Light-Filled

Wow, it’s a new year! Glory to God for seeing us through the year 2017. It is a privilege to witness yet another year, in God. I wish you a happy new year.

It is my culture to show you the word for the year on my first article to you each year. It is however going to be a little different this time as I will be revealing to you what you need for a seamless 2018 as an individual. I know many of us have a watchword received from our different churches for the year, but, not everyone actually comes into the reality of the general theme. So, let us deal with you in particular now.

As it stands, no man has journeyed through the year, neither can anyone say categorically all that will happen in the year 2018. However, the Lord does not leave us without a glimpse of what to do, what to expect and in some cases just an assurance of His presence without knowing what to come. In essence, the year 2018 seems to be as a night where no man can basically explain all that is inside of it. So, how do you make the most of the year?

Lazarus had just died and his sisters sent message to Jesus. They wanted him to come raise their brother back to life as they believed in Jesus so much to perform the miracle. “Fortunately” for them, Jesus didn’t show up. I have always taught Jesus’ reason for not showing up was to show some stunt on how He could raise the man even if he was already decaying. I then discovered that this is not in sync with Jesus’ nature; He doesn’t prove Himself to earn fame before men. We read on many occasion how He never pleased men and obviously stated He does only as the Father directs.

It happened that the same period Jesus was requested to come raise His dear friend, He and His disciples were facing physical confrontations from the Jewish leaders. So, when Jesus finally decided to go and see His friend, Lazarus, after two days of receiving the news of his demise, his disciples objected because of the threat to His life. They wondered why Jesus will head to Judea again after the Jewish leaders had attempted to kill Him there in Judea. The response of Jesus seem to give us illumination into why he delayed till the third day.

“There are twelve hours of daylight every day, and during every hour of it a man can walk safely and not stumble. Only at night is there danger of a wrong step, because of the dark” John 11:9-10

This response calls for some patient examination. Jesus was actually responding to the decision to travel when there was a threat to His life and this also has a correlation with why He would not have left on the first day He heard about His friend’s demise. We read on many account how Jesus was to be taken in broad daylight but He escaped because it wasn’t yet time. They didn’t want Him to get killed and now He compares His movement to the time of the day and its implication on safety. Could this mean Jesus was planning to travel at night or it was in the day and He is trying to say since it was in the day He is safe? Definitely Jesus had power over both day and night, so what could this mean?

Jesus was simply saying He doesn’t walk by circumstances or natural occurrence that could shape His decision but, by an inner direction that is not seen which gives Him where and when to go. And when it is from within He can’t stumble (fall in the hands of the Jewish leaders).

I love the way the King James Version of the Bible put it:

“But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him”

Hence, stumbling is not a result of being in the dark (a situation you can’t understand); it is not because no man knows tomorrow, neither is it because everything around seems gloomy, but because there is no light on the inside. Jesus was simply saying, only when He works without God’s leading there could be fear of stumbling. “If I say we are moving then be rest assured of our safety because as God the Father speaks, so I move and there is no failing in Him”.

The year 2018 has so much inside of it which no man living can say what is in each of its days. It is as the dark. And there are many Jewish leaders out there set to threaten your existence- all the economic inconsistencies, natural disasters, depression, rising unemployment etc. which you escaped in 2017 are still around.

All of these are not powerful enough to make you stumble as you journey through 2018, but, you will stumble when you don’t have the light on the inside. Not the light available to your church as a whole, it is yours now for daily survival.

“Your word is a light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet” Psalm 119:105

The light you need is God’s word for you as the year progresses. Make effort to see you walk through the year giving uttermost attention to what He is saying about every step. As powerful as Jesus is, He didn’t just go straight to Lazarus on the first day because He needed to see that the light within gives a clear illumination on the status of the road.

Friend, get more committed to listening for God’s direction. Practice putting your inner man first in your decision making. Get His word for your own life to hold on to not just that of your church. He wants a more personal relationship. When you have this light within, no matter the darkness (uncertainties) in 2018, you will get to your Lazarus and wake Him up and this would be indisputable for men to see.

I do wish you a light-filled year. I love you!

Be Innovated

Olufemi Ibitoye