By Funmi Komolafe

The word of the Lord as written in the book of Ecclesiastes 9 verses 4&5 is our take off point in this edition.  It states, “ For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten”.

Brethren, the key words for us here are hope and living.  Clearly, this Bible passage tells   us that only the living have hope.  The dead are gone with their dreams.   No matter the situation you find yourself today, even if you are unemployed, coping with illness   or waiting on the Lord for children, you are still better that the dead.  You may say, that’s no news but one may also be a living dead if he or she fails to have hope.

Faith and hope are like Siamese twins.  Faith is simply defined as “ a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny”.

Hope on the other hand means, “ expect and wish”. It is synonymous with trust and desire.

For a moment, let’s have a look at what the Holy Bible states about faith and hope.

Hebrews 11 vs. (1&2)  “ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report”. Are you ready to receive a good report?

When a single lady who is overdue for marriage begins to buy wedding materials, her friends are likely to mock her or a woman who has been waiting on the Lord for children buys baby materials, many will say, she is not normal but she is exercising her faith.    At times, God honours such exercise of faith in a manner that will surprise many.  To such people, the Lord gives exceptional miracles.

Why?  It is simply because with such activity, that person has demonstrated total trust and confidence in God.

It is not enough to fast and pray; you need to exercise your faith in the Lord.

I’ll share with you the story of a lady.   She had been married for over a decade without a child. During one of the services, the Holy Spirit spoke through her Pastor with a message that women believing God for children should go and buy baby cot.

This lady and her husband obeyed and got one. Artisans who had cause to work in her room wondered if she was mentally stable but none ever asked her questions.

The woman laid in the cost baby dresses. Every morning, while praying to God for children, she would look at the cot and say “ This cot, either the enemy likes it or not, my own child from my own body will use you.  I will not give these clothes to anyone.  My children will use all”.

After a few years, the woman took in and God gave her a baby boy. It was a great miracle for she was 50 plus that year.   All those who had written her off, had no choice but to rejoice with her.

What this woman did is similar to the action of the woman with the issue of blood, Mark 5 vs. 25-29. You are familiar with the story but let’s refer to verses 28  & 29 “ For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole”.

The consequence of her action is recorded in verse 29 “ And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague”.

By the grace of God whatever has been making you unfulfilled in life, the Lord will remove and give you a dream like miracle in Jesus name.

Brothers and sisters, that the year is coming to an end is a reality but is your expectation also coming to an end.   Don’t ever condition your mind to the negative.

This is actually the time to you to exercise stronger faith in Lord.

Waiting on the Lord does not mean shutting yourself from medical science.  If you are waiting on the Lord for children or contending with health challenges.  Continue to take the necessary steps as you pray along.

I’ll share with you the testimony of a couple in a Pentecostal church in Lagos

According to the couple, they had series of IVF that failed.  She said at a point, she became the experiment object of her doctor all of which failed but suddenly with intensive prayers, God surprised her.

While this was going on, her husband turned 50 and was quite unhappy.  At a time, he told her to pay for the IVF treatment, as he couldn’t spend more money. She did and that was the one that gave her a positive result.

About this time, a relation called the husband and told him she heard that he was building houses; she asked him, who would inherit your property when you have no child let alone a son.

Her husband was the only one in his family of orientation who had no child.  All his siblings had children.

To the glory of God, after this insult, God arose; she conceived and had a set of twins; a boy and a girl.

You can imagine their joy but God had not finished with them.

The twins were barely a year old, when she began to feel feverish. Her doctor suggested pregnancy test but she refused saying, it can never be pregnancy given her medical history.

Before the birth of the twins, she had been praying for twin boys so when she had a boy and a girl, the couple said they needed no more children.

After a few weeks, she decided to go for pregnancy test. Lo and behold, she was confirmed pregnant.   Her subsequent scan tests revealed she was carrying a set of twins.

To shorten the story, God decided to answer her initial prayers and she gave birth to twin boys.

Within three years, man and woman that were called barren for about two decades became parents of four children.

In the name of Jesus, whatever we lack today, the Lord will give us an overflow very soon.

Brethren, be confident.  There is nothing that God cannot do. Refrain from engaging   in unnecessary altercation with your mockers.

With your renewed faith in God, you will end this year with a result that will surprise even you in the name of Jesus.

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor E.A Adeboye   wrote in his daily devotional guide, Open Heavens, “ Waiting requires patience and perseverance, and the word of God is clear that children of God sometimes need to wait on Him.  Waiting is necessary where we are anticipating God’s judgment or hoping for His blessings”.

He cautioned, “ Children of God must not consider taking revenge or repaying evil with evil; rather, they must wait for the Lord’s help and timing in all situations”.

Had the woman I referred to picked up a quarrel with her husband who said he was tired of paying for IVF, would she have had the first twins?  Most unlikely.  Such a quarrel could lead to a break in their marriage and both would be losers.

Whatever it is you have been expecting, do not lose hope.

Exercise your faith.  Take your faith to the next level   and the Lord will surprise you before this year ends in Jesus name.