Heyyyy YIELDED FAMILY! I hope you’ve had a beautiful week so far. I am super excited about our upcoming event. I hope to see you there !!! Okaaay …Let’s get to it!
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.” Haggai 1:7 NIV
How has your week been? WERE YOU KIND TO YOURSELF?
Many times we seek to understand others, to make them feel heard and loved. Over-functioning and codependent behaviour will eventually lead to feeling empty and bitter because at the end of the day there is nothing left for you. I hope you understand, I am not teaching selfishness but rather self awareness where – you are conscious of the fact that you also matter. Yes you do.
We often sacrifice self-care because we’re too busy trying to save everyone else. Sometimes people have to learn their own lessons in life, however painful that is. I’ve learned that self neglect is VERY REAL. I see it in parents particularly mothers . I see it in breadwinners. I see it in leaders. I also see it in relationships. One will forget they exist to make others feel like they exist .While we are taught to be selfless, self neglect is not right.
Give careful thought to it. What did you do to appreciate the small wins from this week? How many cups did you pour into while yours was running empty? Did you take the break you needed? Did you rest? You asked everyone if they’re okay but ARE YOU OKAY? You cannot run while limping. We teach people how to treat us by our own actions and attitude toward ourselves. By putting signs out there that you are a rescuer and will do anything to “save” everyone, you attract the sort of people who want to be rescued and for whom it has to be all about them—not a balanced relationship. Give it a more careful thought.
Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that we think others are worth more than us. If we are confident in our love for ourselves and treat ourselves as if we are worthy, then that is what we will attract back. That’s what will give us confidence in rooms that seek to threaten us . That will create in us, healthy feelings towards our own selves.
Answer the following questions . You can answer verbally or you can jot on your journal. Let’s go!
Here are some Christian movies to watch
Lastlyyyyyy l have an ANNOUNZMENTTTT! The Yielded Center is hosting a special meeting on Zoom next month! The event will be a paid event but I promise it won’t cost much ! Just R150 , convert that to your currency … seee? Not much right? So please invite your friends. The full details will be shared closer to the event so you can get your tickets and show up! If you have been struggling with mental health and a wounded heart, this meeting is FOR YOU! If you know someone who will benefit from this, kindly share the poster with them and stay tuned for more details!
Join us for an enlightening meeting where we explore the intersection of mental health and biblical teachings. This gathering aims to provide support, share experiences, and discover how scripture can offer guidance and comfort in challenging times. Together, we will foster a sense of community while addressing mental health concerns through the lens of faith.
I love you, have a Jesus Filled Day!!! Expect miracles! Bye now!
Hey family. Happy Wednesday. Let me start by expressing my gratitude to you guys for all the words of encouragement as l continue writing on this blog. I get really strengthened by your messages and support. To be quite honest, it’s not easy to show up consistently. As a matter of fact, some days I don’t want to. I don’t “feel” like it but it will always be bigger than feelings. Yes. The things of God are bigger than feelings. Do our feelings matter? Yes. Should we be led by feelings? No. Imagine if Jesus decided to not go ahead with the Father’s will because that day He felt like something else. So thank you for your encouragement, I’m glad we are all learning together.
We are sorry to inform you that …”
I scrolled down and I saw the same email. Over 10 of them because l usually set a target of how many applications I will send out when I’m job hunting. All of them were negative responses from companies I had applied to. I was looking at R0.00 in my account , no toiletries for the month, a possibility of no food and a double possibility of me not being able to even get to church. I waited more days to see .. the rest of the companies l had applied to, surely God had made room for me in one of them right? Beloved … hehe.
I stared at my phone screen and reread the emails . All of them were bad news. I don’t know if you guys have been desperate for a job before but boy! I was desperate! I prayed. I fasted. I danced. I served. I was ready to soar . In all that, all l got was NO here , NO there, NO everywhere. I knew God’s truth. I believed God’s truth. I had seen God take care of me before with no job or support system but suddenly … I didn’t know what to do. I had no sound of praise to release. Worship felt like a duty. I avoided it and focused on warfare because at that point it was definitely war time!
Worship and grief don’t usually go hand-in-hand. My responsibilities were choking the boldness and faith out of me – l chose warfare. I chose “other” things BUT praise and worship. Why dance when I’m about to be hungry and am already broke? Why worship when I’m not physically seeing Gods goodness? I looked at the lives of the wicked, they were/are prospering. I looked at those who don’t even care whether Jesus is Lord or not, I saw soft life. I said eiii am l coleslaw salad? I get people who get frustrated after one prayer BUT I am talking about people who Labour on the altar daily, the frustration is on 300% because you literally don’t know what else to do.
Since my childhood days I’ve never been one to ask for help or even make a sound when l need help. I still don’t. It’s something God is helping me with , bit by bit. I’m aware that it’s not a good thing. So I just pray about things and keep it going . You’ll most likely hear the testimony but not the emergency. So because I keep to myself , l knew there was no way I was coming out except by God. I straight up felt like l had nothing to be thankful for. No time for praise. No time for worship. Just warfare and speaking in tongues. It took joining a live on Instagram for me to be reminded , praise and worship is also a weapon!
It’s not easy to praise and worship during hard times. When you’re broke, sick with a bad doctors report, having lost a loved one, robbed of your belongings, lost a child or praying for one for years, no employment, no direction, it is not easy at all. While many of us have most likely had a hard year, I want to give you some reasons why you can thank and praise God at all times.
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” (Hab 3:17–19, ESV)
Habakkuk says he will rejoice in the “Lord” — Yahweh — the great I AM. The One who is eternal and unchanging. While things in this world change, God doesn’t! Worship is an act of faith. It is a choice ; and so is praise. Choosing to see beyond the empty plate and the bag of medication. Choosing to believe His truth that He is with us at all times.
If our worship is solely based on testimonies, are we sons of God or leeches? We should always seek the Bread Giver more than the bread itself why? Because bread runs out but He remains our source of sustainance. I don’t know what you’re going through right now. You may not be able to talk about it . You may not be seeing a way out. All doors are closed. The emails say “we are sorry to inform you,” the bank is saying “you broke believer” the doctor is saying “we cannot treat this” .. it may be many things choking strength out of you but today I’m saying to you;
Keep praising! Even though it seems like there is no way out, the Way is in you, He is Christ in you the hope of glory. Refuse to stop praising. Refuse to stop worshipping. I have a song for you ;
“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,” John 5:7-9 NIV
Many of us are familiar with this story. This man suffered from a paralytic condition for a long time, and was sitting at the Pool of Bethesda in hope of healing. It was a hope that had been long disappointed because the bible records that he had been in this situation for 38 years. That’s a long time to be sick. I don’t know about you but just an hour of not feeling completely fine is unbearable, what more, a month, a year, 2 years , 10 years , 20 years, and now 38 years! What about his career? Did he get a chance to marry? Did he have children? Come to think of it, did he even have friends? No. He didn’t. Imagine that! Paralysed, most probably broke, lonely and alone! That’s hake-tick!
The place was full of sick people but Jesus was drawn to this man. Maybe because others were too focused on the water but he didn’t even look there anymore for fear of disappointment. Maybe he’s the only one who looked to Jesus not because of healing but that there was nowhere else to look. The water situation was a hopeless plan but then quite naturally, the man couldn’t think of any other way for his need to be met. Jesus does not carry the man to the pool, He starts a conversation with him which turns out so interesting.
Jesus asked the man if he wanted to get well. I wonder why He asked that. Do l want gold and diamonds right now? Oh yes Lord. You don’t have to ask, l want them now as I’m typing! So Jesus saw that the man was paralysed, he was on a mat, he obviously needed healing. That’s not true. Many people are sitting on mats but they’re okay with the situation. They have accepted the sickness as part of them. Poverty. Childlessness. Unemployment. Stagnation. They have settled in with the reality that they don’t even think of a breakthrough. Do you really want to get married? Do you really want to run your business again? Hmmmm.
Let’s read his response. It says , Sir l have no one to help me. The reason why he sat there 38 years is because he had no one to assist him when he needed it the most. This means his eye was always on “who can help me” could that be the reason why he conversed with Jesus? “Oh here’s a man who will finally help me get into the pool.” Being at the pool for a long time , l bet people didn’t help him because they thought he didn’t want it that bad. Or maybe he never asked for help. In any case, his response to reveals a side of many of us. If someone doesn’t help me, I will not prosper. If my uncle doesn’t give me the job, if my aunt doesn’t pay my fees. We have fixated our eyes and faith on man so much so that we don’t realise, God is our ever present help in times of trouble. You don’t choose your destiny helper , God does and you’ll be shocked, it’s not even your own sister.
He had hope, or would never have come to the Pool of Bethesda. Yet once there, he had little hope to be the favoured one to win the healing that day. I totally understand him. I mean, daily he was there and daily he remained paralysed. When Jesus comes into the picture, He doesn’t offer the natural or usual solution . He doesn’t even say, I will take you to the pool, I’m that man you’ve been waiting for. No. He says do what you cannot do. Being paralyzed, it was impossible for him to rise or to take up his bed-mat or to walk. At this moment, Jesus challenged the man to believe Him for the impossible. And the man did- a whole miracle.
The miracle could be in doing what you’ve never done before. Shall we serve water at a wedding feast? We have never done this before. Shall we believe that 5000 people can be fed by just one lunchtin? We have never done this before. Shall l arise and take my mat when l know I’m paralysed? It’s not thought or an assumption, l am sure I am paralysed. I have never done this before. The miracles are embedded in what has never been done before. It’s not in the pool. It’s in the person of The Christ. So what if it’s been 38 years? Our God restores. So what if you’ve waited so long? In a moment the wait could be over. We are talking Miracles.
He wasn’t only healed, his strength was restored else how would he carry his bed? Complete restoration. I don’t know what you are believing God for, I don’t know how long it has been. You may have no one to help you. You literally can’t find someone who is willing to assist you. You may have seen others get what you wanted so bad and they didn’t hustle much for it. They get into the pool after being there for 5 mins but you who has struggled for yeaaaars are still struggling. There remains a hope for Gods people – his Name is Jesus. He performs miracles! He won’t need to carry you to the pool, He Himself is the pool.
I hope you’re expectant. Soon you’ll see your own miracle. Stop checking the clock. Stop blaming people for this and that. Keep your eyes on Jesus and receive your breakthrough! 🩷
“The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.” John 4:49-50 NIV
Hello Family. Welcome to a new week. I hope we are all doing okay? For those of us who are in the lion’s den , hearing the lions growl and snarl, and it seems as if they will open their mouths and eat you up. Paralysed with fear and anxiety. I want to say to you, fear not and do not be dismayed. The Lord your God is faithful to take you out of there! Soon! Hold on! We are still discussing miracles.
Jesus performed plenty of miracles. Of course, many of the things that Jesus did could not have been recorded in such short works. John freely admits, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book…Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 20:30 and 21:25). The different gospels record the miracles from slightly a different perspective but we are looking at the gospel of John.
In this story , we meet a desperate father. A man whose child is at the brink of death this means the situation was out of his control. Many times we need miracles for situations we cannot control. Maybe after trying for so long, we exhaust every possible option to help resolve the problem. I don’t doubt that this man had tried many doctors, different medicines, he might have gone from city to city, desperately seeking for remedies to save his beloved son. When he finally met Jesus, Jesus was addressing the unbelief of the crowd. “Unless you see miracles you won’t believe.” We have such people even in the church who want God to prove Himself first before they can fully believe. Miracles don’t exist in the lives of faithless people. As a matter of fact, Faith triggers the miracle. Without faith, expect to keep seeing miracles in the lives of others.
The royal official asked Jesus to come with him and heal His son. He didn’t ask if Jesus “could” do it. That was his first act of faith. He approached Jesus knowing He can do it. Isn’t that what the Bible teaches? Those who approach God must FIRST believe that He is! Before the reward, believe that HE IS. Jesus responds with words. He doesn’t tag along. Most of us think we can just come and drag Jesus wherever we want to do whatever we want. He may have been a royal official but Jesus is the Master. He released a Word and as the man believed, the miracle took place. What do we learn? The word of God mixed with faith creates miracles.
The royal official had instantaneous faith. “He started on his way.” His faith was in action. The man took Jesus at His word. There was no hesitation. He surrendered completely and immediately to the word of Jesus.
“While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.” John 4:51 NIV
This miracle teaches us of the importance of faith. Do you believe? After being disappointed by many medicines , the royal official still believed. “I don’t believe I will get married, many people have disappointed me.” Or “I don’t think I will ever make it. I’ve failed so many times.” We cannot receive what we do not expect. Expectation is a virtue of faith. If God released a word today and said ,”Go apply for the job, you’ll get it.” Will you argue? If the answer is yes then you’re part of the people Jesus was addressing. Unless you see, you’ll never believe…. By the time the official got home, his boy was in perfect health! Imagine how joyful he was!
