Stand In the Word

For you have exalted your word above all your name. Ps 138:2 

God’s word is true and is the truth, it is bigger than all of us, than all things, it is more real than anything in existence, visible or invisible, it is stronger and more forceful than anything that ever was and any that will ever be. We are only just rising to the revelations of the word. I had an encounter sometime ago which further strengthened my faith in the Lord and belief in the word.

During my national youth service program which lasted a year as is the standard for all fresh graduates in Nigeria, West Africa, I met a young man at the orientation camp, which housed all the state corps members for the first 3 weeks; his name is Emmanuel. We were bunk mates and had grown to become friends within the first few days of our convergence. He was a gentle and easy-going fellow. On one of those days, something happened; we had just returned from one of our many routines, he hadn’t joined in that evening instead was inside the cabin, lamenting over something that had displeased him, he was sore displeased that he was talking to himself not taking cognizance of it. As I was approached the bunk side, I felt that this was quite unusual, so, I asked him what the matter was, he initially concealed it but I told him that no matter what it was, his present reaction wouldn’t provide a solution to the problem, he later confided in me. He said that it was about an uncle of his that had cheated him in some way (the issue was financial).

 In my heart, I knew that it was terrible for a blood relation to go that far exploiting one to whom he should have been a benefactor. I told him that no matter how he felt, his present reaction wouldn’t change a thing but the only thing that would change the situation was prayer. Then, I opened the scriptures to the book of Phil 4:6 ‘be anxious for nothing but in everything through prayer and supplications with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God… I told him that God had said that we needn’t be anxious or react negatively about these things that happen to us but rather in all those things, we have to be given to prayer. I afterward told him that what happened in the next verse would follow afterward when we do that which the Lord asked us to do. 

If we pray and trust the Lord and thank him despite the reality of our problems, he would turn the situation around and we would afterward have peace, an overwhelming peace, described as being beyond us. I told him further that his brother would call him and promise to pay back the money owed him. He accepted reluctantly.  

The next morning, we had gone for a morning workout, he didn't join for reasons known to him, when I returned, he told me that he had been looking for me, that just like I said, his brother had called him, had apologized for his uncanny and selfish behavior, and had promised to pay back whatever he owed him, he said that he was really surprised and that it happened just as I said that it would.

I laughed afterward, because I never told him any specified way of going about it, I only told him about the scriptures that I had read and God honoured His word. Friends, God is faithful, 'The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; Ps 19:7. He is ever true to His word.

You don’t need to always know how God will go about things; your major business is to obey His word always. I relied on the word and knew that I just had to speak that word and it worked. The word worked and it still works.