It would be incongruous of me if I withheld the beauty and intensity of information and knowledge I have gained since I started studying the Bible; note emphasis on study (not read).

This journey started back in 2017 when I was confronted with many questions concerning life that I desperately needed answers for. I searched to find them here in the world but to no avail. That is when I started the scrutiny of the Bible and to be honest I never expected to find anything, I actually thought I was trying to find another alternative for my elusiveness. All the same, I kept at it because I had been practicing the Middle-Way for a while and I had started to master the art of discipline. The more I studied, the more I started looking forward to it and this was odd because I always felt calm in that space which I was not accustomed to.

Now, previously I thought I knew who God was but I had only heard and learnt about Him from others, i.e. in church, hearing about Him from my mother, on TV, basically I had experienced hand-me-down information of who He is. I never had any relationship with Him from my own choice and desire.

During this whole period, I was undergoing a transformational process and I begun having different expectations for myself. Then, one fateful morning I was brought to a revelation of a verse Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”(KJV)

So I sought this knowledge since I had nothing to lose, I dared myself to believe each and everything that comes from the Word of God, yes, even the accounts that seemed and looked impossible; each day even with no result to show for it I was trusting in Him but unknowingly.

The journey has been indescribable such that it’s still remains a mystery to me how I found myself here. However, I have managed to find pieces of my puzzle as God allows me to know that He is the one working in my life. My first Bible verse was 2Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (KJV). My strongholds were fear, anxiety, worry, fear of failure, old age, death, loss of loved ones, doubt and suspicion, blaming others, slack moods, sleeping for long hours, people’s opinions, procrastination among many others. Now, I am not saying that I no longer experience these emotions and feelings but I am now able by the power of the Holy Spirit to recognize, discern and overcome them with His Word. He has helped me to fight my battles the right way.

In retrospect, I had found a certain state of stillness that I had never ever experienced in my life before and that is when I encountered my second verses. 1Peter 3:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. (KJV) I then realized that you needed to seek peace so that you could find it, previously I only prayed and asked God to give it to me but I was still in the same vicious cycle of strongholds. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. He had already given me peace but I was not aware of it because I had no knowledge. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (KJV)

Now to conclude, for the skeptics for whom I once was, I would like to point this verse out Philippians 4:7 And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. (GNB) There is no formula with God, He works out everybody’s life differently according to His will. You only need to dare yourself to believe His word. His love is not coercing, it’s not forceful, He will only work in your life if you allow Him to. Now it doesn’t mean that those who don’t seek Him do not have favor in His eyes. We are all His children and we all benefit from Him whether or not we have a relationship with Him because His love is boundless and unconditional. It is corrective and full of compassion, His love is understanding rich in teachings of humility. He never gets irritated because He has perfect patience. 1Timothy 1:16 “Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost of sinners, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example or pattern for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” (AMP)

 

 

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