Jephthah Learned The Hard Way
In the book of Judges, chapter eleven (11), you will read about a judge who led the Israelites to war against the Ammonites. The bible states that he lived among scoundrels so pardon him for his lack of decorum but boy was he so careless. He was humble enough to ask God for help to save the nation of Israel but He made a promise to God, not fully understanding that anything you promise God must be without blemish. God is Holy and He always takes the best of the best. If you don’t remember anything, let the story of Cain and Abel’s offering to Him be your guideline.
Judges 5:30-31 NIV:
“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”
I bet you that Jephthah thought one of his domestic animals would be the first to run out to meet him. In today’s world, he might have owned some puppies who would have wiggled their tails to come out in glee. No, it wasn’t an animal that came out but instead, the most costly possession he ever owned - his ONLY child and daughter who was a virgin. Yup, that seems to be the only thing in Jephthah’s household without blemish and that’s what God took. Jephthah learned that making careless promises has a maximum cost and we should all learn from his pain because Ecclesiastes 5:3-4 AMP has this caution for us all;
“When you make a vow or a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God takes no pleasure in fools [who thoughtlessly mock Him]. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.”
My prayer for you this week is that as we recap and brood over our year thus far, may the Lord, out of his graciousness, empower us and grant us access to resources to honor the promises we have made to Him and to others in Jesus’ name. AMEN! God will always honor His word, the question is, will you?
XOXO,
Lady Abena
Declarations For November 2024
In the synoptic gospel of Luke, chapter five (5), there’s a story of Jesus ministering the word around lake Gennesaret and in the course of it, He jumped on Simon Peter’s boat and started teaching from the boat. He asked Simon to let down his net for a catch and Simon told Jesus that he’s been hustling all night and has made no catch. All the same, since Jesus asked him to let down his net, he will do it anyway. My dear friend, a miracle ensued right after that.
Here’s my practical assessment of this story, Jesus saw the frustration and fruitlessness in the efforts Simon and his fellows were making. Jesus sees ours as well. Can you imagine going through eleven (11) months this year and yet you have no results to show for your efforts? It can be a scary thing and can discourage you but there’s a God in heaven who sees our efforts and our despair so in this month of November, He is beckoning you and I to not give up and let down our nets one more time.
One more prayer, one more fasting, one more staying in obedience and one more effort on that dream you feel like giving up on. I declare with you that the same Lord, who is rich unto all, the creator of EVERYTHING on earth and in heaven will cause an eleventh hour miracle and result in our lives this month.
May it be so in our lives in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
XOXO,
Lady Abena
To Thine Own Self Be True
I was an English Major student in undergrad and one of my favorite courses was Shakespearean studies. Maybe it’s just my love for theater and plays and I had an opportunity to act in a few stage plays and write some plays for my church some years ago. I still have my Arden Complete Works of Shakespeare handy and from time to time I like to sip my tea and glance through my favorite scenes in Othello and the rest.
This quote however has stuck with me since 2002 when I first read it in Hamlet, act 1 scene 3 of the play. It was spoken by King Claudius’ chief minister, Polonius as part of a speech where he was giving his son, Laertes, his blessing and advice on how to behave whilst at university.
“This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man”
The world is getting more and more intriguing by the day and I for one made a decision years ago to not worry about pleasing other people, or living by someone else's rules or standards, but rather, living according to what God expects of me and the standards I have set for myself without compromise. Don’t take this the negative way because I still exercise circumspection in the environments I find myself in and the people around me at any given time. My dear friend, I found my peace in that reality. It was a personal deliverance session and transformation for me. Truth is, we all look at life and the world from our own lenses. Thus, the smaller your focus, the smaller your perception of life. My progressive lenses prescription is quite higher than most, all PUN intended here because I started wearing my lenses in 2007 so you will expect the higher and bigger lens prescription by now. Humans have unrealistic expectations of others but do not even hold ourselves to the same standards we expect others to perform at. So, take King Claudius’ advice like I did and live to please God and your soul. Do you know that when you stay true to your authentic self, you actually shine brighter?
I pray for you this week that God will deliver you from yourself and cause you to set your focus on Him and the excellent things He has in store for you. May it be so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
XOXO,
Lady Abena.