UNFAMILIAR PATHS & UNFAMILIAR RESULT

Hearing the voice of God is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me in this life #Smiling.
The joy to say “The Holy Spirit spoke to me” is amazing.

As interesting as this is, what I found so funny is when I receive an unfamiliar instruction, that reaction of questioning my spirit like “Is this truly the Lord speaking to me” which I don’t count necessary on familiar matters.

Let me paint you a scenario. The Holy Spirit just nudges your heart to call up someone and pray for the person. This doesn’t really cost you so much to do. With all joy, an average believer would do this without questioning God for final confirmation. Then the same way you receive this seemingly simple instruction, the Lord says to you to pack your bags from NYSC and go to a particular village to start a mission work. Now, this type of instruction looks like “God sure needs to give me time to process this before I can obey” #Smiling.
Well, Sometimes He does and He doesn’t.

The story of the walk out of the Israelites from Egypt to the promised Land is one of the Bible passages that so impacted my life as a teenager. You could even read and be angry with their rebellion, disbelief, Mentality…a bunch of difficult people like that. The truth is many of us act like the Israelites sometimes.

See, walking through the parted red Sea is being led through an unfamiliar path. Like I said sometimes you don’t have the luxury of time to really think through the instruction.
What do you do when God is leading you to do what is not popular or common? What happens after your obedience and you’re faced with plenty difficulties? #Smiling

Exod.14.22 – So the people of Israel walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!

Oh my goodness. This is not cheap. It takes a trusting in God to lift a feet. Walls of water on each side! #Eyebalsrolling
No history of any people before them walking through the sea.
And these people have the option of just surrendering to the Egyptian #Jejely and return to Egypt to keep eating their Cucumber, Garlic, Onions, & Sleeks. They’re so familiar with all those not to crash and waste in the middle of the sea.

This message is for someone who has been led to do something not so familiar, here’s your word. At this Junction the Lord needs you to TRUST HIM. There’s more to this first step. There’s more to your first step!!!

I am inspired to share this story.

There was a pastor who was a missionary to a remote village. He has a family and few members with struggling Families. Offering was nothing to write home about yet bulk of it goes to welfare of the members. Frustration sets in as he couldn’t afford to pay the church rent and utility bills. The church was at the verge of being closed down.

One night, the Lord held him up from sleeping. He decided to take a walk through his compound. The weather changes and he stood still watching what would follow. Suddenly rain started and he watched as the water refreshes the grasses in the compound. He saw life in the leaves. #Fiam
He picked the impression. Joyfully, he ran back into the room and told his wife the Lord has spoken to him about the secret to their financial struggles. He is starting farming. He felt God was leading him to plant tomatoes. I found this so interesting too.

God ministers to our core needs beyond our understanding. At the surface it looks like his major need was money but God knows better.

To cut the long story short, he applied for a loan, his few church members turned labourers and the tomato planting was a success.

This waiting started. After the planting, rain wouldn’t fall. He waited, prayed and cried yet no rain.

But how come God didn’t send rain? Was He not the one who inspired him to start a tomato farm?

Yes, God did.

Most times, the blows that confront you isn’t an indication that you are not led. The proof of your obedience is obedience and not the result.

The tomato wriggled through by irrigation (they fetched water to wet the plant daily)

This rain finally started unexpectedly. I’m sure everybody thought it was going to be a mild rain but it turned out torrential. The pastor and his members jumped on the field and started to harvest the ripe and unripe tomatoes. It was a long thing. The rain was beating and bursting the tomatoes.

The most interesting part of this movie titled “All Saints” was how all the neighbors in the community arose to his aid. The Sheriff supplied him their vehicles flashing the headlights on for light on the neighbors helping him to harvest so the rain doesn’t wash all the tomatoes away.

God! But why? You led him to plant tomatoes? Why didn’t you send rain much earlier? And after all the troubles, why send torrential rain when all he needs was mild rain? I felt bad o.

After they got all the baskets of tomatoes they could get, he hired a vehicle to transport the crops to the stores for sale. Unfortunately, the police flagged them down for whatever reason and wouldn’t release them till next morning.

Lo and behold, all the tomatoes yaf spoilt. #Laughing. #DontBeEmotional

This is what I call frustration of the highest order.

Then, when he thought all his hope was lost, he wakes up one morning and saw this crowd at his door. #ImLaughing

God gave him the GIFT OF MEN. Everybody who played a part in the tomato saga! #Laughing
Tomato saga announced him and his Ministry. He was blessed with PEOPLE. God cracked my rib. All the tomato farming was a plot to draw people to pastor! Wow

“I don’t think the way you think.
The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.” Isaiah 55:8-11 MSG

When You are led through an unfamiliar path and confronted with unfamiliar result, Chill, God is playing out His awesomeness. The proof of your obedience is obedience. Just Trust. You are doing well. #smiling

Esther EBUNOLUWA Omoniyi
omoniyiesther1@gmail.com — with Esther Ebunoluwa Omoniyi.