© Ayo Omolayo
I stood up and began to rush everything. I was running helter skelter. I had lost so much time that morning that I had forgotten I was going to school this morning.
I was almost running late for school. Ella and Susan attended different schools. Everyone in the house attended a different school. She was already dressed and set for school.
Mummy’s driver usually took her to school. Mine was just 15 minutes walk, so I walked down most times. Especially when I wanted to carry Fejiro along with me. I only followed her in the car when I was late.
Susan’s school was not far like mine, so she had left on time. Hers was more closer compared to mine.
So I told her I would be joining her in the car and she only told me to hurry up. So I did my best and ended up joining her in the car. Soon we were sitting side by side on our way to school.
There had been a question on my mind and I felt this would be the best opportunity to ask.
I took a glance at her. She looked at me and a questioning look.
“There’s been something I’ve wanted to ask you. I don’t know this would be the right time?”
“If it’s something so important, you can go ahead. But if it can wait, then let it wait.”
“It can’t wait! Infact I’m asking you right now. How is it that God cannot resist your voice? I mean you are still confident he can’t resist your voice and really, he won’t. Is it just faith or is there a secret ingredient?”
“Juliet, why would you ask if there’s a secret ingredient? What do you want to find out?”
“I want to experience what you’re experiencing. I want to able to call God the way you do and get his quick response. I was so taken by the way you confidently said he cannot resist you and really he didn’t.
Me I know myself very well. I cannot say that publicly or else I will end up disgracing myself and God Almighty. In my own case, God moves whenever he feels like moving. I have to beg and beg before he shows up or sometimes beg you to talk to him for me.
I want to have that kind of relationship you have with him. Where you can call him and he shows up immediately. You sing and he’s there to listen to your voice. I mean as busy as he is running the affairs of such a big universe, he’ll still have time to show up and listen to a little girl singing for her daddy.”
Ella chuckled.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing, you make remember something I told God two weeks ago,” she answered grinning.
“Really? Please tell me! What was that?”
“I told him that he is so humble ooo! God is very humble! I told him that the great man of God pastor W.F. Kumuyi is dialing his number. Bishop David Oyedepo is calling on God right now. Pastor E. A. Adeboye is also calling his line. Daddy Paul Eneche is calling on God right now. Apostle Selman is dialing God’s number.
How come God would have time to sit down and teach this small girl during quiet time? I mean, those men are men that matters. Why would God have my time? How can God have time for me? This girl that doesn’t know anything. Yet, he would sit down with me and play with me, when he has so many people that are very important calling his attention.
Do you know the answer he gave me?”
“No.”
“It’s a song he used to answer me.
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh what peace we often forfeit
Oh what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer,” she sang.
I was close to tears. Indeed I saw light in that song. It is a privilege to approach the King of kings at any time of the day and get response from him. I mean the queue is long and the line is endless. Yet everyone is attended to at the same time.
Juliet isn’t that humility?” Ella asked.
“Yes it is,” I answered.
“How does he talk to countless number of people at the same time and have time for everyone at the same time? That’s why they say he’s Omni present. Everywhere at the same time.
God is so humble. If it as the President of your country you wanted to see, you will wait for many years. Infact they would refer you to your local government chairman.
But here is the President of all presidents, still having our time. But what do we do in return? We tell him we are tired to pray. We tell him we want to sleep.
He sends his angels to wake us for the appointment you have with him. When you should be counting it a great privilege that the president has time for you. Angels will come and wake you up. You’ll roll on the bed and continue the sleep.
When you should be the one checking the time and looking out if the president would not change his mind and say he’s too busy to attend to you. When you should be the one reminding him of your appointment with him by 5am. Telling him to make sure he shows up.
He’ll show up to meet you in bed sleeping. If there’s one thing humans know how to do very well is to abuse privileges.
The children of Israel would journey in the desert. Under the hot sun. God would stand in front of them as a pillar of cloud to cover them from the heat of the sun and give them shade.
When it was night, the pillar of cloud will transform into a pillar of fire and give them light in the night. Early in the morning food will be on the ground waiting for them to pick and enjoy themselves.
Yet they were never grateful to God for the undeserved love and privilege he showered on them. All they knew how to do was to tell God that he should give them meat. That they were tired of eating this disgusting manna.
Sometimes, I wonder how God is able to bear our arrogance. Chai! It it was me! What I will do to those people Ehn! Chai! God is trying ooo! Feed people everyday for 40 years, they cannot say thank you. Haa!
Men! God gave us so many privileges. All we are doing is wasting them. We have no idea of the privileges we are wasting.
Imagine the president of Nigeria sending his escort to come and wake you in your house that there was an appointment by 3am. Who are you? A school student. A 17 year old girl. A nobody.
And what does the small girl tell the president’s entourage?
‘Tell Mr President that I want to sleep, I’m too tired. I will do my quiet time tomorrow! What an insult?
Just imagine the insult we gave the President of all presidents. Normally, is the president supposed to be the one waking you up for your appointment? Secondly, the fact that the president considered you worthy his time, is it not enough?
How can you apply to sit and discuss with the president and only for him to agree to meet you, then you’re telling him you want to sleep?
Sometimes, we claim God is not there, even when he’s there. Why? Because we have hurt him so bad that as we are talking he’s just looking at us and not saying anything.
The truth is the bible says that God is always there to fellowship with us whenever we want. But sometimes, it would look as if God is not there.
Let’s read Exodus 33:1.”
I quickly brought out my bible from my back pack and opened.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
Verse 2. And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
Verse 3. Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
This was after the children of Israel had just finished making the golden calf. God was so fed up and he didn’t want to have anything to do with them anymore.
But thank God he is God. That’s why he is God. If it’s human being, they would have destroyed this world long ago. The mercy of God is beyond our comprehension.
How he forgives the undeserving is amazing. How he saves the unworthy, is a mystery. How he leaves the 99 to look for one missing sheep is a long story.
Only a god can possess this kind of mercy. A human being will run out of patience. If it was me, I would have dealt with the children of Israel so much that they wothen’t be able to open their mouths and say nonsense again.
But look at what the bible says in Psalms 78:40.”
I quickly opened it and read.
“How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Verse 41. Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
Verse 42. They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
Verse 43. How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
Verse 44. And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
Verse 45. He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
Verse 46. He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
Verse 47. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
Verse 48. He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
Verse 49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
Verse 50. He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
Verse 51. And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
Verse 52. But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
Verse 53. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
Verse 54. And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
Verse 55. He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Verse 56. Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
Verse 57. But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
Verse 58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
Verse 59. When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
Verse 60. So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
Verse 61. And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
Verse 62. He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.”
Ella interrupted me.
Now look at what it says is verse 38.”
“But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
Verse 39. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again,” I read out.
“Juliet! That’s it! It’s a privilege. Let’s see it as a privilege and enjoy this unmerited favour. His mercy is out of this world.
Can we please tell God to help us not to abuse this privilege he has given to us?”
“Why isn’t the car moving?” I asked.
“That’s true! I noticed we had been talking for so long,” Ella replied.
“I forgot to tell you girls that today is public holiday. I was carried away by the word of God he was pouring on my soul through this vessel,” said tye driver.
To be continued……..
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh what peace we often forfeit
Oh what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
I saw the pain in the heart of the song writer. ‘Oh what peace we often forfeit.’
Forfeit means to reject something either through ignorance or willingly.
It’s time to go and rebuild your prayer altar. We cannot continue wasting this privileges anymore.
