Wise Quotes - ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF YOUR TOIL

Today's wise quote is derived from Ecclesiastes 5:19(NLT*) - And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.

I grew up with the notion that it was somehow bad for the rich to enjoy their wealth(Societal opinions) ......i use to hear people labelling them as 'Show offs' just because they had the means of acquiring the nice houses, cars or have been promoted. What they failed to realise was that, these people had worked hard to gain their riches or gained that promotion and they by all means had the right to enjoy them.

You can argue that some don't gain their wealth in the right way, that is fair and good but for the selected lot who does, God is saying that they have every right to enjoy their toil because it is His good and perfect gift to them.

As a mother of four strong- minded individuals, it is sometimes difficult to reason with them. But the one thing i always tell them is no matter what they do in life 'Hard work rewards' so to get that toy from mum and dad, you've got to work for it. It is a word which usually doesn't go down well but once they are rewarded, they realise the joy of their hard work.

What is it that you're striving to achieve? You may be struggling with your degree or maybe even thinking of giving up. You might be working tirelessly to replace your car. There is a promotion you have been working endless nights just to get or maybe a place to call your home. Today God is saying He's given you good health to work and when you have achieved whatever it is your toiling for, enjoy them because its His Gift to You. Have a blessed day as you think about these words.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*New Living Translation

Wise Quotes - ALONE WITH GOD

'Alone With God'......This is the very first message i shared when i joined Slough PIWC* church. I was privileged to be given the opportunity to share a Word at a mid week service back in 2011.....A shout out to my Honorable Presiding Elder Vincent Frimpong. I have grown immensely under his leadership and have also learnt a lot from him. He is an epitome of true humility and a gentleman.... I see him and i see my dad. If your reading this Elder, God bless you and much respect to you.🙌

To hear from God, you must be receptive and sometimes desperate. This usually requires being alone with God. And to get alone with God, you have to send something away: addiction to certain things, family, being occupied with other things(i.e career, money etc), friends, other's opinions and what i call relationship idols - It's the lie that convinces you that your happiness depends on another person/thing. 

In Exodus chapter 34:14, we read an account of Moses taking the Israelite out of Egypt into the promised Land. Moses went up to the mountain to get the ten commandments from God. The Israelite's couldn't wait. Upon his return he found the people had pressured Aaron into making gods for them to worship. Now God had already commanded them not to worship any other god for He is a jealous God. Our God is the same today and He require of us our undivided attention in worshiping Him. When you look to someone/something other than God for your security, purpose, worth and contentment, basically looking for things He God willingly provides, He gets jealous and so we must tear down those idols to be able to get alone with Him.

In those quiet moments with God, we hear from Him and when God wants you to hear His voice, He sometimes silences everything else. Has it ever occurred to you that, that feeling of loneliness(even in the midst of people) may not necessarily mean people not wanting to be around you but because God is drawing you to a deeper place of intimacy with Him. Wondering how that is possible? Consider these events;

*Joshua was alone when God gave him the plan for conquering Jericho. (Joshua 8)

*John was alone on the island of Patmos when heaven opened and he wrote the book of revelation. (Revelation 1:9)

*Jacob was left lame and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. And that was when God changed his name from Jacob - a deceiver to Isreal - a Prince with God. (Genesis 32:24)

*Moses was alone when God gave him the Ten Commandments.(Exodus 32)

In those moments;

- God reveals things to us......Jeremiah 33:3(AMP*) ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.’

- He directs your path........Proverbs 3:6(KJV*) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

- You will know the ways of God.......I Chronicles 28:9(NLT) If you seek him, you will find him.

- He gives you peace,joy,happiness and sound mind.........Psalm 40:16(ESV) But may all who seek you  rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

- Everything good and perfect comes from God........James 1:17(NIV) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Start your day by being ALONE WITH HIM. Remain blessed.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Pentecost International Worship Center 

*New International Version 

*Amplified Version 

*English Standard Version 

*New Living Translation 

*KingJames Version

Wise Quotes - KNOWING JESUS BETTER

Today's post is shared from an excerpt i read in The International Children's Bible. Most times i read the children's bible because i love the way it expresses and explains the bible in the simplest form. I came across the words below, it was perfect in its explanation, i just couldn't add or take away from it hence I'm sharing it as it is. I pray you're blessed by it just as i have been.

*****Disclaimer ****** The following excerpt is taken from the International Children Bible (Holy Bible). No part of it belongs to the writer of this blog.

Many people in the Bible times had heard about Jesus and some were able to hear Him speak. But it was Jesus' disciples who knew Him best. Why? Because they lived with Him, ate with Him and walked with Him all day long. We get to know people better the more we hang around them.

So how can we get to know Jesus even though He's in heaven and we're still on earth? We spend time with Him. We set aside time each day when we can read the Bible without other distractions. Then we talk to Jesus in prayer about the verses we've read and about the thoughts in our minds and hearts. Even after we've said "Amen," we can keep the conversation going all day long.

For instance, when we see a beautiful sunset, we can tell Him thank You. When we're nervous about school, we can ask Him to make us brave. Whatever is happening in our lives, we can share it with Jesus. And when we do, we will soon see a beautiful friendship  start to grow.

"The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then these other things you need will be given to you." Matthew 6:33 ICB*

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*International Children Bible

Wise Quotes - HE KNOWS YOUR NAME!

Every individual has been given a name by which they can be identified......Whatever the name is, it is often a warm feeling when someone  knows you by YOUR NAME and calls you by that name. There is that intimate feeling of closeness when you hear your name being mentioned.

Marriage has changed my last name but anytime i hear someone call me by my maiden name, i immediately know that person REALLY knows me very well.......too well to have some sort of relation or friendship. And most likely, such people are very close childhood mates from school. It is always a joy to hear even if i don't remember the person that well, but the fact they call me is enough to have a chat. For me, being able to call me by my native name means  we share a BOND , a CLOSENESS or a FRIENDSHIP.

There is more to a name than we ever imagine. Whatever the meaning of your name, God knows you by A NAME. Think about this, God knew you before you were born. In actual fact He had a name for you before you were born.....And He knows you by that name.

Jeremiah1:5(NIV*) says - Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

There is a level of intimacy in God knowing us that no relation on earth can ever have with us. He said in His Word that: But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9 NASB*)

WOW!!! How pleasant it is to know you're Loved by a God so intimately. Just go through the day with shoulders up, head held high, knowing you're loved by THE ALMIGHTY.

This song comes to mind whenever i think of how loved i am by God to call me His own. Have a blessed day.

I have a Maker
He Formed My Heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

Chorus
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call

I have a father
He calls me his own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*New International Version
*New American Standard Bible

Wise Quotes - LIVE IN THE PRESENT

There is a saying that I love very much......Today is a gift  - that's why its called The Present. The day is always full of opportunities which are too many to grab than to waste time worrying about the past. We all have 24hours in the day, how you utilise it will be a great blessing to you.

We waste so much energy and time focusing on what might have been, could have been and should have been. Worrying about the past or what could have been only adds to your stress and causes unnecessary anxiety.

Tell me; And who of you by worrying can add one hour to [the length of] his life? (Matthew 6:27 AMP*) No one....the only thing you can control is what you do in the present. So seize this opportunity and make a change in your life. We all make mistakes, the beginning of the story is not as important as how it ends. Our God is a God of second chances and He's already given us enough blessings for the day.......They are new every morning(Lamentations 3:23).

Today, i urge you to have faith in God,  forget about the past, seize the present and start living. Remain blessed as you reflect on these words from Matthew 6:25-34(AMP*):

The Cure for Anxiety

25 “Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by worrying can add one [l]hour to [the length of] his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothes? See how the lilies and wildflowers of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin [wool to make clothing], 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory and splendor dressed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive and green today and tomorrow is [cut and] thrown [as fuel] into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ 32 For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*Amplified Version

Wise Quotes - TRUE JOY

Growing up, we had a sticker on our fridge that read "HAPPINESS DEPENDS ON HAPPENINGS BUT JOY DEPENDS ON JESUS. I would read it everytime i went to the fridge but only to truly understand it well in my adulthood.

I had a very challenging yet fun upbringing and i think that thought me to be happy with the little i had. I hear people  say they use to be jealous when their siblings or friends had new things but contrary to that i quiet remember i was very much contempt with whatever i was given. In fact i would be overjoyed if i was ever bought a toy or anything nice......whether or not that was due to my upbringing i don't know but the one thing i'm grateful for is that, it is really helping me in this life now.

We are now in a generation where everything is fast track with new and exciting things happening daily. It's a time of our lives where degrees and good results are being persuade, fulfilling jobs are being applied, folks working tirelessly to leave something behind for their families and everyone trying very hard to achieve something in life.

My family started laying down certain goals we wanted to achieve by certain times and then we worked on them with prayer......i remember when we first made our plans i use to think how much happy it'll make us all if we're able to do them. We went through this year achieving some and one day i just sat down and asked myself 'what now'? For a split moment it was almost as if to say "wait, is that all? Don't get me wrong i was over the moon by that achievement and very much grateful to God but humanly speaking, there was still a void in me.....an emptiness which i thought our achievement would have filled. I started thinking about it so much and trying to figure out what we could do next because maybe that will fill the void.

It was then that The Holy Spirit brought to my attention what i needed to fill the void. See, we had been working towards our achievement with God's help yet i was depending on the things to make me happy. I was HOPING that by achieving  them i will be ok but JOY, true JOY only comes from JESUS. My realisation of this truly humbled me and brought me back to my knees.....i quickly prayed and asked God to forgive me for depending on things when He is the giver of those things.

See, Happiness doesn't come from getting what you want; it comes from recognising every little God has blessed you with and enjoying them. A little goes farther than you can ever imagine when you see God's abundant supply of grace and have a heart full of thanksgiving.

Whatever emptiness or void you need filling today, i need you to understand that only GOD can fill that up.....We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.....(Proverbs 16:9 NLT) Remain blessed.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes

*New Living Translation

Wise Quotes - LIKE THE SALT

Ever since i started sharing my experiences of the Word, i always go through my notes praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as to what to share. The thing is I have so much to share but one thing i know is God's Word always comes at the right time for His people so even though my notes may be many i still need The Holy Spirit to help me choose. I went through the day praying about the next topic but with nothing(isn't it funny how i have a lot but yet finds nothing?)

Anyway i sat through Friday night service still wondering and just then The Holy Spirit gave me the Word.....the speaker was preaching about Hannah(Samuel's Mother) but for some reason all i heard was SALT and immediately i was reminded of a Word i shared in church back in 2014 which was titled "LIKE THE SALT......"

There is more to salt than meets the taste  buds. Salt has been used in many cultures as a valuable commodity. The word salary comes from the ancient word meaning 'salt-money', referring to a Roman soldier's  allowance for the purchase of salt. Someone who earns his pay is still said to be 'worth his salt'. Salt has been used to express promises and friendship between people. It was even considered by the Greeks to be divine. Today in many Arab cultures, if two men partake of salt together they are sworn to protect one another......even if they had previously been enemies. In some cultures, people throw salt over their shoulders when they make a promise........Who knew sodium chloride was so important?😃

Salt has two purposes in the Middle East of the first century. Because of the lack of refrigeration, salt was used and is still being used to preserve food, especially meat which would spoil in the desert environment. The second purpose is being used as a flavor enhancer.

Matthew 5:13 says "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

In comparison of salt to believers, we are preservatives to the world and in the same way the salt enhances the flavour of the food it seasons, the followers of Christ stand out as those who "enhance" the flavour of life in this world. Christians, living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in obedience to Christ, will inevitably influence the world for good, as salt has a positive influence on the flavour  of the food it seasons.

Where there is strife, we are to be peacemakers; where there is sorrow, we are to be the ministers of Christ, binding up wounds and where there is hatred, we are to exemplify the love of God in Christ, returning good for evil.

And just as we are both flavour enhances and Preservatives, we can also loose our saltness as the second line of Matthew 5 says. The loss of saltness occurs in the failure of a believer to daily take up the cross and follow Christ wholeheartedly.

We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us......and that means making our light shine just as in being seasoned like salt. And as we do that, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated by the Blood of the Lamb, our presence automatically liberates others.

Have a blessed day not forgetting to be Like the Salt.

#inspired...ann #WiseQuotes