God Heals the Broken Hearted

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Broken heartedness is an ailment that can cause a lot of degeneration in the body and the mind if left untreated. Fortunately, God heals broken heartedness. The case of Hannah the mother of Prophet Samuel best illustrates the instance of perverse tongue and unmet desires culminating in a broken spirit. Please see 1^st Samuel Chapter 1 verses 1 to 8, and 15.  Peninah’s perverse use of her tongue on Hannah was designed to make Hannah miserable and to an extent, Peninah succeeded. Hannah was broken hearted as Peninah’s frequent recourse to taunting and mocking Hannah with the fact that Hannah was childless hit a sore point in Hannah. Hannah was so broken hearted that she wept, refused food because her heart was grieved. But one day, Hannah decided to rise above the heartache, the pain and sorrow of childlessness that was usually heightened by Peninah’s taunts and mockery especially in the house of the Lord. Hannah took the bull by the horns and made a deal with God who could help her. Though Peninah made Hannah’s life bitter, Hannah realized that Peninah was not her problem. Hannah’s problem was childlessness which God; the El Shaddai Who said that none would be barren in His house could easily solve. So Hannah ignored and left perverse tongued Peninah to meet with God and make a deal with God. Can you beat that! ‘God, give me a male child to take away the reproach of childlessness and that child is all yours.’ Great bargaining power for a deeply broken hearted woman to whom weeping and hunger strike had become a way of life. Fortunately, God not only heard her words but took note of the terms of the contract. Significantly, Hannah was still broken hearted even while making the deal. Her response to the priest Eli testifies to this. Please see verses 15 to 16 of 1^st Samuel Chapter 1.

Beloved, truthfulness accelerates and perfects every healing process. Please see Luke Chapter 8 verses 43 to 48 for details of the woman with the issue of blood who publicly admitted to touching the hem of Jesus’ garment because of the affliction of unceasing blood flow for twelve years. The word of peace came from the Prince of Peace and she was completely whole. The widow of the indebted prophet acknowledged the financial situation of the family and was set free. Hannah’s admission of the grief and sorrow in her heart prompted the Priest Eli to pronounce the blessings of peace and answered prayers on her. Hannah was comforted because the Bible records in verse 18 that she was no longer sad. Joy unspeakable was birthed in her spirit and not quite long, Hannah conceived and bore Samuel, the beginning of unnumbered comforts. How? Hannah kept her own side of the bargain and returned Samuel to God and God who always rewards in multiples gave Hannah additional children – three sons and two daughters. Please see 2^nd Samuel Chapter 2 verses 20 to 21. Indeed, a good report always brings healing to the brokenhearted.

Be More Proactive

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Rise up early – a great while before dawn to prepare. All the amazingly successful biblical characters always rose up a great while before dawn to spend quality time with God, plan and prepare for the day. The quality time spent with God meant greater illumination of their minds. Please see Psalm 119 verses 105 and 130. This also enabled them to receive divine blueprints for the day, days, weeks, months year etc. with such blueprints, they literally ran vigorously with the vision; garnered support as well as other resources required accomplishing the vision. Please see Moses, Joshua, the virtuous woman, Jesus Christ. 

Prepare even for the next second. Preparation is central to maximizing opportunities. When preparation meets opportunity, the rest is history as success comes in leaps and bounds. You make hay when the sun is shining and not when snow is falling. You also strike when the iron is hot and not cold.

Always anticipate people, events and situations so that you can proffer solutions ahead of time. Jesus Christ knew that Peter would be tested by the enemy and Peter would fail yet Jesus prayed for Peter so that Peter would become a different person after the test. Significantly, the same Peter who denied Jesus Christ thrice led the early Church after he was strengthened on account of the prayers Jesus prayed for him. 

Do not shift blames. Accept responsibility and repent and God will restore you. David acknowledged his sin. He did not blame beautiful Bathsheba for seducing him. God forgave him and restored him. 

Do not wait for events and people. Rather, preempt people and events through prophecy – by prophesying the word of God. 

Do not Limit God

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Is it possible to limit God? Yes. How? By acting in the flesh, ( Psalm 78 verses 41, 9 to 11), by fretting over the future, by complaining, murmuring and grumbling as well as trusting in the arm of flesh.

A mindset characterized by worry and anxiety cannot inherit the promises of God. This is because such a mindset is besieged by fear, lack of faith and trust in the ability of God to do the seemingly impossible. Such a mindset will neither see nor perceive the goodness of God. Neither seeing nor perceiving culminates in not receiving either. God's goodness and mercies will continually pass you by (Matthew Chapter 6 verses 23 to 24).

You probably skimp and worry about tomorrow because you have no idea what lies ahead, whether there will be provision or not. Besides, you are used to lack and having to beg and borrow, and worry, never having peace. But the Owner and Creator of tomorrow, God the FATHER, Jehovah Nissi says,

“let not your heart be troubled. I own tomorrow. I created tomorrow and significantly you, so that you can function in my plans and purposes for tomorrow. Why then should I abandon you to tomorrow without my plans and strategy for you to make it through and beyond tomorrow to so many other tomorrows. All you need do is abide in Me, cling to Me, and you have My plans and strategy for a greater tomorrow and many other tomorrows”.

When a person internalizes doubts to the point of not only expressing them but allowing the doubts to guide and mislead him or her; resulting in loss of faith and confidence in God, the person limits God because at that point, unbelief has set in (Matthew Chapter 13 verses 54 to 58). However, if you choose to trust God and believe Him for good to come your way, then you will experience and enjoy incredible and astounding good things from God. God uses His word to make a way where there is no way. God watches over His word to perform His word and not your fears, worries and anxieties.

Enhance Your Brand 3

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Grooming, cleanliness, personal hygiene, dressence, beauty enhancements, are also components of enhancing your brand. To be clean, to smell good and look good are all processes that lead up to brand enhancement. Cleanliness and dressing up are therefore critical to brand enhancement.

Esther is described as lovely and beautiful - having a good figure and beautiful face (Esther Chapter 7 verse 9) yet when she entered for the search for a queen contest, she also partook of the prescribed beauty treatments for twelve months – six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women (Esther Chapter 2 verses 3, 9 to 12, 15).

Ruth was Naomi’s daughter in-law. She came with Naomi from Moab and was gleaning to feed herself and her mother in-law. Naomi was concerned about the future of Ruth and decided to take advantage of a Jewish custom that benefited widows so Ruth could remarry within the family. So she advised Ruth on what to do.

All the while Ruth had been gleaning in the fields of Boaz, she was not properly groomed and dressed to attract the attention of Boaz in the way a potential bride should be. Therefore, Naomi instructed Ruth to shower and to be clean and free of grime, oils and sweat and dirt smells which cling and throw off  foul unpleasant smells that drive people away; apply cream that is oils to soften her skin and make her skin glow, attractive and appealing and people will want to touch and feel it; apply perfume for a more pleasant smell that will screen off any possible sweat smell after her walk to the threshing floor. Ruth was also advised to put on her best gown; dress well, dress up. Why? To enhance her brand as the best bride that Boaz could have. Already, Boaz was impressed by her devotion to Naomi as well as her care for Naomi. The additional beauty touches would be additional pleasant seasonings to an already delicious pudding.

Mind Your Business

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Know your sheep by name: carefully attend to your flocks; (Don’t take them for granted; possessions don’t last forever, you know) and then, when the crops are in and the harvest is stored in the barns, you can knit sweaters from lamb’s wool, and sell your goats for a profit; there will be plenty of milk and meat to last your family through the winter. Proverbs Chapter 27 verses 23 to 27, Message Translation

Pay attention to your fields, which is MIND YOUR BUSINESS. It is not the fields of other people that you pay attention to that will yield their strength to you. It is your fields that you mind and pay attention to that will yield their strength to you. Therefore, do not leave your fields fallow and unattended to while you mind the fields of other people. Mind your fields and pay attention to the details of your fields.  You can actually enhance your brand by minding your fields and paying attention to the details of your fields.

In Proverbs Chapter 12 verse 11, the Bible refers to the person who follows frivolity as a person devoid of understanding while a person who tills his or her land will have plenty of bread. This is further reiterated in Proverbs Chapter 28 verse 19 (plenty of bread for land tillers and poverty for those who follow frivolity).