BLESSED BEYOND CURSE (PART 25A) – THE HAND OF GOD

In the equation for joy, money is not inclusive, as a matter of fact, money is not even a variable. In other words, money is not a factor in the joy equation. The only factor in this equation is God. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and according to the word of God which is the truth; it is only in the presence of God that you can find the fullness of joy. When I had my first financial breakthrough in 1991, for the first time in my life, I could afford to buy whatever I wanted because I was being paid daily in foreign currency. But the joy of this breakthrough only lasted for a while, the happiness was transient. After some time, there was a big vacuum in my heart which nothing could satisfy. Most of the time, we don’t actually ask God for what we really need but what we want, unfortunately, what we want may not necessarily be what we need. That was the period when the Lord granted my request to send me to the United States of America. I travelled to the US under miraculous circumstances for training; it was an all expenses paid trip; I was given a very comfortable accommodation, had a chauffeur driven car and was being paid daily in dollars. In spite of all these, however, there was still a vacuum.

This affected me so much that from time to time I would drift off even in the midst of everything I ever wanted including the best of environment and career prospect. It was during one of such occasions when I drifted that a young man noticed it and walked up to where I sat and asked me what I was thinking about. I replied that I was not thinking but actually meditating. I went further to tell him that I was missing fellowship and would love to attend a Church. He immediately promised to come pick me up the next Sunday and he showed up as promised at the time we agreed to meet and we went to Church. It was only after this that I found enduring joy.

You may not appreciate the joy of God’s presence until you are disconnected from it. The best metaphor for this is a fish out of water, its natural habitat. Many of the things that people depend on to give them joy do not really bring joy. If you have the Holy Spirit, however, and you are still looking for something else to make you high, then check it, it might not really be the Holy Spirit after all. The most joyful people on earth should be those who have found God because it is only in his presence that there is fullness of joy.

Pray –

• Lord, I worship you, thank you for the privilege of being in your presence; I know that it is only in your presence that I can find fullness of joy. Lord, today, I want to enjoy the fullness of joy, please help me. May I never miss the blessings of your presence in Jesus name. Amen.

TO BE CONTINUED.