matthew

It’s always easy to first notice a shortcoming, a “but”, a challenge in people, life and events. The bible is replete of examples of people whose names were never recorded but were only named by their inadequacies. Remember – the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:7-16), the mad man of Gadara (Mark 5:1-20), Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52), the man born blind (John 9) the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34) and many more.

It’s interesting to know that our God does not define us by our seeming disadvantages. When you think about people with profound disadvantage, Esther readily comes to mine. Let’s take a roll call of her disadvantages. She was an orphan – Lost both parents at a very tender age. She was a fugitive – an exile in a strange land. Her nationality is a complete disadvantage, so bad that it had to be hidden. She was a spiritually weak and fearful Jewess. In all these, God has her future well tucked in her name – Esther – a star! Her beginning and life’s experiences doesn’t portray her name, but amidst all these, God has everything well planned out.

Though it seems like coincidences, but these are divine providences. The pride of Vashti was part of the game, Haman’s unexplained anger on Mordecai, Mordecai’s stubbornness to bow to Haman, Haman’s collapse, and King’s interpretation of it to mean attempt to rape Esther was weaved into the plan. Esther was not just meant to live for herself, God had a bigger picture for her life – the “saviour” of the Jew nation. Who would have thought that a fearful orphan would become the Queen of the most powerful king and would be instrumental in saving an entire nation of the Jew?
God didn’t use Esther inspite of her weaknesses and disadvantaged background, but because of it. Her disadvantages make her pliable and usable in the Master’s hand. In the same way, all the enemy sees about you are your present disadvantaged condition and the many odds against you, but the Goodnews is that there is a script of God called “All things work together for Good” that the enemy is not privy of. HALELLUYAH! In that script, God already made provision for all that you are currently going through. He has the right relationship well-planned out for you, the divine providences are playing out in your favour. He has all the actors, acts and scenes of the movie all programmed for you to arrive at your expected end.

Friend, regardless of what disadvantage the Devil has fully sold to you, culture has made you believe about yourself; It holds no ground with what God has written about you and your future. He has everything about you well planned out, He is a specialist in weaving the tragedies, pains and seeming disadvantages of our lives together to bring about a praise for himself and provide beauty for ashes.

It’s a joy to know that the stories of all the above mentioned people who were first introduced by their shortcomings didn’t end the same, but in glorious testimonies. Friend, in the same way, God will not leave you halfway, he will not give an almost testimony. He has watched the beautiful movie of your life and he is relaxed because he knows the beautiful ending, you are only watching the replay. He will not leave you until His good plans for your life is fulfilled. Your seeming disadvantage is fast becoming a vantage point for your divine turnaround. Hang in there!