A man of service

Obed Edom was recorded as the most wretched man in the land of Israel during the reign of King David. This prompted the King to order the Ark of God be put in his house when it killed two of the Ark attendant. Many would have been scared thinking they would also be struck dead. But NO! Obed Edom used that time to be of service before the ark and every day he served he got a good report direct from God. People around began to notice and wonder. They marveled that is this not the wretched man? Why is he still alive and not dead? Obed Edom's life experienced a change that people noticed, gradually this brought him before the king. Before long he got the King's attention and the Ark of God was brought out of his house by the order of the king with joy and dancing. Since that day the most wretched man entered the book of history as the man who due to his service became elevated to a place of prominence. What is that situation that you are going through? It must not have been easy for him the day the Ark entered his house especially after the reports gotten of what the Ark did in the enemy camp and even when the Ark came into Israel. He must have thought so this people want me to die like the two levites. He was poor and did not have a say against the order of the King. His life had no value and was not of importance to the throne so if he had died the land would not have gone into mourning. But he did not go into self pity and was not dejected. Instead he would sweep and clean ensuring that the Ark was kept in a clean and as proper a place as it could be. He spent time making his home habitable and presentable. As he swept he got gold dust and I am sure the first time he would not have believed it. Most times God takes what we see as a dead end to take us to a place of notice and attention. Whatever we are going through let us remain to be of service. Leave self pity out of it, don't see where you are as a place where you must lie down and die. Continue to render a good service, be noted for your good works because people are watching. They notice and are keeping count. Soon the people watching waiting for you to give up will be the one to start spreading the news of your works. Have a wonderful new month!

THE “EMBER” MONTHS OF REMEMBRANCE

As I grew up the "Ember" month was the count-down to Christmas. For children it was that time you began to sing the song “Christmas is coming, Papa buy shoe for me” and the joy of coming to the end of a year in one piece began. But as I grew older and began to understand the ways of the adult, I realized that the last four months of the year otherwise known as the “ember” months bring anxiety instead of anticipation. The adult become more careful (at least the ones I grew up with) more prayerful and more watchful. To them the “ember” months were those that played a lot of havoc and ones in which crimes are perpetuated. It’s funny though since the worrying of the adults did not change the names of the months and it most definitely did not make the months either bad or good. In fact the months just kept answering to its name. Now I prefer to call those months the “remember” months. It is during this period that we all remember those things we have left undone; we remember God’s promises that are yet to manifest, we also remember all our clients that are yet to pay for our services. However for me it is that time I began to count my blessings as I gradually write the last chapters of the year. We have 12 chapters each year, towards the end of the book you must ensure that the reader remains captivated so he can read to the end. Or else he will set the book aside and move on. I remember one of Gloria Estafan’s songs “remember me with love”. The “ember” months are those times when we remember with love the goodness of God and bless his name for life. Lastly just as it rightly says, the “ember” months are periods in which the dying flames (embers) of our hopes, faith and life are to be stocked so they can burn more fiercely. Remember what the bible says about Adam and the animals? It is the name we give to a thing that it will be called and it shall act in accordance to its name. That is why my people say “we look at the home before giving a child its name”. Therefore it is the name we give to these months they would answer to. Have a wonderful “EMBER” months as we round-off 2013!!!