Lesser or Greater

You know how we've always been brought up to believe that we're the 'best of our kind' and need not play second fiddle to anyone. That whoever some other person is or can be, we also can and sometimes must become. Now I'm not calling out those who have preached this or those who practice it, I'm just saying I don't subscribe to it as a rule anymore and I'd share why. Jonathan and David had a truly remarkable relationship which fills me with desire. Desire to have such a friend, desire to be such a friend to someone! You see, we were taught to see Jonathan and David as best of friends - to admire the exemplary bond of love and respect they had for each other. And while this isn't false, in actual reality, they were more than this. They were rivals - yes, rivals for the throne of Israel. David would be the reason Jonathan would not be King and they both knew this. 

  

"And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." 

1 Samuel 23:16-17 

 Profound! His father Saul was furious at the thought of this. His son, heir to his throne, was willingly going to play 2nd fiddle to the son of one of his subjects. Obviously, Jonathan knew and understood something Saul didn't - something even we probably haven't yet fully grasped. Because even I question if I would be so honourable, were I to be in Jonathan's shoes. Would I have helped David as much as Jonathan did? Would you? 

  

"Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you." 

1 Samuel 20:4 

  

And indeed Jonathan kept his word. From covering up for David to helping him escape from Saul who was trying to kill him, he did all he could to make sure David became king of Israel. God created two lights - two lights. But He created them differently, to serve two different purposes. And in Genesis it's clearly stated that one light was created greater and the other lesser.  

   

"God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." 

Genesis 1:16 

 The sun was made to be this big, imposing, always conspicuous ball of fire that no one would miss - the center of the universe - just who many of us would love to be. The moon and stars were created in contrast to be much smaller and tame, in fact with the moon having no light of it's own. Instead depending on the sun for light. Not the center of any universe and I dare say, not how many of us would like to be.  

As humans, we grow up to love the spotlight - wanting always to be the center of attraction and loving every second we are. We want to be the sun and have the entire solar system revolve around us, consequently, we miss out on the beauty of being the moon or stars. Yes, that's true! I mean literally what has the sun in its fullness to offer that compares with that of the moon. Think of the beauty of a crescent moon and that of the full moon with stars all around: how they fill one with awe and radiate in a truly beautiful manner that though borrowed from the sun, overshadows the sun's light in breathtaking ways. And yes, they're the 'lesser' lights.

Towards a better humanity, 

Diazno  

CUP OF WATER IN A DRUM

I decided to write this post to offer what little encouragement I can to others like me, who from time to time have to deal with some form of discouragement. Having had quite a bit of experience, dealing with discouragement quite, I think I can say that I understand just how destructive it can be. Discouragement is a defined as:

"a loss of confidence or enthusiasm; a feeling of having lost hope or confidence"

I have either heard of or seen quite a few extraordinary events and accomplishments that make me wonder just how powerful humans are and just how much we are capable of.  At the 2005 Champions League final match, I saw Liverpool turn around a 3-goal deficit against an AC Milan team that looked set for victory to lift the UEFA Champions League Cup and last year, many of us watched Leicester City do the impossible against a 5000 - 1 odds prediction to win the Premier League for the first time in their club history. I read of and watched (in the movie 'Jobs') the college dropout Steve Jobs, start Apple Computer Incorporated in his parents garage and turn it into a global brand. We saw Barack Obama, backed by what he calls "The Audacity of Hope", somehow win an election many had said a black man could never win, to occupy a position of authority many never believed he could. Now, he lives in a house, whose name at first hearing might insinuate was not meant for someone of his color to live in - twice.

Oprah was born to extreme poverty in rural Mississippi and brought up in inner-city Milwaukee, enduring abuse as a child. Despite this, she is the richest African-American of the past century, with a net worth of 3 billion dollars. Many consider her to be one of the most influential woman in the world today. John Paul DeJoria was born to Italian and Greek immigrant parents. This billionaire was forced to sell newspapers before the age of 9 so his family had food to eat. He also lived in a foster home, was a part of a street gang and jumped through a number of odd jobs. With a measly start-up loan of $700, he began what is now known the world over as the Paul Mitchell line of hair products. His net worth is over 2 billion dollars. 

Haile Gebreselassie was one of ten children born in rural Ethiopia, forced to run 12 miles every day to get to school and back. He would later become one of most successful athletes in the world, with two Olympic gold medals in the 10,000m. Halle Berry was raised by a single mother in Cleveland, Ohio, even spending time in a homeless shelter while she tried to pursue her acting dreams in New York. As of 2014, she's still the only black woman to have won an Oscar for a leading role.

Countless other stories of extraordinary deeds performed by ordinary men and women abound, and after careful study of these stories and the circumstances surrounding them, I discovered that there is one common ingredient to all their success stories, apart from the fact that they started off in a disadvantaged position, of course. I found that ingredient to be hope - hope for a better tomorrow, hope that things would eventually turn around for them if they worked at it. These remarkable people all believed that where they started from didn't have to be where they would remain for the rest of their lives, and armed with such strong convictions, 'hoped' enough while working hard to get out of where they are. Today their stories teach us of perseverance, even in the worst of situations.

Once I read a story about a farmer who lived in Africa, who through information received from a visitor became tremendously excited about the prospects of discovering diamonds. Diamonds were already being discovered in abundance on the African continent and this farmer got so excited about the idea of finding millions of dollars worth of diamonds that he sold his farm to head out to the diamond line. He wandered all over the continent as the years slipped by, constantly searching for diamonds, his key to wealth, which he never found. Eventually, he went completely broke, threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm picked up an unusual looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle as a sort of curiosity. A visitor stopped by and in viewing the rock practically went into an excited frenzy. He told the new owner of the farm that the funny looking rock on his mantle was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found. The new owner of the farm said, 'Heck, the whole farm is covered with them' - and sure enough it was. The farm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine . . . the richest the world has ever known. The original farmer was literally standing on 'Acres of Diamonds' until he sold his farm.

The moral of this story is simple enough. Let's stop walking around feeling dejected and discouraged looking for a breakthrough because most times, we already have all we need. We just need to look within and refuse to give up hoping for a better tomorrow. Every little bit of effort we put into whatever work we do is like a cup of water going in a big, big drum. While one cup may not fill the drum up or do enough to lift your spirit concerning finishing the task soon enough, when we look into the drum, we must realise that every cup of water we've poured in is still in there and surely, with enough cups that big, big drum would be filled and run over. 

For a better humanity,
Diazno

Why He Won't Come

"Make me poor in spirit - wanting nothing

So that I'll have no one else but You.

I'll have no one else but You...

I'll have no one else but You..."

  - Isebiama

My dear friend and brother, Michael Isebiama David wrote and taught me that song. I remember just hearing it and feeling so broken, desperately needing to be poor in spirit. It's been my prayer ever since the day I heard it and today for some reason, God placed it in my heart to sing to Him once again and I haven't been able to stop singing it.

God's desire and only aim - His heartbeat if I may - is for a people whose sole desire, aim and possession is Him. Call Him jealous if you want to but He's already pointed that part of His nature out.

23 Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you.
24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 4:23-25 (ESV)

13-19 Deeply respect God, your God. Serve and worship him exclusively. Back up your promises with his name only. Don’t fool around with other gods, the gods of your neighbors, because God, your God, who is alive among you is a jealous God. Don’t provoke him, igniting his hot anger that would burn you right off the face of the Earth. Don’t push God, your God, to the wall as you did that day at Massah, the Testing-Place. Carefully keep the commands of God, your God, all the requirements and regulations he gave you.

Deuteronomy 6:13-17 (MSG)

"Why is He so jealous?" You may ask. "Is that even a good thing?" That's not left for you and I to debate on, just to accept that He is God and that He is jealous, exactly the same way as we've accepted that He's All-Powerful, loving and kind. He really wants everything else to fade away in the beauty of His presence and love for us till we get to the point where we'll see just Him - Christ who died and rose again to buy our pardon. Yes, say and pray "Come, Lord Jesus" as much as you want, Jesus won't come if His place isn't ready. In John 14 Jesus shows that He understands the principle of getting a place ready if one invites someone else to come stay with them. 

2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 14:2-3 (NIV)

Just look at that! Jesus, the Son of God; the firstborn over all creation going to prepare a place for whoever will believe in Him - lowly creatures He made. How then do you expect a God who has done such for us to be willing to share? He simply won't! He won't come to share your body, heart, mind or soul with anything! He just won't. That's not how He wants to be treated. It would be very unfair to expect Him to share you; He either has all of you or He'll have none of you. And that's why He won't come just because you ask Him to. He'll first of all want to know if His abode (your heart) is tastefully furnished, exactly to His liking. He doesn't 'do' compromises, it's either fine for Him or it's not. Neither does He manage - He's either totally satisfied and comfortable or He's not!

I understand that these are hard truths that we really do not like to hear. We seem to prefer the image of God in which He is loving and kind...benevolent to a fault...our very present help in trouble...our shield and defender. While these images of God are very heartwarming to say the least, they do not accurately capture every aspect of His being for He's also a consuming fire and a Righteous Judge who judges with fairness and can't tolerate double standards.

So no, He won't come just because You asked Him to, He'll come because a place has been made ready for Him. "How do I get my heart ready for the Lord?" It's very simple - surrender. Surrender your will, your thoughts, your life even; surrender it all to Jesus and accept that He's in charge. He's not going to compete for your attention with TV, and Instagram or money or career, a boyfriend or girlfriend, an iPhone or parties or even sleep. He'll simply stay where He is till He sees that your heart is ready to house Him - the Lord of all the earth. So right now I ask you "Is your heart ready to receive Him?" If you are willing, please pray this prayer and believe it with all of your heart:

"Lord Jesus, I thank You for loving me even while I was lost in sin and wanted nothing to do with You. I thank You for dying on a cross at Calvary to save me. I accept Your sacrifice of love and believe that You have the power to save me. I confess my past sins and renounce my old way of living, I accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ over my life. Please write my name in Your Book of Life and help me to live a life that pleases you. Amen"

If you prayed this prayer wholeheartedly, you just made heaven rejoice. You'll need to find a Bible-believing church to become a part of so that your growth will be assured. Welcome to the family of believers!

If you're already a believer but for some reason have reneged on your earlier profession of faith in Christ, it's time to return to God. Put away ever hindrance and prepare your heart to receive Him once again. Talk to God right now and sort things out with Him. I'm sure He'll be super-excited that you're back and won't hesitate to receive you.

Maranatha!

God bless us all.

For the glory of God,

Diazno

The 4th Man

23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Daniel 3:23 - 26(NIV)

Right now, I'm trying to imagine what kind of thoughts could have been going through King Nebuchadnezzar's mind. They couldn't have accidentally thrown four men into the furnace. He Himself gave the order and watched it being carried out. More so, no one would dare defy the king! Except of course those three Hebrew men. And even if they somehow were four, how come they are walking around in a furnace. WALKING, I say! I mean, we all know what fire does or at least, what it's supposed to do. How then do they walk about in it. The fire was obviously burning for it had killed the men who had gone to carry out the king's order. So, how come the fire no longer burns? And where did this 4th man come from?

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,   you will not be burned;

    the flames will not set you ablaze."

Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)

King Nebuchadnezzar was obviously not aware of this text. I believe the Hebrew men were and were willing to put all on the line on the basis of their belief. 

"14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 

17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand."

More than that, they were willing to pay the ultimate price in the event that things didn't go according to plan knowing that God's ways sometimes aren't ours. Such love! Such devotion! From men, I dare say did not know Christ nor bear witness to the resurrection power. I read Daniel 3 and I see that they were well aware of all the facts. Not that they would be thrown into the fire if they didn't bow to the image of gold King Nebuchadnezzar had set up for the king's word is law but that God, the King of the heavens and earth had commanded:  

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me..."

Exodus 20: 4 - 5 (NIV)

I really do not envy the position that their belief in and obedience to God had placed them in - piss off the earthly king and die by fire or disobey God and be considered as one who hates Him. Tough choice right? But they chose right. And even though they did get thrown into fire which was 7 times hotter than normal and which killed the men that took them in while everyone watched, the expected didn't happen for in that fire, that same fire that was supposed to kill them, a 4th man appeared; one who even the heathen king Nebuchadnezzar realized was no mere mortal. He looked every part like "a son of the gods", walking in fire as though He created it - for indeed he did create it- in whose presence no form of bondage remains for the three men walked around "...unbound and unharmed...". 

That is the Son of God, Most High, the very essence of God Himself responding to deep acts of love and reverent devotion! Save he did save those Hebrew men,

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 

27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

to the glory of His name, 

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

rewarding them for their devotion. 

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

What will you do today to call down the presence of the 4th man?

For the glory of God,

Diazno

Goshen is Still Egypt

31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.'

33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?'

34 you should answer, 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed ti settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians."

Genesis 36: 31 - 34 (NIV)

The land of Goshen  is named in the Bible as the place in Egypt given to the Hebrews by Pharaoh to dwell in during the famine. The region of Goshen is located in northeastern Egypt, in the The Delta of the Nile River, where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. It's been quite a while since I studied geography but I remember enough of what I studied to know that Goshen was a very fertile land to live in. In fact, looking it up on the internet I discovered that most of early Egypt's economy was built around the Nile Delta and the Egyptians thrived as a result of the fertile lands of the Nile Delta.

In a time of severe famine, during which Israel (Jacob) and his descendants journeyed to Egypt to be reunited with Joseph their kin who was now Prime Minister of Egypt, Goshen represented a huge upgrade with several opportunities in store for them to settle in and prosper. Much so that this line:

 "Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen,

for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians"

didn't seem to mean much to them.

I would think that they would have been be put off by such a statement or at least been put on guard, and would endeavor not to stay longer than necessary knowing that they were not just only being tolerated but were DETESTABLE to their new hosts. Instead, they made the mistake of lingering in the land in which they were not only strangers but were DETESTABLE strangers, long after the famine which drove them there had ended they lingered and paid the price for it all because for a while they prospered there.

6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 
7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 
9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 
10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Exodus 1: 6 - 11 (NIV)

We all get to places that serve as Goshen for us - a huge upgrade from where we are coming from, holding immense possibilities for us to prosper in and though we know that those who "own" those places find us detestable, we opt to stay there for survival but make the sad mistake of lingering because we find some measure of prosperity there, instead of working towards leaving as soon as possible. For whenever you get there, I'd like to remind you that Goshen is still Egypt and that your Promised Land is still somewhere ahead waiting for when you're bold enough to rise and leave your Goshen.

Towards a better humanity,

Diazno

Roundabout

One pleasant Sunday morning, I was heading to church in Surulere, with dad in the car (yeah, it's a car story again). I was feeling very calm and in my 'church mood'. That morning, I was seeking to do good to some random person, just for the fun of doing it. So as we drove to church, I was presented with the perfect opportunity to do so. We got to one of the numerous roundabouts on the Lekki-Epe Expressway (I believe there are 10 of them), just about the same time another car was completing their turn at the roundabout. Now, as a "Lagos Driver", the expected course of action is to speed up and 'chance' the other driver (then probably give that smug "I'm a sharp guy" look) even though traffic laws clearly state that vehicles at the roundabout have the right of way. But not that day, (I'm not confessing that I do it on other days o!) because on that day, I had decided to drop the 'sharp guy' image and be the 'nice guy', (which I actually am). So I do the unthinkable - I stop to let the other car go first!

"WHAT??? How could you do such a thing??? This is Lagos, people don't stop to let others go first."

I'm sure the driver of the other car had similar thoughts because strangely enough, he/she didn't move an inch. Not even after I brought the car to a complete halt so they would know I was indeed stopping for them. In order to avoid  having a mini Mexican Standoff,  (or should I say Lagos standoff) I motion to them, urging them foward. Only then did then move, after which I carried on behind them. Now this isn't a story about how much of a nice guy I am (even though I am one). I probably wouldn't remember the story if not for the very unusual response of the other driver. My first thought after they refused to move when I had given them right of way, was a very Nigerian "Move now!!! I'm running late for church", because I really couldn't understand why they didn't jump at the offer. Much more when it's their right.

There and then it dawned on me. They probably know that they have right of way at the roundabout but have come to relinquish that right because by habitual actions, other drivers have taught them to.

This lifestyle, the "I-Can-Do-Whatever-I-Want-Even-When-I-Know-It's-Wrong-Because-There's-No-One-Around-To-Stop-Me" lifestyle, I believe is the reason there is so much evil in the world today. The evil we face today didn't just start with people detonating bombs or raping helpless women or even abducting defenseless kids. No, it started with little acts of defiance here and there - people refusing to do what is right simply because it's the right thing to do. Now, it has blossomed into the menace we face in society today. Writing this, all I long for, is for a time when people would do the right thing not because some reward is promised them for doing so or because some punishment awaits them for defaulting, but because it's the right thing to do. I wish our children would be taught to act right; that our young ones would be courageous enough to stick to what they know is right, even in the face of immense peer pressure trying to get them to do the opposite. That our fathers and mothers, and leaders in society would not lead the young ones coming up behind them astray by wrong deeds born out of selfish motives. Then, and then only, could we all truly be happy and content. 

A wise man once said, 

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"

and I agree with him on that. I also think that it's very interesting that I learned this lesson at a roundabout because indeed, 

"What goes around, comes around"

Towards a better humanity,

Diazno

Glitters

It was a bright Sunday afternoon. I had stopped by at a KFC restaurant for a small mid day snack but ended up getting more than what I bargained for. Shortly after I arrived a family arrived and took a table just by me. They proceeded to have lunch and in between their meal I saw the mother try to hand the oldest a 200 naira note and ask her to go get another drink but before the money could change hands properly, the youngest son grabbed it from his mother and refused to let go. All pleas to get him to let go of the money fell on deaf ears - he just held on tightly with his little fingers while his mother tried to retrieve her money from her little boy.

By now, everyone on their table was running out of patience with the little boy and his mother finally decided to forcefully pry the money out of his hands. This didn't go down so well with him, and he began to do what all little children his age do in situations like this. It started with little sobs and grew into full blown crying when he felt he wasn't getting the needed response. You can guess that at this time I wasn't concentrating much on my meal anymore (amebo mode activated). A second round of begging had begun now as the little boy's cries was beginning to garner he and his family quite a bit of attention from surrounding tables. In a bit to keep him quiet and not cause a scene, his mother reaches into her bag and pulls out a shiny, brand new 10 naira note, and hands this to her son. "Have this instead", she says. "See, it's newer and more shiny". This seemed to do the trick as the little boy's tears died up instantly and he refocused his attention on his unfinished meal. 

I stared in disbelief at the mother and her child wondering what term to give to the scene I just witnessed some moments ago. Do I call it deception on the part of the mother or just myopia' on the part of her child. I left shortly after finishing my meal and thought long and hard about those words: "Here, have this instead. It's newer and it's more shiny". I tried to think of how many times I was that little boy, being short-changed and giving up real substance for glitters. Oh! How I regretted those times. But then, I blamed myself for not being mature enough to distinguish between substance. Reading this, you also might recollect times in the past when you caught the glitter bug and unknowingly exchanged something you should have held on to with something else of very little worth. You probably regret it and wish you had someone to blame - "I only trusted what he/she said. Is it now a crime to trust...?" No, it isn't and while I symphatize with you just like I did with the little boy in the story I must point out that it's also not a crime to ask reasonable questions - even of those we love. It also isn't a crime to weigh options carefully even when the one offering is a trusted friend or family member. 

Lastly, if we were to carefully review our state of mind while making those choices we end up regretting in the future, we will most likely discover that at the heart of wanting something newer and more shiny is the age-old desire: greed. It caused the fall of man and ever since then it has caused the fall of more men (and women alike). So what's the solution, you ask? Contentment! Contentment and a great deal of discernment. Sometimes what we really need isn't something newer or more shiny. Sometimes all we need is the maturity to discern between gold and mere glitters, and the courage to respond to an offers of glitters with a "No, thank you". (You can add an "I'm touched by your generosity but I think I'll hold on to what I have for now" for a little effect).

Towards a better humanity,

Diazno

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