Peace Be Upon You

The best form of greeting I can offer anybody is “Peace Be Upon You”; just the same way that the very best form of greeting anyone can offer me is “Peace Be Upon You”. This statement, as simple as it sounds, encompasses a lot of prayers. Peace is the most important thing any creature wants at any point in time, having peace means all the basics that ensure ones survival has been assured. Food, drink, good health as standard for all creatures, shelter, clothing and the extras for humans, all these make for what gives peace of mind. For some one to wish you the luxury of peace means you are being wished all the good things of life, so if you are greeted with these words of prayer, what better way to reply than “May the peace and blessings of the Almighty God be upon you too”.

Peace, now I think more deeply about it, I think of my immediate surroundings and my condition and I know that God has been merciful to me. I think of people in war torn countries and I wonder what to think of their relationship with God. Is it that God is angry with them and that is why He evades them peace? Is it that God is so busy ensuring people like me have peace that He forgot about them? I think of the way I lead my life and I know I am no where near being a model in piety, some clips of different videos I have seen on television and the internet flash through my mind, videos of people in areas of natural disasters, wars, terror and the likes, I know definitely there are people in this places and who go through this experiences that are more godly than any average young man like me in our relatively peaceful Nigeria.

So what could be the criterion through which God allows some of us that are not so good and even those that are out rightly bad, to enjoy peace while many that are so close to living the godly way and even some that could be called saints, are denied any form of peace. Are you thinking along these lines too? Do you really deserve the peace you enjoy today if you were to be judged by your acts or thoughts?
I guess that is why He is God, The Omnipotent, The Merciful, The All Knowing, The Benevolent, The Greatest, The Lord of lords, The King of kings. I think of His magnanimity to me and I am humbled, I think of the mysteries of this life and I know there is a God, somewhere.

Have you been in an aircraft before and look out the windows into the clouds, the sheer ambience and purity way up there leaves you wondering, if there is indeed an hereafter as so described in the Holy Books, could it be more beautiful than the view up here. You must have been to the beach at some time or the other if not having sailed across the seas with the wide expanse of water that seem to have no end. The tides rise and a fear grips you, is it going to suck me in and take me under? How far is it under these waters anyway before one reaches the bottom? What kinds of creatures live down there? All these are questions that go through any discerning mind at the realisation of the mystical powers that surrounds us. And still you can not compare with any, the feeling of peace that you get when the sea is calm, if you are a drifter like me, your soul will leave your body and you will see things that will make you bow to Him.

“Peace for the people who have gone, Yeepa for the ones not yet born”, I remember this lines from the soul singer Asa’s song of the title “Peace”. Peace for the people who have gone, really, it is the dead that have true peace, when we are gone and no more only can we know peaceful peace, no more hustle for survival, no more struggle to shine, we return to the nothingness that we came from, no more worries. Yeepa for the ones not yet born because whether you are born on the day of hurricane Katrina with no shelter over your head or you are born into the home of a multi billionaire oil mogul, you are born into this world that will always spring up its surprises on you, this world where the rich also cry. We shall continue to seek the things that we think will give us peace all the days of our lives, whether we get them or if these things will give us the peace we desire, is up to Him, The One and Only God. I preach contentment to you though; it is the closest to peace you can have at any point in time, be content and from the little or much you have give, give to the needy. Put a smile on someone’s face and just like magic, you’ll find a reason to smile too from the inner most part of your heart.

My brother, my sister, my friend, as I drift away from here now, I say unto thee…

Peace Be Upon You.

Forget not all His benefits

"...forget not all His benefits." --Psalm 103:2

It is a delightful and profitable occupation to mark the hand of God in the lives of ancient saints, and to observe His goodness in delivering them, His mercy in pardoning them, and His faithfulness in keeping His covenant with them. But would it not be even more interesting and profitable for us to remark the hand of God in our own lives? Ought we not to look upon our own history as being at least as full of God, as full of His goodness and of His truth, as much a proof of His faithfulness and veracity, as the lives of any of the saints who have gone before? We do our Lord an injustice when we suppose that He wrought all His mighty acts, and showed Himself strong for those in the early time, but doth not perform wonders or lay bare His arm for the saints who are now upon the earth.

Let us review our own lives. Surely in these we may discover some happy incidents, refreshing to ourselves and glorifying to our God.
Have you had no deliverances? Have you passed through no rivers, supported by the divine presence? Have you walked through no fires unharmed? Have you had no manifestations? Have you had no choice favours? The God who gave Solomon the desire of his heart, hath He never listened to you and answered your requests? That God of lavish bounty of whom David sang, "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things," hath He never satiated you with fatness? Have you never been made to lie down in green pastures? Have you never been led by the still waters? Surely the goodness of God has been the same to us as to the saints of old.

Let us, then, weave His mercies into a song. Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness, and the jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the head of Jesus. Let our souls give forth music as sweet and as exhilarating as came from David's harp, while we praise the Lord whose mercy endureth for ever.

"In summer and in winter shall it be."

"In summer and in winter shall it be." --Zechariah 14:8
The streams of living water which flow from Jerusalem are not dried up by the parching heats of sultry midsummer any more than they were frozen by the cold winds of blustering winter. Rejoice, O my soul, that thou art spared to testify of the faithfulness of the Lord. The seasons change and thou changest, but thy Lord abides evermore the same, and the streams of His love are as deep, as broad and as full as ever.

The heats of business cares and scorching trials make me need the cooling influences of the river of His grace; I may go at once and drink to the full from the inexhaustible fountain, for in summer and in winter it pours forth its flood. The upper springs are never scanty, and blessed be the name of the Lord, the nether springs cannot fail either. Elijah found Cherith dry up, but Jehovah was still the same God of providence. Job said his brethren were like deceitful brooks, but he found his God an overflowing river of consolation.

The Nile is the great confidence of Egypt, but its floods are variable; our Lord is evermore the same. By turning the course of the Euphrates, Cyrus took the city of Babylon, but no power, human or infernal, can divert the current of divine grace. The tracks of ancient rivers have been found all dry and desolate, but the streams which take their rise on the mountains of divine sovereignty and infinite love shall ever be full to the brim. Generations melt away, but the course of grace is unaltered. The river of God may sing with greater truth than the brook in the poem---

"Men may come, and men may go, But I go on for ever."

How happy art thou, my soul, to be led beside such still waters! never wander to other streams, lest thou hear the Lord's rebuke, "What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink of the muddy river?"

He led them forth by the right way

Changeful experience often leads the anxious believer to enquire "Why is it thus with me?" I looked for light, but lo, darkness came; for peace, but behold trouble. I said in my heart, my mountain standeth firm, I shall never be moved. Lord, thou dost hide Thy face, and I am troubled. It was but yesterday that I could read my title clear; to-day my evidences are bedimmed, and my hopes are clouded. Yesterday I could climb to Pisgah's top, and view the landscape o'er, and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; to-day, my spirit has no hopes, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. Is this part of God's plan with me? Can this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven? Yes, it is even so. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting of your hope, all these things are but parts of God's method of making you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. These trials are for the testing and strengthening of your faith--they are waves that wash you further upon the rock--they are winds which waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven. According to David's words, so it might be said of you, "so He bringeth them to their desired haven." By honour and dishonour, by evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life of your souls maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. Oh, think not, believer, that your sorrows are out of God's plan; they are necessary parts of it. "We must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom." Learn, then, even to "count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations."

"O let my trembling soul be still, And wait Thy wise, Thy holy will! I cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see, Yet all is well since ruled by Thee."

Reflect on this

Do you always remember what life was like before,

A blind girl hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If only I could only see the world, I will marry you.'
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'
he girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind.
The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying:

'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, before they were yours, they were mine. '
This is how the human brain often works when our 'status changes'. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.
Life Is a Gift. Today before you say an unkind word -Think of someone who can't speak.

• Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
• Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out for a companion.
• Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.
• Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.
• Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.
• Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
• And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.
• But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without error and we all answer to the Divine.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and thank the Divine you're alive and still around.

A Time to Love

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me
to take another woman out to dinner and a movie.
She said I love you but I know this other woman
loves you and would love to spend some time with
you.
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was
my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years,
but the demands of my work and my three children had made
it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

"What's wrong, are you well," she asked? My mother is the type
of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise
invitation is a sign of bad news.

"I thought that it would be pleasant to be with you," I responded.
"Just the two of us."

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that
very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up. I was a bit
nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to
be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She
had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to
celebrate her last wedding anniversary.

She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.

"I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were
impressed, "she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear
about our meeting". We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant,
was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First
Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu.

Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there
staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips
"It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she
said.

"Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation - nothing
extraordinary, but catching up on recent events of each other's life.
We talked so much that we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again,
but only if you let me invite you." I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home.
"Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened
so suddenly that I did to not get to do anything for her.

Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant
receipt from the same place mother and I had dined.
An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance.
I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two
plates - one for you and the other for your wife.

You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son."

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time:
"I LOVE YOU!" and to give our loved ones the time that they
deserve. Nothing in life is more important than God and your family.
Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till
"some other time."
Here's hoping today is better than yesterday and tomorrow.


"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!"

Keep a Shark in Your Fish Tank

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.
The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh. To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they
did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis! But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan.
How did they manage? To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move.

The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!

Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull? Basically in our lives, sharks are new challenges to keep us active. If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy. Your challenges keep you energized. Don’t create success and revel in it in a state of inertia. You have the resources, skills and abilities to make a difference. Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!

“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character” - Albert Einstein