ADD VALUE TO YOURSELF

Bimbola Tayo-Bamidele

Dear single sister, I need your help with this. I am conducting a search and I am yet to find
what I am searching for. I have been checking through the scripture to find a woman... named or unnamed, young or old ...just one, that is weak, helpless, needy and who waited for a man to come and make her life complete. That job is God's, and I can't overemphasize this. 

The ones I found were strong, capable, confident, and value-adding. Even an unnamed slave girl in Naman's house was value-adding. She was the one who suggested a way to get her master healed of leprosy. Remember Esther? The "If I perish, I perish" lady. Remember Jael, an "ordinary" housewife who was so strong, confident, capable and value-adding that she single-handedly killed a national enemy, General Sisera. I do not want to mention Serah, who something about her made her husband feel she could save him from being murdered at a time. ..and who brought him so much rest and comfort and also worked alondside to raise 318 men in their home. I do not want to mention Priscilla, who was working alongside her husband in ministry and was so much recognized that her name comes first when the couple is mentioned. Oh, what about little teenage Mary? An ordinary, common girl whom God chose to birth a whole Saviour of the world... and who accepted the responsibility without battling an eye? You think such a huge task could be given to an helpless, weak, and needy woman? I don't want to mention the "Virtuous Woman"; let's not go there.

Develop yourself. Add value to yourself. Women are not meant to be weak, helpless and needy. They are meant to be a "help". It is an anathema, an abuse of purpose for you to go about searching for help. You are the helper... you should function in your capacity as one. Develop yourself. Add value to yourself. Forget your past. No matter what has happened, you are more than what happened to you. You are God's gift to humanity. You are God's gift to the world. You have something to offer. You have a role to play. You have a place to occupy.
Destinies are tied to your rising. Lives are tied to you. So many things depend on you. You are a mother of nations. There are nations in your womb waiting to be birthed.

"Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life] Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!" - Is.60:1 (AMP)

Amen.

HE WANTS THE BEST FOR US

Bimbola Tayo-Bamidele

Each time my son breaks a rule, I spank him... especially if I had warned him before he did it.

For every fresh breaking of my rule, I pardon him and correct him by telling him not to do it again.

When it is repeated or becomes a habit, I beat him seriously.

But you see, no matter how much he errs and how much I punish him, I love him so much, I will not allow any evil come near him, I care for him and I will not withhold anything good from him.

Never have I beaten him and found him running away from me not wanting anything to do with me anymore. Sometimes, he even comes hugging me while still crying and wailing, stretching his hands for me to carry him.

He makes me so proud of him when after correcting him, he takes to correction without being offended in me.

When he breaks a toy or spoils anything, he may not get a replacement immediately but the plan to get him a replacement is already on my mind...

Such is a poor but clear picture of our relationship with a Father who loves us with an everlasting love.

He is not condemning us; He is interceding for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.

He wants the best for us. His plans for us are good. His thoughts are good. He will not withhold good things from us. So if we expect some good things and they have not come, it is not because He hates us and is punishing us. No. He makes all things beautiful in its time.

His love for us is perfect; let it cast out all fears.

He will not cast us away forever....

PRAY FOR SOMEONE TODAY

Bimbola Tayo-Bamidele

Many of us often wish we had people upholding us in prayers because of some stuffs we are going through. We wish someone would just take our matter to God and intercede for us. Thank God the Bible says Jesus forever lives to make intercession for us before the Father. So we can go rest in that. Jesus already got our back... and the Holy Spirit also prays for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.

Does that free us from prayers? No. But we do no longer pray out of desperation. We pray believing that whatsoever we ask the Father in Jesus' name is already done. Our issues are settled. We should relax in that reality.

Having settled the above in our hearts, something is required of us. We should also take our friends to God in prayers. Our total victory lies in helping and praying for others. The Bible says that it was when Job prayed for his friends that the Lord turned his captivity. Why not pray for someone today? Job did not pray because he was okay and had it all. No. He was even sick, poor and desolate, so we have no excuse. That may be the last straw that would break the back of the camel of all our adversaries.

Sow a seed of prayer into someone' life today and watch God turn again your captivity.

You will surely testify and we will rejoice with you.

Amen.

"And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." - Job 42:10

God's Will May Be Different From Our Plans

Bimbola Tayo-Bamidele

Do you know that everyone of us actually desire God's will to be done in our lives? Yet we fight it when it conflicts with our idea of what His will should be.
Sometimes, our mind is so fixed on what we really want and then, for formality purpose, we ask Him to have His way and let His will be done. When He now does His will, or reveals it, and it does not come in the package we expect, we begin to fight it; simply because it does not tally with our expectations.
As I think about this now, an incident came to my mind.
Hubby and I wanted to relocate from our former apartment. He wanted somewhere close to our church, I wanted the heart of town; and the heart of town is far from our church. We prayed and agreed that God's will, will be done.
When we eventually got a place, it was neither close to church, nor to the heart of town. It was not a place either of us ever considered at all... and we didn't want it. I followed the agent to the place reluctantly, but when I saw the apartment, I fell in love with it. But it was not where either of us wanted or expected.
When I told hubby about the place, he said 'No'. Even after much persuasions and pleadings from me, he refused to agree. So, I gave up, and agreed with him to settle for a place near the church.
Do you know that as he went searching for some other place on his own, he was taken to this same place that I first saw and told him about. He loved it as soon as he saw it. He immediately called me and told me, "I found the place you were taken to the last time. Well, since you said you liked that place, let us go there." Meanwhile, i had taken my mind off the place. I told him, "No! it is too far from church; neither is it close to the heart of town." Now, it was his turn to start persuading me but I insisted.
Then the Holy Spirit interrupted me, "I thought you wanted my will?"
I replied, "Yes, of course. I do and You know it" Then He said, "Why are you now fighting it?" I was surprised to hear that, so I asked, "You mean...?" He replied, "Yes, that is My will" I had no choice. I had to succumb to and align with the new development.
We have never ceased to thank God for that house. The neighbours, the environment, the atmosphere, everything was just beautiful and more than we could ever ask for. We could not have gotten a better place at that period... and we nearly missed it because it did not appear to be where we wanted it or what we wanted.
God's will, most times, may be different from what we ever imagined. If eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, and if it has not entered the heart of any man what He has prepared for all that love Him, then all that love Him must keep an open mind... even
after praying for what they desire; so that they will not miss Him and His best for their lives.
May God help us to recognize and accept His will even when it comes in a disguise.
May God's will be done in every aspect of our lives in Jesus' name... and may we align with it.
Amen.
Have a great day, great women of God in the house.
Shalom.

Every Wise Woman Builds Her House (2)

Bimbola Tayo-Bamidele

Every wise woman builds her house but the foolish one tears it down with her hands. - Prov.14:1
Woman, pay attention to your spirit. Your spirit is the real you. Your spirit is your very life. Your spirit is the engine room of your being. Your spirit is your "house".
Every wise woman build her spirit but the foolish one tears it down with her hands.
It is from your spirit that every other thing stems. It is from your spirit that your mood, attitude, character, disposition, countenance and all stem.
1Pet.3:4 talks about the "...unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God."
Without a gentle and quiet spirit, which is fully secure and restful in God, we are easily provoked, angered, irritated, anxious, impatient, unloving, unkind, inconsiderate, unthoughtful, resentful and bitter... and we nag.
Every wise woman builds her house but the foolish one tears it down with her hands.
Maybe, we could argue that we do not "tear" down our "house". But the fact is that, if we are not consciously and deliberately building our spirit every day, we are passively tearing it down. Our spirit was not wired or designed to run on neutral. It is not designed to run on automatic gear. Any laxity in the spirit opens the door for the enemy of our soul and God's Kingdom, through us. Every indulgence, non-challance, and passivity is a dangerous and deadly trap. Why?
Your spirit is the candle of the Lord... - Prov.20:27
That candle must not go off or go dim at any time, if we must be spiritually alert, receptive and sensitive to God's voice. That candle must be fuelled daily, no matter how "busy" you are. It is called "daily bread"... not "weekly" or "Sunday bread".
In our various callings, we must be wise women whose "houses" are well built. As a teacher, engineer, architect, banker, social worker, fashion designer, street sweeper, whatever, nothing matters than our spirit being well grounded and established. I can be a street sweeper and be a joy to heaven while a "successful" business woman is not heavenly relevant. So what matters is my spirit being built enough to hear and listen when the Master speaks.
Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her hands.
Are you a wise woman?
Build your house.
You are on earth for a specific assignment. You are here to "help" God's Kingdom in one way or the order. It does not have to be something "big" in the world's view. Yours may just be like Mary's - to raise a "saviour" for God as a mother. Yours may be like Moses' mother - to have the courage and wisdom to keep Moses save and alive in a time when children's lives are being destroyed. Yours may be like that of that little servant in Naman's house who orchestrated relief for her master. Yours could be like that of Dorcas who was such a blessing that when she died, people that had benefited from her generousity had to cry out to God and got her raised from the dead. Yours could be like that of Sarah or Priscilla, working alongside their husbands (This is important for every married woman, in one way or the other; even if your work is different from that of your husband, there must be unity of purpose... else the devil will have a field day in your home.)
Your spirit is the candle of the Lord.
Your spirit is your "house".
Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her hands.
May the Lord increase your understanding ...and mine too.
Thanks for this opportunity.
Thanks for being here.
I appreciate you all.
Have a great and restful weekend, great women of God in the house...
Amen.

Every Wise Woman Builds Her House (1)

Bimbola Tayo-Bamidele

Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her hands." - Prov.14:1
We, women have a tendency to build everything but our "house". We build our career, business, marriage, husband, children, ministry, friendships but our "house".
We are usually strong and powerful, always there for every other person but for ourselves. We give everyone and everything our all, expecting them to automatically return our gestures with what we "deserve" and when they don't, we feel used and feel like victims and start demanding "justice". We try to help everyone but ourselves.
"House" as I received the interpretation here, refers to our base, our essense, our abode, what we rest on, our foundation, from which every other thing extends.
Every wise woman does not leave her "house" to chance. She does not live the responsibility of building her base to others, not even her husband. She takes responsibility for her life, sanity, health, soundness and well-being. She is first there for herself and it is from that place of rest she has built for herself within herself, that she extends to others, including her husband, children and every other thing.
Nobody will build your "house" for you woman, it is your personal responsibility to stay sane, healthy, sound and whole. Dont Attend to everything and everyone at the expense of your house. It is dangerous. Our strength, and capability should extend from a solid base/foundation that we have built within us or we crumble in no time, when faced with normal every day challenges that shake us to the very core of our being.
Let us start with ourselves. The whole world can wait. That is why our unmarried days are the best time for this. But even if we are married, it is not too late. After we are built, we can start reaching out to others from our rich resources ...not run on our default mode.
God created us to be a Help. And the word "Help" gives an impression of someone richly equipped with everything it takes to help another. Things fall apart and we fall apart with them, only when we have refused to pay attention to our base. We build our children, our husband, career, business, ministry and weave our lives around them while leaving our "house" unattended to. We expect them to pay us back by building our house for us, in return for the help we render them, and because it is not theirs to do, we begin to see "unfairness" and begin to demand for equality and justice. When anything happens, we begin to feel like victims of circumstances simply because we have assumed we had our priorities right.
Many of us are not actively "tearing" down our house, but we do, when we do not put in conscious efforts to build it. When you are not actively and deliberately building, you are tearing it down. When you leave it in its default mode and running it on automatic or neutral, you are tearing down your house with your hands.
The everlasting God is your refuge, underneath are His everlasting arms. Make God your base. Wisdom, wealth, health, strength and all other materials needed to build your house are in His hands. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Every woman that will be wise must have a good dose of the fear of the Lord to begin with. Your relationship with the Lord should be rich, sound and buoyant. Let it be your base, the foundation from which all other things extends from. Your relationship with God must not be traded for anything, for from it comes your very life. Emotional strength and stability, soundness of mind, clarity and wisdom are all benefits of a house well built. When God is at the centre, things can never fall apart... and when and if they do, you will not fall with them.
Are you a wise woman?
Build your house.
Nobody will do it for you. It is your personal responsibility to stay sane, healthy, sound and whole. Don't attend to everything and everyone at the expense of your house. It is dangerous. Our strength should stem from a strong base or we crumble in no time.
May the Lord increase your understanding and mine...
Amen.
Do have a good day and a restful wrekend