Author: Vanessa Moonkie

Welcome to a new week my Yielded people!

Have you ever found yourself in a season of such overwhelming occurrences that you began to question not God’s existence, but His presence in your life? You know, without a doubt, that God is real but you wonder, Is He truly with me? I’ve walked through those seasons. I know what it means to stagger under the weight of trials, even though Abraham is praised for not staggering at God’s promises through unbelief. And I’m reminded of a man in Scripture who once asked, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?”

“The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”

Gideon looked around at Israel, at his own life, at the state of his people. He measured what he saw against what he had heard about God, and questions began to rise within him. Is God really with us? Where were the miracles their ancestors spoke of? Were they only stories from the past? If God was truly with them, why hadn’t He done those mighty works for them too? Why was there so much loss? And with all these unanswered questions, Gideon came to a conclusion: The Lord is no longer with us.

I’ve shared with you the story of how my dad passed away while I was on my knees, praying on the altar. Ehhh I prayyyyeeeed! That moment shook me. It made me wrestle with the very meaning of the name Emmanuel— God with us. Because if He is truly Emmanuel, then why did this happen? Maybe you’ve asked similar questions. I pray, I fast, I seek Him so if God sees me, why am I still without a job? Dear Gideon, dear weary heart God is with you! He has not abandoned you.

Gideon speaks of abandonment. And don’t we feel like that too sometimes? “God has abandoned me.” Or, “God is blessing others, not me. Maybe He has favorites.” I once read a comment from a guy on Instagram who said, “I don’t pray anymore because I feel like God has His favorites.” But you know that’s a lie, right? Scripture tells us that God shows no favoritism (Romans 2:11).

What really happened in that situation is that he grew weary. He took his eyes off God and fixed them on his circumstances. And in doing so, he felt abandoned. Gideon had the same struggle: If the Lord delivered Israel from Pharaoh, then why are we still oppressed by the Midianites?

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
‭‭Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s amazing ! Gideon had strength he never even knew about. He was waiting for God to do a miracle, but God’s response was, The miracle is in you. The key to unlocking breakthrough was already within him. Deliverance was coming, but it was coming through him! We often think we have no strength, but it’s there. Maybe only 30%, maybe 50%, but it’s there. And here’s the truth, Gideon not only is God with you, but He has also equipped you with strength!

Stop entertaining the thought that the Lord has abandoned you. I’ve heard people who are grieving say, God does not exist. Grief is heavy, and losing a loved one is incredibly painful. But no matter how deep the pain, we must never allow any situation to convince us that God is not with us.

While I was praying at the Singles Meet Wives event, God gave me a word. He said, EMMANUEL.

And I want to say this to you, the one asking, “If God is truly Sovereign , then why has all this happened?”

EMMANUEL.

God is with you. Even in the questions, even in the pain, even in the waiting, He is with you.

Blessed Assurance, Emmanuel.

How are you?

This morning, I spoke with a lady who runs an orphanage, and as we talked, she began sharing about the people she works with and how she wished they could receive counseling. She didn’t even mention herself. I could hear and feel her heart through the phone, and I thought wow, she must be living such a fulfilling life. The world often makes it seem like selfishness leads to fulfillment, but that’s far from the truth. It was truly inspiring to hear about someone who gives so much of themselves for others. I’ve come to realise that the joy we long for is often found in serving God and His people.

Who did you serve this week , God ? People? If your focus was only on yourself, then you acted selfishly. Every day is an opportunity to be a light in someone’s life. You are the light of the world, yet why is that light only serving you?

With that in mind, take a moment to reflect: What can you do right now to make the world a better place? Let’s start with where you are , what can you do today?

And if your first thought is, “But no one will pay me for it,” consider this: How much did you pay for the heartbeats you’ve been given today? For yesterday? For the years you’ve lived? Even those in the hospital pay the doctors, not God. Let that sink in. Reflect on it.

With that in mind, I invite you to partner with me in supporting this orphanage by helping to purchase the following essential items. You can simply pick up one or two things at the grocery store or order online and have them couriered to me.

Additionally, I will be visiting the orphanage fortnightly to provide free counseling services. As you can imagine, this will require a great deal of preparation and resources. If you’d like to support this mission financially, please reach out to me. The funds will go toward creating charts, workbooks, and other materials to support their emotional and spiritual well-being. May God bless you as you serve!

Please refer to the list above.
For financial partnership with me please contact me on 📧 yieldedcwcenter@gmail.com | 📞 +27845877944.

🩷🌸Have a great weekend! I love you! 🌸🩷

It’s Worship Wednesday! Are you excited?

I love Worship Wednesdays because all I have to do is share my playlist with you , no long writing, just pure worship. This day is special because it’s about connecting with God personally, according to our hunger and desire for Him.

Many people struggle to worship outside of “group worship” whether in church or with friends. But when we’re alone, cultivating a life of worship can be challenging. This struggle affects our relationship with God because worship is one of the ways we truly come to know Him. Do you find yourself bored during worship but excited when it’s time to pray? If so, there’s something off in your walk with God. Worship isn’t just a moment; it’s a lifestyle.

How do you start?

You start by asking the Holy Spirit to teach you how to worship. Worship isn’t just about singing, it’s about surrender, intimacy, and a heart that seeks God. I am a music minister, and although I’ve been singing for many years, every time I’m about to minister, I always pray, “Holy Spirit, teach me how to sing.” I do this every single time because no matter how much experience I have, I recognize that true worship comes from Him.

What we cannot do, or what we lack the capacity to do at its very best, we must always ask for help. Here are some worship songs to help you draw closer to God today. See you tomorrow for our Special Edition Thursday!

When I was growing up, I believed that God was responsible for everything that happened both good and bad. If I had hiccups or sneezed a lot, I thought it was because I had lied or done something wrong, and God was punishing me. Even when I fell or bruised myself, I assumed it was His way of reminding me of unconfessed sins. I was just a child, shame! Now that I’m older, I realise that many of the challenges we face aren’t necessarily tied to God’s will but are often the result of our own choices, preferences, and decisions.

As we learned yesterday, the choice is ours to make God has given us free will. The people in your life, your spouse, even the way you dress; these are all choices you’ve made. I’ve made my fair share of bad choices, and I had to face the consequences. That’s the thing about decisions, every choice comes with a consequence. The Bible tells us about a man named Nabal, whose very name means “fool.” But guess what? He was married to a beautiful wise woman called Abigail. When Nabal rudely turned away David’s messengers, he angered David and put his entire household in danger. David was prepared to wipe them all out. But then, the Bible tells us that Abigail quickly got on her donkey and hurried to meet David, seeking to make peace.

“She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all blame in this matter, my Lord. Please listen to what I have to say. I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭25‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A wise and sensible woman married a fool; just let that sink in. When I first read this, I thought, “Wow! So even wise people make mistakes?” And then I remembered Solomon… case closed! Even the wisdom of men has its flaws.

You might be thinking, “How could Abigail marry a man like that?” But be honest how many times have you found yourself in relationships, business partnerships, or friendships with fools? Apostle Joshua Selman puts it best: “If you count five fools around you, you did not count well!” Now, imagine if Abigail hadn’t stepped in she would have perished, all because of her connection to a fool. Moral of the story? You’re never safe around fools!!

Fools are a special breed, they make impulsive decisions, speak recklessly, and act without considering the consequences or who will be affected. They just do things anyhow. But here’s the funny part: fools still get opportunities! They get the jobs, the marriages, some even become parents! The problem isn’t getting things; it’s keeping them. Their foolishness eventually ruins what they once had.

Now, let’s talk about Abigail. This beautiful, sensible woman looked at Nabal and said, “I do!” A whole Abigail married a whole fool. And not just any fool; one so certified that even his wife called him that!I can’t help but wonder, how many fires did Abigail have to put out because of her husband? How many apologies did she have to make on his behalf? How many times did she rush to clean up the mess he created? Because when you’re surrounded by fools, guess who gets stuck doing damage control? You! And let me tell you, that life is exhausting!

Everyone makes foolish decisions now and then, it happens. But there’s a big difference between making a foolish decision and being a fool. Don’t be that friend. You know, the one no one asks for advice because they already know whatever comes out of your mouth will make zero sense. Refuse to be the Nabal of your circle! Ask God for wisdom, so you don’t become anyone’s cautionary tale. The book of Proverbs has so much to say about fools that sometimes, when you’re reading it, you start wondering, “Wait… is Solomon talking about me?”

But here’s a question, when you look at your life, how many of the people around you are wise? How many give you sound advice? How many can actually be trusted? And most importantly, how many truly believe in God? Because according to the Bible, the first qualification for being a fool is not believing that God exists. So, before worrying about fools around you, make sure you’re not the one Solomon’s been warning us about!

“A wicked fool says to himself, “There is no God.” Fools are evil. They do terrible things. None of them does anything good.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬ ‭ICB‬‬

Wisdom is profitable. 🌸