others. Waking up one fateful morning, I was praying for provision because the food we had was very little. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and as I opened, I saw a woman I had never met before standing there with a baby in her arms. She said that for two days they had not eaten, and needed something to eat, no matter how little. I looked around and all we had was just a few measures of rice and some cassava flour. That little became much in my hands since another person could partake of it with a big "thank you". From then, I have come to realise that nothing one has is too small because it can meet a need.

### God commands us to go on to perfection (Heb. 6:1); so as you move to another level, hold the hand of that weak person close to you until he or she finds help. The secret of waxing stronger spiritually, financially or materially lies in your ability to lift up those weaker than you. This is God's desire for every child of His, and the grace is available for you. If there is anything you need to remember daily, it is the fact that God is seeking for "sons of encouragement", who will lift the fallen and wounded in the battles of life. These battles can be in the form of poverty and lack, sickness, or even sin that has led to the fall of many. Whenever you have, by God's grace, overcome lack or a particular habit of sin, God expects you to serve as support to that fellow who is still struggling in that area. Unfortunately some see such as an opportunity to gossip, criticise and pull down others. This is a grievous sin before God. Such attitudes have sent many people away from Church and from God.

### Our abilities are meant for the edification of the body of Christ and not for destruction. See your abilities as an answer to the needs of others. The fact that you are standing is by grace alone, and not by your own strength. Many times we look at those who are weaker than us with contempt, and they go back with feelings of "I can't get any better, no matter how hard I try" or "if fellow Christians, who should understand, treat me this way, where else do I go to?" But the Bible encourages us to make allowance for each other's weaknesses. "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourselves lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself" (Gal. 6:1-3). See the weakness in the life of a fellow Christian as an opportunity to use the ability of God that is in you to help him or her to become strong. Your support, in prayer or otherwise, will produce wonderful result. "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (I Peter 4:10).

###  *******************

### CHAPTER FIVE

### How to Enjoy the Grace of God

### Just as there are basic ingredients for cooking a good meal, there are basic things you must do if you want to live in the power of grace everyday of your life.

### Be Born Again

### When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you begin to grow in His knowledge until He unfolds to you your purpose in life. God will not reveal that purpose to you when you do not have a relationship with Him. Will you, as a parent, leave inheritance for a strange person and deny your legitimate child access to that which you own? Likewise, God releases His grace on those who know Him and are willing to live right. Receiving Him as Lord and Saviour qualifies you for a relationship that grants you access to His unlimited grace. "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:10).

### Stay Connected to the Source

### No branch bears fruit without being connected to the vine, because it receives nourishment from the vine. Likewise you cannot detach yourself from fellowship, prayer, Bible study, and doing the will of God and expect to live in the power of His grace, because spiritual discipline is the connection to spiritual power. "Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me" (John 15:4). Whenever you acknowledge God as the source of power for the uncommon things and breakthroughs you experience, you are opening the door for more of His grace to manifest in your life. On the contrary, whenever you fall into the temptation of seeing yourself as a superstar, you stop increasing and begin to die. This is why many ministries and businesses that began well have faded away. Jesus promised that when He is lifted up, He will draw all men unto Himself. What an easy way for us to enjoy and live in the power of His grace!

### When Peter and John saw the crowd drawing close to them in awe of the healing of the lame man at the gate of the temple, they quickly pointed the people to their source of power, in order not to get distracted and end up being disconnected. "So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people, 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers glorified his servant Jesus'" (Acts 3:12-13). This statement did not only create the consciousness of the power of God in the lives of the people, but God was also glorified. We notice that Peter and John remained in the realm of signs and wonders throughout their time because they acknowledged the power of God that was at work in their lives. Oh, what a lesson for today's Church! What we see in our time is signs and wonders being associated with men rather than God.

### Pointing to God as your source of power shows total surrender, which is an act of humility that attracts grace in the life of a person. "He gives more grace to the humble" (James 4:6, NIV). "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" (Prov. 11:2, NIV).

### Be a Servant

### Jesus illustrated servanthood when He washed the feet of his disciples in John 3:5. He told them that the secret of becoming the greatest in God's kingdom is offering service to others. One major attitude that brings God quickly to your aid is when you offer yourself in service to humanity.

### Jesus, speaking in Matthew 25:31-46, makes us understand that God is not interested in how much you have, but how much you give. He makes it clear that your service is not to man, but to Him. Proverbs 19:17, puts it so well: you are lending to God and He will pay with much interest! It is encouraging to know that when you use the seed He has put in you to bless others, He multiplies His grace until you become a greater source of blessing. I can confidently say that your ability to enjoy God's endless and matchless grace in the area of provision of any sort has to do with your willingness to use your gifts in the place of service.

### We started work in one of the mission fields in February 1994 with almost nothing in terms of provision, but God did the unusual by making the people in that community to show us unusual kindness without noticing we hadn't enough. That place was "very hard ground" and we were discouraged by people in neighbouring communities from going there but, out of a desire to obey God, we went and what we experienced was unusual. The people felt they needed to make friends with us, believing they would benefit from our stay in their midst. They spoke to one another and came in their numbers with gifts of maize, guinea corn, groundnut, yam, chicken, honey, and dry fish. Their gifts came at different times just to create friendship, but they did not know that we had nothing to live on. The gifts they brought sustained us for three months while we settled down properly. If we had not gone there, we would not have experienced the God of provision in the place of service. No wonder a hymn writer wrote:

### It pays to serve Jesus.

### I speak from my heart,

### He'll always be with us, if we do our part,

### There's naught in this wide world can pleasure afford,

### There's peace and contentment in serving the Lord.

### Apostle Paul advised Timothy to fan into flame the gift that was in him (II Tim. 1:6, NIV) because the gift could be wasted if it is not used. You fan your own gift into flame by using it to serve faithfully, and how you use it determines your increase. My prayer is for us all to grow in grace continually because there is abundant provision in the place of true service. "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exalts, in exaltation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness" (Rom. 12:6-8).

### Be Focused

### Focus is a conscious and consistent determination to get an assignment done. Every child of God is in a race, and God's grace is supplied only for that to which God has called you. Since you are designed for a particular assignment, your promotion and the favour you enjoy are tied to that assignment.

### Many times we struggle because we are in places that are not meant for us. If for instance, you have been trained to the run 100-metre race and you wake up one morning and choose to compete for 3,000 metres, you will end up struggling, with no success. Both are races but you have been trained for a particular one. If you understand that the seed in you is not the same as others, you will strive to see that your life counts, by being focused until you produce uncommon result. You cannot stay away from your place of assignment and expect to get the same result with those that are focused. Being focused makes you result-oriented. It also helps you to see every challenge from a positive perspective. Being focused reveals that you have attained a level of unshakable faith, and that you love and trust God unconditionally.

### Most times, people lose focus because of an unhealthy competitive spirit, which is a product of envy and leads to failure and frustration. Sometimes, there is a tendency for one to feel that the process is too slow and one might be tempted to deviate from one's course, but God has made provision for His grace to keep you on track. At other times, we lose out when we belittle our gifting or calling. The only way to gain experience that will make you great in life is by being focused, but that can be achieved only when you appreciate what you are called to do.

### Another cause of loss of focus is the inability to deal with critical people around you. It is very easy to give up your course when you get distracted by people that constantly tell you why you cannot be successful. You need people that not only know who you are, but are also one with you in spirit, and encourage you to move on.

### Nehemiah, for instance, was able to make it because he raised people of the same spirit around him, thus overcoming the likes of Sanbalat and Tobias. Being focused is a great weapon that destroys every distraction. Distraction steals one's dreams, but being focused keeps hope alive.

### Failure to understand the uniqueness of your calling removes your attention from the assignment and makes you place other people's calling above yours. The result of this is low achievement, spiritual burnout, and breakdown. The power of God's grace comes when you remain focused on your assignment. People can only appreciate and see value in your calling when you pay attention to it, and God will always raise those that will partner with you. Offering assistance when you have the opportunity is very important, but you must learn to strike a balance, knowing full well that you will one day give an account of what you did with your own calling. Keeping the right attitude with the right people at the right time will give you fulfillment and a safe landing.

### Stay Away From Sin

### Sin is the only thing that separates anyone from God. Going back to the old life of sin after receiving Jesus as Lord keeps you away from enjoying the fullness of the grace of God. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" (Rom. 6:1). Since God cannot dwell where sin operates, His grace can only abound where there is holiness.

###  *******************

### CHAPTER SIX

### Trial: A Necessary Tool

### I see a trial as a test that comes with unpleasant feelings. It keeps our physical, emotional or mental being in discomfort for a period of time. However, God's grace is available at such times to enable us come through the trial. Whenever God allows us to pass through trials, it is not because He wants to punish us, but to show that He has a special interest in us, as His children, and to achieve a particular purpose.

### In this Chapter, I want to dwell on the trial that God allows, not because of disobedience or ignorance, but by His own selection. Trials are, indeed, a major tool by which God multiplies His grace in your life as His child. Accepting this fact can cause fear, even without the trial proper, but undergoing trials is what marks you out for greatness. Remember, our Lord Jesus did not drink the cup of suffering because He committed any sin.

### Another Bible expression for trial is a cross. Many people wish they would not carry a cross because it is not easy. That is why Jesus said that it is only for those that want to be His disciples. "... Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me" (Mark 8:34). Before going to the Cross, Jesus was sorrowful and deeply distressed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He prayed that the cup of suffering would be taken away, unless it was necessary. He confessed that His spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. However, in total submission to His Father he declared, "... yet not as I will but as you will" (Matt. 26:39).

### It is true that you suffer emotionally and physically when you go through trials, but if you give attention to the flesh you will not yield to the Spirit. God never allows trials in the life of a believer without a reason. Many people that have gone through one trial or the other successfully will testify of better fellowship with God, which has granted them the grace to strengthen others who are going through similar experiences. The secret is to allow God to work in and through you.

### While on earth, Jesus suffered hunger and persecution, and eventually died a shameful death on the Cross, for the sins of the world. He says you must take up your cross and follow Him, our perfect example. May the Holy Spirit teach you to understand that you are an instrument in God's hand and whatever He allows in your life is working out for your good. Remember that He has promised never to leave you, nor forsake you. A trial is a time to die to self until the seed planted in you by God produces abiding fruit. "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed but if it dies, it produces many seeds" (John 12:24, NIV). For any seed to grow, it must break though the soil. Your heart is like soil, and trials bring it to the place of brokenness for the grace of God to be manifested in your life.

### Until you get to the point of walking with God without looking back, especially in times of trial, you are not ready to live in the power of His grace. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust him..." (Job 13:15). God boasted of Job before his trial and celebrated him after the experience. What will your story be? Will it be said that you won or that you lost? Remember that Job passed the test. Whenever there is trial, it is very important what occupies your mind before and during that time. The trial reveals how much of the Word of God you have in you, and the attitude of your heart. Using God's word appropriately is the only way to overcome self pity and every form of distraction including self defeat.

### Remember the experience of Jesus in the wilderness, as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11. He fasted for forty days and the devil never showed up until the end of the fast, when Jesus was "hungry." This word signifies a vacuum that needed to be filled, and the substance that Jesus used was the Word of God that already saturated his heart. Just as the devil did not show up until Jesus was hungry, so also he waits until your trial is becoming unbearable, and then he comes with all manner of suggestions, intending to take you down the path of defeat; but God expects you to stand unshakable through His grace until you are celebrated.

### Count yourself privileged when you are chosen by God to pass through trial because it is for good. It is usually for those He can trust. Therefore, do not betray Him, but rather ask for the grace to stand. Failing God in times of trial is a sign of cowardice or great weakness, but we are called upon to be strong in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10). May the trial you are going through cause you to have a better understanding of God and create greater intimacy with Him, so that like Paul, you can boast of God's strength that shows up best in weakness. Just as gold is unattractive until it is refined by fire, your life will never be a shining light until you pass through that trial successfully. Your beauty is hidden in the trials that God allows you to experience. "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trails, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2-4).

### We mentioned earlier that God would never allow you to go through a trial without a reason. Below are some reasons why God allows trials.

### You are Loved and Called according to God's Purpose

### God sees good coming out of a situation before allowing it (Rom. 8:28). It was when I started going through trials that I began to get closer to God and, gradually He unfolded to me why He called me into missions. Today my passion for the work is greater than ever. In the course of one's trials, it is quite difficult to see the good that God intends. This is because God, at times, keeps the best for the last. But as you keep on trusting, He will bring His work in you to a perfect end.

### God Attaches Value to your Relationship with Him

### It was painful for Abraham to obey God when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac. His ability to surrender drew God's attention, and God said, "Because you have done this thing... blessing I will bless you" (Gen. 22:15-17). May God grant you the grace to use the trials you go through as an opportunity to draw his attention in such a way that you will be commended. Going through trials successfully restructures and beautifies you on the inside and makes the outer beauty inevitable.

### God Requires Total Dependence on Him

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Spending years in the mission field, where we had no friends or relations and nowhere to seek for help, taught us to depend on God for health, protection, food, etc. Through the experience, we were able to bear some fruit, for which I can look back on with thanks to God.

### God wants you to see your helplessness without His help. The moment you abandon yourself to Him, the trial becomes easier because He is the burden bearer. Your dependence on Him during trials magnifies Him.

### God Wants to Perfect, Establish, Strengthen and Settle You

### In my walk with God, I have gone through a number of trials and I always come out stronger than ever. One of such trials, apart from the ones earlier mentioned, was the brief illness and death of my husband. A sister visited the hospital while he was sick and, looking at me, said, "You have gone through a lot. You lost your Mum early in life, laboured in the mission field for a long time, lost your only son in a strange land, and your Dad not too long ago." Little did she know that the same day a doctor had told me that my husband was not likely to survive. My response was slow but I told her that God only wanted to know if the grace He gave me was being put to use. My husband did not survive, in spite of our prayers, but I have learnt a lot from the experience. We should learn to see the challenges we go through as a demand that God is placing on the deposit of grace He has made in our lives, bearing in mind that there is a time to receive and a time to give. Trials are one of the means employed by God to show His presence in the life of a person that carries His grace, and He expects such a person to show that He is in charge. Do not make too big a deal out of your trials because that can stop the Holy Spirit from perfecting His work in you. "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you" (1Pet. 5:10).

### No matter the intensity of the trial you go through, do all you can to face it with the right attitude because it is an opportunity to glorify God in your life. It comes to make you stronger, not weaker. You need it to grow in knowledge and wisdom if you must move from where you are, forward or upward. Glorifying God in the season of trials is a powerful key that opens doors. Bear this in mind: before every great door lies a giant; without Goliath, David would not have been proven, and without the prison, Joseph would have remained a slave. See that person or situation that poses a challenge to you as one sent into your life to help you build character and intimacy with God and make you a better person. Instead of considering it as an enemy, treat it as a necessary tool that will bring you to where God has prepared for you. You can only get to your goal when you allow the grace of God to manifest in you.

### I can testify that I am a better Christian than I was some years ago and, since the trials I faced did not kill me, I am certain that you will also come out of your trials a better person. I remain forever grateful to God for taking me through the path He set for me and for bringing me to where I am today. I can testify that instead of trials making me bitter, they made me better. To God be the glory now and forever.

### From the little I have experienced, I have come to realise that in times of trials, a number of things happen and, if you are not sensitive, you may find it difficult to position yourself for victory. This is because you can be so fragile and gullible that the enemy takes advantage of you. I discovered four categories of people that showed up at one point or the other in my times of trial and, if you have gone through trial of any sort, you will agree with me that these categories of people have also featured in your life. They are as follows:

### Helpers of Destiny

### Helper of destiny are people that take up your burden personally and stand in the place of prayer and encouragement, rendering any assistance they can, just to see that you are able to stand or find some relief. I discovered that many times they come by divine arrangement. Many of the ones I encountered were people I had never met previously and they were sent by God to fulfill their God-appointed role in my life by making the burden easier. These divine helpers do not see you as a burden, but rather they feel blessed to identify with you. The life of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37 is an example. He met a Jew he had not known before, who had been beaten and wounded by robbers, and was lying helpless by the roadside until he came and helped him and made sure he got necessary attention. The narrative records that fellow Jews had passed by the wounded man. This is to tell you that it is not everyone you know that will come to your aid, but only the ones sent to you by God.

### Another name for helpers of destiny is light bearers. I so name them because God used them in dark moments of my life when hope was almost lost. They are God's agents of comfort and change and once you are bent on handling your situation in the light of His Word, He uses people in ways you least expect to bring you out and, in the process, make your life shine. God will always lead you to where you will find help, from people you know or do not know. I advise that you identify such people through prayer.

### Caring Pretenders

### These are a wonderful set of people that usually come as good friends. They seem to show concern after they have made observations, analysed the situation from a distance and made conclusions. When you meet them, they claim to understand the situation better than you expect, by showing concern in subtle ways. If you are not careful to discern, you may think they truly care, and may expose yourself until you become helpless, when they must have made the situation worse. They will not only expose and expand the wound, but will also make you a subject of reproach, even to people that do not know you in person. Before you realise it, everyone would be seeking for an opportunity to meet you because of what they have heard, and not because they want to help. My refusal to give such people an opportunity to carry out any form of mischief made them angry and ashamed. The best they could do was to avoid me. Instead of making me a laughing stock, they felt ridiculed.

### The reactions and utterances you make in times of trial can be used as materials that will keep and build you or as weapons that will destroy you beyond repair until you go down to the grave. Your posture can welcome or put pretenders away, but the choice is yours. "Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you"(Prov. 2:11).

### Sharing with others what you're going through is sometimes necessary, but also realize that you cannot share with everyone. Be led by the Spirit of God because some of these masquerades who appear as "friends" are not necessary. Therefore, "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1Pet. 5:8).

### Despisers

### This group is mostly made up of people you have known as friends, relations, even as brethren in the Church, and sometimes people you have offered help when they needed it at some point in their lives. However, because things are no longer as they used to be for you, they tend to see you as a burden, forgetting that it is a phase that will one day come to an end. Most of the times they will not speak out, but their silent attitude speaks words like these: "When the going was good for you, we needed you but now that it is bad; please handle your problem. We'll meet when you are out of your mess." Proverbs 14:20 says, "The poor is hated even by his own neighbor, but the rich has many friends." It takes the grace of God for one to live in the midst of such people and still cope with life. Job, for instance, was everybody's friend when the going was good, but where were his many friends when God was testing him?

### Whenever God gives you the opportunity to help people, do it without expecting anything from them. It is best for you to see God as your Rewarder so that when people fail, you can stand and say, like Job, "I know that my redeemer lives" (Job 19:25). When God restored Job, his erstwhile despisers all gathered. By the same token, when God visits you, many who have despised you will come to you. We live in a world of materialism and people identify with success and wealth, even when they are ill-gotten. God's grace is available for now and for the future; so draw from it and live beyond that challenge into a life full of hope, peace and dignity.

### Grave Diggers

### Grave diggers are people that make you live in perpetual pain and bitterness. They take advantage of your condition and make you see them as loving and committed towards you, and you may not realise that they are a greater source of pain. They come on a satanic mission and often look out for places where negative things are being discussed about you. Unfortunately, many of us embrace and entertain such people and may even place them on some kind of payroll, and may not realise that we are actually investing in our own pain and destruction until they have filled our lives with all kinds of trouble. They leave you poorer in health, in finance, and even spiritually, than they met you.

### This set of messengers carry a certificate popularly called, "Pull Him Down" or "Pull Her Down" (PhD). If you call them sadists you may not be far from the truth because they never add value to your life, but only reduce you to nothing, if they can. Your joy is their pain and your pain is their gain. All you need is wisdom to identify them and the grace to place them where they belong. Do not get carried away by the outward appearance of people in your season of trial, but allow the grace of God to help you identify and walk with those that will build you up. Unless you do that, people will cause your heart to be filled with bitterness and malice, which can lead to trauma. If you have such a heart, you cannot see God, and you cannot put the blame on the people you met on the journey of life. It is important that you see God in the midst of the every trying situation; else, you miss your goal in life.

### I remember a day I received a call from someone asking me to meet a brother and hear what they had discussed about my husband. As he began to mention some of the things, I asked if any of them had called my husband or taken a little time to pray for him, or they only ran him down and devoured him with words, but there was no reply. I brought the discussion to an end by telling him not to talk about what he could not pray about. I also made known to him that I don't go to places without a purpose, that I have stopped listening to things that run me or others down, and that I have since decided to select the people I surround myself with, and to avoid people who are not after the well-being of others and whose stock-in-trade is to pull others down. Moreover, none of the people that the caller mentioned ever gave me a call or even paid me a visit in over five years.

### Imagine what would have happened if I had exhausted my energy on such people? Would I have had time to pray and wait patiently on God to turn the situation around? From experience, I have come to realise that people spend more time listening to bad news than good news. This creates a troubled or traumatised mind, and makes it is so difficult for one to lay down the burden and concentrate in the place of prayer. One of the quickest ways to die physically is by listening to negative things from people, especially about yourself or someone close to you. Though it is true that you cannot avoid this completely, you can choose to have a positive mind-set by dwelling on the good points of others, instead of turning your ears and heart into a trash bin of unnecessary affliction. Sometimes, what people say helps you to take precaution but listening to negative reports too often can make you sick. "A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones" (Prov. 17:2). "Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones" (Prov. 16:24). It is therefore necessary to ask yourself what unpleasant words have done (or are doing) to your soul and your health.

### The negative things you hear, speak or think have a way of affecting your prayers and progress in life. God's intention is for you to show a positive attitude that will announce His greatness. Will you continue to allow your spirit to be crushed until you sit on a wheelchair of disappointment, pain and bitterness as a result of the activities of ungodly agents?

### Being a believer does not give you immunity from pains caused by trials, but God's grace will help you go through them and make you see more of His ability and less of the situation until you overcome. The good news I have for you is that the abundance of God's grace is wrapped in that adverse situation. Like Paul, choose to make your boast in the Lord, who is able to make you strong (Gal. 6:14). Consider trials as a platform for the seed planted in you by God to find a means of germinating, maturing and bearing fruit that will make your life attractive.

### God desires fruitfulness in the life of every believer. That is why John 15:2 says, "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." The pruning process is often in form of trials, and it is meant to showcase the grace of God in your life, which will in turn bring many souls to Him.

###  *******************

### CHAPTER SEVEN

### Questions You Need To Ask

### There is nothing wrong with asking questions when you don't seem to understand why you have to undergo trials. Just ensure that such questions are helpful, if you must go through the trial with the right attitude. I am standing today as a result of several questions I asked in my times of trial, some of which I share in the following sections.

### Why Me and What is This All About?

### It is human for you to search within yourself to and find out why you are going through a trial. If it is by divine selection, you will not only find peace, but grace to go through it. "... The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son" (Heb. 12:6, NIV). As a result of asking questions, I got to realise that God does not make mistakes in allowing me to go through trials. I now have a better understanding of God's grace and can encourage those passing through similar situations. Instead of asking, "Why me?" I now rather ask, "If not me, who else should it be?" I want you to realise that many times, it is difficult to understand why it has to be you. The answer comes gradually, with time.

### How can my life be an example and not a burden?

"Nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labour and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you" (2 Thess. 3:8). These words of Paul show that there are areas of life you should handle with maturity, and not put the entire burden on others, even though at times you may seek for help. No matter your condition in life, you have something to offer. Therefore, never feel that when you are going through trials, you only need people to support you. Make your life count, even in difficult moments, by reaching out to others. I have realised that everyone has one challenge or the other in life; it is only that people's challenges may be different. So instead of completely depending on people, I have sought for little ways I could also be of help to others, as much as possible, and that has hastened my recovery.

### Am I the First to Have this Kind of Challenge?

### Go through the Word and make a list of those that have gone through similar situations, and be encouraged. "Resist him (the devil), standing firm in the faith because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering" (1Pet. 5:9, NIV). Never allow Satan to steal your joy because you are not alone in this journey of life. Having this understanding kept me from loneliness, regret and self pity.

### How did Those Before Me Handle Their Situations?

### People have gone through every kind of situation in life. Making efforts to know how others handled their challenges is helpful. Prayerfully contact a few persons to ask questions and seek advice. The Scriptures say that in the mouth of two or three witnesses a matter is established. Select people that will build you up, and make good use of their advice. Visit godly people with a wealth of experience and never live in isolation when there are people that understand your case and can offer some help. Being with such people built confidence and strength and kept hope alive in me. "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety" (Prov. 11:14). Remember that although the counsel of other people is important, your greatest companion and guide is the Word of God, which is ever true and gives solution to every situation in life.

### What Kind of People did Those Before Me Relate with?

### The company you keep is the key to your success or failure. The people that surround you are an integral part of your life. If there is a time you need good and reasonable people who are strong in Christ, it is during trials and, the moment you locate them, your life will begin to change for the better (Ps. 1:1-6). Everyone is important but every situation needs specific people. As such, keeping the right company in times of trial will keep your life on track and make you a victor, instead of a victim. I have stood and overcome by reason of the people I related with.

### What was the Attitude of Those Before Me?

### Your attitude, to a large extent, determines whether you are successful or not, and when your faith is not commended by God, it is an indication that you have allowed the situation to overpower you. Recognise, however, that God's desire is for you to be a winner, even if you don't get what you are trusting him for. "These were commended for their faith, yet none of them received what they had been promised" (Heb. 11:39, NIV).

### Never allow Satan to make you live in fear and regret when you can derive strength from the testimony and lives of others who have gone through similar experiences. For instance, if your trial is in the form of loss, ask yourself, "what about Job who lost all his children, wealth, and the confidence of friends and a dear wife?"

### Is your trial in the form of danger and loneliness? Think of David, who moved from one cave, mountain, hill and valley to the other for thirteen years because King Saul was restlessly seeking for his life. At a point, his followers tried to kill him, for no fault of his, and he was left alone, but he encouraged himself in the Lord (1 Sam 3:1-8). Even if you are left alone, there is something you can do to move on. Just encourage yourself in the Lord!

### If your trial comes through leadership, learn from Deborah, who was a wife, a mother, a judge, a Prophet and a warrior (Judges 4:1-23) and yet she succeeded!

### Is your trial in the form of widowhood? Consider Anna, who spent the most fruitful years of her life in the service of God, without giving in to the temptation of adultery or idleness (Luke 2:36-38).

### If you are being persecuted or rejected, be encouraged by Paul, who suffered all manner of hardship, yet was victorious (1 Cor. 4:11-13). Daniel was thrown into the lions' den, but he survived. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown in the fiery furnace, but were not scorched (Dan. 3:1-20, 6:13-24).

### Are you going through poverty? Lazarus went through the same trial, but he never took shortcuts or told lies to make it (Luke 16:20-21). Remember the Widow of Zarephat, who though very poor, could share her last meal with the Prophet (1 Kings 17:8-16). Can you give out the last bit of your resources when there is no hope of getting replenishment from elsewhere? Both Lazarus and the Widow did not allow their situations to give them reason to steal or covet. Wouldn't you rather wait for God's timing, even when it seems difficult, than cheat or take shortcuts and disown your God in the process?

### Are you struggling with immorality? Ask Joseph, who saw all the wonderful reward that would follow being a bedmate to his Master's wife, yet he fled from the temptress in order not to sin against his Master and God. His choice had dire consequences – imprisonment and the loss of his privileges as a favoured slave – but he chose to stand with God (Gen. 37:7-13). His victory in the trial was a manifestation of the grace of God in his life.

### Beloved, do not allow the trial you are going through to give you reason to fall because you have silent admirers who are counting on you as you go through this phase of life. Please, do not let them down and do not let God down, either.

### How you handle your trial is a model to others. Many people are lost and weary in the journey of life, but you can make a difference in their lives. Your attitude can affect your eternity because you are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1). Remain strong, no matter the magnitude of your trial. The Bible is replete with the expression "and it shall come to pass" as well as the expression "and it came to pass". This means that one day your trial will be a story and generations after you will hear it and be encouraged, but only if you choose to finish strong.

### Never forget that you are somebody's mentor, directly or indirectly. You will discover some of the many people you mentor here on earth, but others you will only know in eternity. Therefore, do not give in to the temptation of quitting. I never knew that a lot of people were watching my life until I met a number of them. Just as a ship builder builds ships to withstand storms, God created you with the capacity to withstand trials and to show forth His grace; and just as the ship proves what it is made of in times of storm, so also your life proves what God has deposited in you during trials. You can rest assured that when He allows trials, He will sustain you. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all" (Ps. 34:19). "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Cor. 10:13). Since divine provision has been made available before every temptation, and God calls temptation "common", why would you give in to it? Use God's provision called "grace" to overcome the trials that seem unbearable now, until your life becomes a testimony.

###  *******************

### CHAPTER EIGHT

### More Experiences to Share

### I have had experiences that have given me confidence in what God can do in times of difficulty. Many of the experiences I had came unexpectedly, but they have built me up spiritually and have become indelible in my memory, such that I cannot deny that God was at work. I bless God for my experiences on the mission field.

### Many times, we wonder why we go through certain experiences in life, but I want you to know that they come to prepare us for future challenges. They help us to confront other adverse situations, depending on the kind of assignment God has ahead of us. Since God knows what each of us is made of, He takes each person through a specific road that will take them to the place of discovery. I see every experience as an advantage and a sign of many opportunities yet to come. Each experience is an avenue for training that equips you with skills and builds your spiritual muscles to the point that you can live without fear. God uses your experiences for your good, whether they are positive or not (Rom. 8: 28).

### David, for example, had many encounters that prepared him for future battles and eventually took him to the place of power. Those situations strengthened him against intimidation, to the extent that he said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (1 Sam. 17:34-36).

### David's experience of facing wild animals in the field without human help prepared him for a manifestation of God's grace in his later life. In the same way, the secret battles you fight and win against sin and hardship of different kinds will bring you to the limelight at the time you least expect. For God to glorify Himself, a need will arise that only the experience you have had can bring a solution to. Therefore, hold on and hold out because your experience is the machinery for your manifestation.

### Just as most employers select workers based on their skills and years of experience in order to add value to their organisations, God will not give you an assignment that you are not trained for. The training He allows you to go through now is building in you the grace that will make you useful to the kingdom. Should God choose to train you "on the job", as I was, count it a unique privilege.

### I had never imagined having close contact with a snake, much less a dangerous one like the viper. The day after we arrived at Kaudad village, a very big viper was killed beside our hut. We did not notice there was a rat hole in our room until few days later when another viper appeared right inside the room. As we tried to get something to kill it, my husband saw it enter the hole and disappear. He then used mud to seal the place, but we had to live with the nightmare of sleeping in the same building with a dangerous snake!

### Three days after, while sleeping at night, we heard something scratching frantically on the wall, and we woke up. As soon as we put on the light, we saw a large black scorpion very close to Niri, our daughter of six months. Although we killed it, I could not sleep again until morning, as that was my first time of seeing such a giant scorpion. Thereafter the horrible encounter with snakes and scorpions became a daily affair instead of abating and we began to carry sticks everywhere we went, a habit about which people in the community often made fun of us!

### Two weeks after the scorpion incident in our room, my husband went to Jalingo for a meeting, with the intention of returning the same evening. A few hours after he left, I began to have a headache. I thought it would stop after some time, but it became excruciating. I waited in vain for my husband's return and when it became dark I had to shut the door. Three things happened to me that night. First, I was worried about my husband's whereabouts and safety. Secondly, I did not know how to cope with our baby since I was ill. The last and the most horrible was the memory of the snake that entered the hole in the wall of our room a few days after our arrival. This made me imagine the possible appearance of another viper or black scorpion in the room. In short, my eyes were wide open until morning. I was really traumatised and I could not pray. But when I saw that I was worsening the situation by worrying, I asked God to take over.

### After two days, my husband walked into the house looking sick. I asked him what happened and he said he got sick after the meeting and someone assisted him to a clinic, and so he could not come home that day. He came with some pain relievers, but more importantly, we prayed. A few days later we both got well.

### I realized that I had tougher experiences when my husband was away on assignments than when he was around. Almost every time he travelled, either one or both of our children would be sick, or there would be an encounter with a snake or scorpion. One day when he was away, Lydia, the thirteen-year-old girl who was living with us, went to ease herself around 7.00pm. I had always warned that anyone moving around in the evening must use a torch, but on that particular day, she went out in the dark while I was with a colleague who was a medical missionary in charge of our small dispensary. Suddenly, we heard a shout and Lydia ran in and said that something like an ant had bitten her, but as I flashed the torch light on her leg, blood was gushing from it. The visiting missionary said it was a snake bite and as he stepped out to look around, there was a viper close to the bathroom, and he killed it. We were concerned about how to handle the situation. Our visitor immediately tied the leg, cut the spot with a blade and pressed it. Two sharp snake teeth were removed. I hadn't enough money to take Lydia to hospital in Jalingo and, even if I had, there was no vehicle to use and there was no access road. It was in July, when every stream and river was filled up; people found it difficult to move in and out of the village until the end of September, when the rains would have reduced.

### There was no anti-snake venom in the dispensary, but we had anti-tetanus toxide, so we agreed in prayer, asking God to let his power flow through it as Lydia took it. I couldn't sleep for days, but prayed for God's mercy, especially at the thought of what to tell Lydia's parents, who were in Koma Hills, a far distance from Kona in Taraba State. The leg became badly swollen and I became more and more worried.

### Usually, anyone bitten by a viper was expected to die after three days, but it was not so with Lydia. While the whole community waited to see her swell up and bleed to death, God perfected his miracle in spite of the discouraging words that almost everyone had spoken to us. We nursed the deep wound until she became well. Fear came upon the whole community because such a thing was unheard of in their midst. Such miraculous events bring praise and glory to God before people. Initially, they have their own conclusions based on human calculations and with no recognition of what our great God can do, but at the end they bow to His power and Lordship.

### Another time, my husband travelled from Gwam in Niger State with our daughter, while I stayed home. At night, I heard a strange sound in the room. It was so loud that I couldn't sleep. Looking round, I did not see anything, but the noise did not stop. Having had horrible experiences in other places, I had to be strong. I knew it was not a physical thing and I called upon God to help me. Suddenly the place became quiet and I could sleep. Early in the morning, an elderly woman from the neighborhood knocked at the door and I opened it. She stood there with a stern expression on her face and looked into my eyes and said, "Good morning." I answered and she walked away immediately. I wondered what she had come to do. The first thought that came to my mind was to move to town immediately in order to avoid another sleepless night, but I wondered for how long I would keep doing that. Eventually I made up my mind to stay. Although my family returned after a week, I did not experience such a thing again while they were away.

### When you stand alone in times of trial and go through successfully, especially when people test and prove the power of God in you, you become more dependable. It is at such points in time that you receive full revelation and assurance of the assignment that God has for you. This is something you can hardly receive in the midst of the crowd. At times you just have to be alone. Remember that the ministry of Jesus began after his encounter with Satan in the wilderness, when he overcame temptation that came to him in a place of loneliness, hunger and thirst, with no one around him to even talk to.

### Life in the mission field was full of ups and downs. In one of the villages, I discovered a lifestyle that I can best describe as "the Stone Age". When we arrived there, the only grinding mill in the community was bad and women were using stones to grind their corn before preparing their meals every day. Initially, some of the women offered to help me, but for how long could they continue to help? It was one experience that took quite a while for me to adjust to, but God helped me. After some time, the mill was repaired.

### In another field, I encountered a shocking attitude that gave me serious concern. In that place, many parents went to farms in distant locations without leaving food for their children. I kept seeing hungry children around, so I became curious and spoke with some of them. I found out that their parents usually made local beer (burukutu) to take to the farm. After sieving the beer, they left very little for the children, and some parents asked their children to squeeze the chaff and drink whatever they could get out of it and wait until evening when food would be prepared. Though it was hard to believe, we saw it happen.

### Whenever the hungry children saw smoke rising from our house they gathered around to play until the food I was cooking was ready. Initially I thought they wanted to keep us company, only to realise that they were coming for food. It was quite difficult to share the little we had with a large number of children. This experience helped me develop compassion and the ability to share, no matter how little we had – and we hardly had enough! Whenever we went to town and there was money, we would buy biscuits to share out to the children from time to time. God used our stay in that community to help me, in particular, to grow in the grace of giving.

### During the rainy season, the primary school, in which the headmaster was the only teacher apart from the religious instructor, was normally closed so that the older children and the teachers could go to farm. I seized the opportunity to teach the younger ones at home, and a Bible Club started from those sessions.

### The initial period of our stay in the mission field was characterised by toiling without fruit, amidst loneliness, hostility and lack. It was so discouraging that I woke up around 1.00am one night, wondering if it was worth living in such a place when we could as well go back and evangelise our relations. The hot weather was enough for me to complain about, having come from a place with cooler weather. This was made worse by the fact that the houses were built without windows!

### We opened the Kona mission field in February 1994 with twenty-five naira, which was all our savings. Life became so tough that I began to complain against our continuous stay in that community. Each time I suggested our returning to Jos, I remembered the clear message I received in November 1990, while I was still single, when the Lord spoke to me during a Church service and said that He would send me to some remote areas of Nigeria as a missionary to people I did not know. My husband always told me that if the work in Koma Hills could succeed, then this too was possible. Life in Koma had also been tough but it was a bit easier because others had gone ahead of us and paved the way. But we went as pioneers to this community and that was a big challenge.

### To prove that God was deeply involved in what we were going through, the letters we were receiving from brethren always serve as a source of encouragement to us. We cherished the letters so much that we could go over them again and again as long as we did not get new ones. One day my husband decided to trek the eight kilometers to town just to check the mail box. There was a letter from a Sister in Lagos asking him to meet one of the bank managers in town and collect the sum of twenty-five thousand naira. He collected the money and did a lot of shopping. That night we could not sleep because we had encountered Jehovah Jireh in a very distinct way. And from that time on, whenever we ran short of supply, we cast our minds back to what God did earlier and before we knew it, doors were opening for more provision.

### The first time my husband requested for a piece of land from the village head to farm rice, he gave him a very bad place, knowing full well that it was infertile and may not yield anything. Some people that saw the place were displeased and wanted to offer us their own land, but we went ahead and cultivated the village head gave us. We planted two measures of rice and harvested two full bags. When the village head saw the miracle, he decided to take back the land and farm it the following year, but he harvested just a few measures of rice after planting about four measures! One of our friends, who was also close to the village head, gave us a bigger place. We planted nine measures of rice and harvested about nine bags were. We became a force to be reckoned with and the Lord continued to increase us. This put the fear of God in the villagers, to an extent.

### Afterwards, many of the people became our friends and life became sweeter. Some of them offered to help us on the farm without being paid, but we decided to place them on an allowance. We became rich farmers and employed more people to work for us, which built a better relationship. In all our years in that community, we reaped a hundred fold. We commanded much respect because we could meet the physical needs of the villagers, both young and old. Some of them gave their lives to Christ.

### I usually finished cooking before 6.00pm so we could hold discipleship classes, which used to be twice a week from 6.00pm to 7.30pm. We served everyone dinner before we rounded up. One evening, it rained so heavily that none of the people came. When we finished eating, I cleared the plates and was about to lift the food flask when I saw some things moving underneath it like earth worms. Looking closely, I saw that they were five tiny snakes, right in our room! My husband and I stared at each other, wondering how they all came in and hid at the same place. My husband started killing them, then suddenly, an elderly man living next to our house walked in and asked what was happening. After being told, he said "They are too small; why do you have to kill them?" I had never heard a thing like that and I was really shocked. He angrily left to his house and eventually became quite unfriendly.

### As far as I am concerned, hard experiences are meant for great people because they result in great visions. If you are chosen to face hard experiences, it means you are special, because Satan does not go against nobodies.

### Whenever the enemy comes to distract you from what God is doing in your life, remind him of where you are coming from and where you are going to, by constantly recalling the victorious experiences you have had. It may just be a word the Lord has spoken to you, or, like Isaiah, you may have had a personal touch of God's presence. "In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple" (Isaiah 6:1). Isaiah had received messages from God and given messages to God's people, but when he personally encountered God, he became a different man and the experience gave him a greater vision that was sustained to the end of his ministry.

### Never lose sight of the encounters you have had in the past, even when all you can see is darkness, because such experiences are like torch lights that keep your path shining. They make you see possibilities instead of defeat. "... Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (Habakkuk 2:3). Every experience that God brings your way comes to make you strong and build up your faith in the God of all possibilities. Instead of drawing back or giving up, allow His grace to give you a new song that will keep hope alive while you wait for the fulfillment of what you are expecting.

### Whenever you have any experience that brings fear or discouragement to you, sit down, meditate and write down your vision and read it aloud repeatedly. Encourage yourself and, like Habakkuk, declare, "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls – yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

### Mature sons of God are proven through experiences of life and that is what differentiates them from immature believers. God's grace grants you the ability to cause a definite change in the environment you find yourself until people's attention is drawn to the greatness of your God. Daniel's ability to do what was humanly impossible – explaining and interpreting a dream – made King Nebuchadnezzar to fall prostrate before him and to honour him. He ordered that an offering and incense be presented to Daniel. "The king answered Daniel, and said, 'truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret' " (Dan. 2:46-47). May God use the experiences you go through to reveal the mysteries of His grace. Apostle Paul crowns it by saying, "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God" (Rom. 8:19). God's revelation of who you are in Him through experiences of various sorts gives you strength to pull down every argument and imagination that exalts itself above the knowledge and the power of God. I urge you to ask him for great encounters that will transform you and your generation.

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###  Conclusion

### Do you feel worn out and that you have come to the end of the road in your trials? Take some time out, recall how you received Jesus as Lord and Saviour, remember the joy that overwhelmed your spirit and ask God to restore the joy of that day. Then begin to press on the upward way until you gain new heights that will plant your feet on solid ground.

### The purpose of God for allowing you to have various experiences is for you to get to a perfect end. For any raw material to be used in production, the quality has to be tested. The experience you are going through is the test of the quality of your faith. In difficult and discouraging moments, God's presence is always with you and having him as your partner grants you the strength to ignore the storms and smile away your fears. Remember to trust and call upon God to give you songs in the night (Job 35:10).

### Once again, let me pray with you the prayer in II Cor. 13:14: "May the grace or ability of our Lord Jesus Christ to withstand every form of challenge without giving the enemy a foothold, the love of God the Father that is able to keep you from falling, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, your faithful partner, ever true and never changing in all situations, be with you at all times. Amen" (Emphasis mine).

### I leave you with these words: the Word of God did not say that with God all things are easy, but "with God, all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26). The road may be rough for you right now but with God, it is possible to walk through as though it was a smooth path. Be assured that His grace is sufficient to carry you through. Therefore, lay aside your human ability and depend on God's grace because He owns the times and seasons. He will make all things beautiful in His time and, at last, give you beauty for ashes. Learn to live in the power of grace that is supplied for you each day because there is a special package of victory ahead for you.

### Peace be unto you!

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### About the Author

### Delmwa has served the Lord as a field missionary in the past twenty- three years. Alongside her husband, the late Reverend Dung Bot, she served in remote areas of North East and North Central Nigeria from 1992 to 2010.

### In 2014, she pioneered the Bethesda Missionary Children's Centre, a ministry born out of a passion for needy rural missionary children. Its vision is to relieve rural missionaries that work where basic facilities for their children's education are lacking.

### Delmwa is a worship leader and a song writer, and is blessed with two daughters, Niri and Renuyel.

