Di Perfect Love and Knowledge of God
Twelfth Sunday for Ordinary Time, Year A
“No be two sparrow dem dey sell for one small coin? Still, not even one of dem dey fall for ground without una Father knowing. Even all di hair for una head, dem don count am. So make una no fear; una get value pass plenty sparrow.” Matthew 10:29-31
E dey give us comfort to know say God Wey Get All Power over di whole universe know every detail about our life, and every single detail really matter to Am. Di way E know us pass di way we know ourself by far, without any limit, and E love each one of us more deeply than we fit ever love ourself. These truths suppose give us plenty peace.
Think about di truth wey dey inside dis Scripture wey dey above. God even know how many hair dey our head! Dem talk dis one to show how deeply and closely God know us.
When we come understand say di Father know us completely AND say His love for us dey perfect, we go fit put all our trust in Him. We fit trust God only when we understand Who we dey trust. And when we begin understand more fully Who God be and how much He care about every small part of our life, e go easier for us to put all those things for His hand and allow Him take control of everything.
Today, think deeply about these basic truths: God know us perfectly, and Im love for us perfect. Stay with these truths and think deeply about dem. As you dey do so, allow dem become di foundation of God invitation for you to leave di control of your life for Im hand instead of your own. Try surrender yourself completely to Am, and you go begin discover di freedom wey this surrender dey bring.
Father for Heaven, I thank You because You know every small part of my life completely. I thank You too for Your perfect love. Help me to trust dis love and to trust di invitation wey You dey give me every day to surrender everything. I surrender my life to You, my dear Lord. Help me to surrender myself more fully today. Jesus, na You I trust.
To Calm Di Storms of Life
Sunday Nomba 12 for Ordinary Time, Year B
One strong storm suddenly start, and waves dey break enter di boat, so water don already dey fill am. Jesus dey di back of di boat, dey sleep for cushion. Dem wake Am and tell Am, “Teacher, You no care say we dey perish?” E wake up, rebuke di wind, and tell di sea, “Quiet! Stay still!” Di wind stop, and everywhere calm well-well. Mark 4:37-39
This passage na wetin we fit call one “prophetic action” wey Jesus do. As E calm di storm, na one way wey E take dey speak to us about our own life.
Di first thing to think deeply about na say Jesus dey there for di middle of di storm. E dey inside di boat as di waves dey crash enter am. But di main thing na say E dey there. This one tell us say anytime we experience “storm” for our life, Jesus dey there for di middle of am. E no dey far away; instead, E dey right there.
But we also notice say He dey sleep. One thing we fit learn from dis na say Jesus dey wait for our prayer. He dey wait make we turn to Him inside di storm. Na dis suppose be di first thing we go think about anytime di things wey dey happen for life overwhelm us or bring wahala come our way.
Notice say di “prayer” of di Apostles resemble di way we too fit pray sometimes. “Teacher, You no care say we dey perish?” Plenty times, we dey turn to God dey talk say, “Lord, where You dey? Why You no dey help?” But we suppose know say many times, God dey keep quiet as one way to call us come to Am, so we go turn to Am with trust and confidence. Jesus accept their prayer and answer dem.
Di answer wey E give na simply to show Im authority over di storm. E rebuke am and talk say, “Quiet! Stay still!” With that, di storm no fit continue again, and everywhere come calm.
We must know say Jesus do dis so that we go get confidence say He fit handle any hardship wey we dey face. No storm too strong for Him. Nothing dey wey He no fit handle.
Today, think deeply about wetin dey make you fear pass every day. Wetin dey shake your faith? Turn to Jesus for di middle of that thing, and know say E dey there, ready to bring peace and calm.
Lord of true peace, I invite You enter my life and di storm wey I dey face. I know say You fit do all things, so I dey beg for Your peace and calm for my heart. Help me to always turn to You. Jesus, na You I trust.
Wetin We Lose Na Wetin We Gain
Sunday Nomba 12 for Ordinary Time, Year C
“Because anybody wey want save im life go lose am, but anybody wey lose im life because of me go save am.” Luke 9:24
You dey try every day to lose your life? You dey seek to surrender your life completely, without holding anything back? At first, this fit make you wonder why person go ask this kind question. But na one of the reasons why Jesus talk am this way. Im words suppose make us pause and think about the wisdom wey dey inside this command.
At first, because we dey tend to think only about ourself, di first answer we dey give about losing our life na, “No, I no want lose my life.” Jesus know say na so e be, and na one of di reasons wey make Him talk dis way. He want make we hear those words and make their meaning challenge us.
Wetin e mean to talk say you must lose your life if you want save am? E mean say you must ready and willing to let go of everything for life because of one thing: di will of God.
To lose our lives na one way to trust God pass ourselves. Na way to live wey fully accept say God plan for our lives better well well pass anything we fit plan by ourselves. Na way to allow God enter and take charge of every part of our lives. When we understand this well, and when we understand say God go take care of us better pass as we fit take care of ourselves, we no go hesitate to tell Am “Yes” for every way.
Today, take time think about this simple question: I dey ready and willing to hand every part of my life over to God? If you dey willing to do am, then take time do am for prayer. No hesitate, and no doubt the perfect love wey E get for you. Na only when you let go of everything for life you go fit allow God give you much more.
My glorious Lord, I put my whole life for Your hand without holding anything back. Help me to see those parts of my life wey still full of selfishness. Make I trust You above everything and give up myself completely for You and because of Your holy will. Jesus, na You I trust.
You Dey Judge People with Hard Mind?
Monday for Week Nomba 12 for Ordinary Time
“Make una stop to dey judge people, so that dem no go judge una. Because na di way una judge people dem go judge una, and na di measure wey una use measure for people dem go use measure for una.” Matthew 7:1-2
To dey judge people with hard mind fit be habit wey hard to stop. Once person don get the habit to dey always think and talk about others with harshness and fault-finding, e dey very hard for am to change. In fact, once person start to follow this road of finding fault and judging people, e fit well continue for that road, dey find more fault and dey judge people more and more.
Na one of the reasons why Jesus talk so strongly about this habit. After the passage wey dey above, Jesus talk say, “You hypocrite, first remove the big wood wey dey your eye…” These words and the way Jesus strongly condemn this habit of judging people no be mainly because Jesus dey vex for the person or E want treat am harshly. Instead, E want turn the person away from the road wey e dey follow and help free am from this heavy load. So one important question to think about na this: “Na me Jesus dey talk to? I dey struggle with this habit of judging people?”
If the answer na “Yes,” no fear and no lose heart. To see this habit for yourself and admit am dey very important, and na the first step towards the virtue wey be the opposite of judging people with hard mind. That virtue na mercy. And mercy na one of the most important virtues wey we fit get today.
E be like say this time wey we dey live need mercy pass ever before. Maybe one reason for this na say, for the way people dey live all over the world, dem dey quick treat others harshly and find fault with dem. All you need do na to read newspaper, browse social media, or watch news programmes for night, and you go see say this habit of examining people matter and finding fault dey grow more and more for our world. This na real problem.
The good thing about mercy na say God dey use either our habit of judging people or our mercy—depending on the one wey show more for our lives—as the measure for how E dey treat us. E go show us great mercy and forgiveness when we show this virtue. But E go also show Im justice and judgment when na this road of judging others we choose to follow. Na our choice!
Today, think deeply about mercy and di habit of judging people for your life. Which one plenty pass? Which one you dey tend to do pass? Remind yourself say mercy always dey bring far more reward and satisfaction than to dey judge people. E dey bring joy, peace and freedom. Put mercy for your mind, and make up your mind to see di blessed rewards wey dis precious gift dey bring.
Merciful Lord, abeg, fill my heart with mercy. Help me to put aside all di thoughts wey dey find fault and all harsh words, and put Your love for their place. Jesus, na You I trust.
Do to Other People…
Tuesday for Week Nomba 12 for Ordinary Time
“Do to other people wetin you go want make dem do to you. Na dis be di Law and di Prophets.” Matthew 7:12
Dis saying wey we know well na command from God wey He establish for di Old Testament. Na good guide for how person suppose live.
Wetin you go want make other people “do to you?” Think about am and try to talk true. If we dey honest, we must agree say we want make other people do plenty things for us. We want make dem respect us, treat us with dignity, treat us fairly, and other things like that. But for di deepest part of our heart, we want make dem love us, understand us, know us and care for us.
Deep for inside, all of us suppose try recognize di natural longing wey God give us to share loving relationship with other people, and to receive love from God. Dis desire reach di very heart of wetin e mean to be human being. God make us human beings for dat love. Dis Scripture passage wey dey above show say we must dey ready and willing to give other people wetin we ourselves want receive. If we fit recognize di natural desire for love wey dey inside us, we suppose still work hard to grow di desire to love other people. We suppose grow di desire to love to di same extent wey we dey seek love for ourselves.
Dis one hard pass as e sound. Our selfish nature dey push us to demand and expect love and mercy from other people, while at di same time we no dey expect ourselves to give reach wetin we expect from dem. Di main thing na to first put our mind for our own duty. We must work hard to see wetin God dey call us to do and how He dey call us to love. As we see dis as our first duty and try live am out, we go discover say to give dey satisfy us far more than to seek wetin we go receive. We go find out say na to “do to other people,” no matter wetin dem “do to us,” dey truly give us fulfilment.
Today, think deeply about di natural desire wey dey your heart for other people to love and respect you. Then, make dis one guide how you dey treat di people wey dey around you.
Lord of perfect desires, help me to do to other people wetin I want make dem do to me. Help me to use di desire for love wey dey my own heart as wetin go move me to love other people. As I dey give myself, help me to find fulfilment and satisfaction inside dat gift. Jesus, na You I trust.
To Bear Good Fruit
Wenezde for Week 12 for Ordinary Time
“Beware of false prophets wey dey come meet una with sheep clothing, but for inside, dem na wolves wey get dangerous hunger. Na by their fruits una go know dem. People dey pluck grape from bush wey get chuku, or fig from thistle?” Matthew 7:15-16
Di clear answer to dis question wey Jesus ask na “No, people no dey pluck grape from bush wey get chuku.” For another way to talk am, evil person no fit bear good fruit.
This word from our Lord fit guide us well for how to judge things well. First of all, e dey important make we know this simple truth: “false prophets” dey exist. This fit mean anybody wey dey deliberately lead another person astray while e dey pretend say na good e dey do. Some people fit do this without knowing, but normally, person wey dey act like wolf wey wear sheep cloth dey do am because e want gain something for imself. Plenty things fit be di selfish gain wey dey push dem, but most times, na selfishness dey behind am.
For example from everyday business, think of person wey dey sell used cars, wey dey deceive person wey wan buy car by telling am say one particular car good well-well, even though di seller know say di car get serious mechanical problems. Im aim na to sell di car and make selfish profit, with little concern for di harm wey e go cause di buyer wey no suspect anything.
For di same way, temptation fit come to many of us to use “sweet mouth” for people or talk wetin we think say dem want hear, so dat dem go do wetin we want. Dis na deception, and e dey lead people astray.
For matter of how to recognise wetin come from God, di key wey Jesus give us na to look at di fruit of wetin person talk or do. Whenever something come from our Lord Heart and e agree with His will, di fruit go surely good. But when e dey deceive or mislead person, even though e cover body with “goodness” wey dey only for outside, di final result, di fruit wey e produce, no go pass sour grapes.
Today, think deep about anything for your life wey you dey try to decide or weigh well to know wetin God want. If you truly want know di Lord will for di decisions wey you dey make every day, try look beyond di choice wey dey your front now to di effects wey di choice go get later. If you sincerely see say certain choices go bring good result, know say this na good sign say di choice good and e come from di Lord. If you see say certain decisions go bring bad effects and produce bad fruit, then na good sign say di decision wey you dey consider no come from God. Choose di good fruit, and na God will you go dey choose.
Lord wey dey make us truly bear fruit, give me di grace to recognize Your holy will for my life. Help me especially to see di good fruit wey dey come when I follow You always. As You dey bear good fruit for my life, dear Lord, help me to continue for that holy road wey dey lead to plenty of every good gift. Jesus, na You I trust.
Strength
Tosde for Week 12 for Ordinary Time
“Everybody wey listen to these words wey I dey talk and do wetin dem talk go be like wise man wey build im house on top rock. Rain fall, flood come, and wind blow and beat against di house. But di house no fall; dem don build am strong on top rock.” Matthew 7:24-25
After this passage wey dey above, Jesus talk about another person wey build im house on top sand, to show di difference. Wind and rain come, and di house fall. Di difference clear, and e go make anybody conclude say to build your house on top solid rock better well-well.
Di house na your life. And di simple question wey e dey raise na: how strong I be? How strong I be to face di storms, hardships and crosses wey must surely come my way?
When life easy and everything dey go smoothly, we no necessarily need great strength inside us. When money plenty, we get many friends, our body dey well and everybody for our family dey live well with one another, life fit sweet. And for that kind situation, life fit even easy. But people wey fit pass through life without facing any storm no plenty. When storm come, e dey test di strength wey dey inside us, and we need to stand strong for wetin we firmly believe.
For this story wey Jesus tell, di rain, flood and wind wey beat against di house na actually good thing. Why? Because dem allow di foundation of di house to show how firm e dey. Na so e be with us too. Di foundation of our lives must be how we hold firmly to di Word of God. You believe di Word of God? You don think deep about am, study am, take am enter your heart and allow God Word to become di foundation of your life? Jesus make am clear say na only when we listen to His words and do wetin dem talk we go get solid foundation.
Today, think deep about how firmly you believe everything wey Jesus talk. You trust every word wey He don talk? You believe Him reach to depend on His promises even when you dey face di greatest challenges for life? If you no sure, then today na good day to commit yourself again to dey read His Word with prayer. Everything wey He talk for Scripture na true, and na those truths we need to build firm foundation for di rest of our lives.
My Lord and di Rock wey be my Foundation, help me to listen to Your words and do wetin dem talk. Help me to believe Your promises and trust You even when di storms of life be like say dem too strong. Jesus, na You I trust.
Wetin Dey Move Us to Love
Fraide for Week 12 for Ordinary Time
Immediately, im leprosy clear. Then Jesus tell am, “Make sure say you no tell anybody, but go show yourself to di priest, and offer di gift wey Moses command; that one go be proof for dem.” Matthew 8:3b-4
One amazing miracle happen, and Jesus just tell di person wey He heal say make e “no tell anybody.” Why Jesus talk this one?
First, make we start by thinking deep about wetin Jesus do. As He cleanse this man from leprosy, He give am im whole life back. Di man bin dey live as person wey dem reject, separate from di community; for one sense, im leprosy take everything from am. But e get faith in Jesus, and e put imself under God care and mercy. Di result na say e become whole again, and im body come well finish.
Jesus dey often tell people wey E heal make dem no tell anybody. One reason for this na say Jesus no dey do these works of love and mercy for His own benefit; instead, E dey do dem because of love. Jesus love this man wey get leprosy and E want give am this precious gift of healing. E do am out of compassion, and di only thing wey E want in return na make di man thank Am. E no need turn di matter to something wey everybody go gather come watch; E only want make di man get grateful heart.
Na so e still be with us. We need to know say God love us so much that E want lift di heavy load wey we carry and heal our weaknesses, just because E love us. Di main reason why E dey do am no be because E go gain anything; instead, E dey do am because of His love for us.
One lesson wey we fit learn from this concern di love and mercy wey we dey show other people. When we make special effort to show love and compassion, we dey okay if nobody know? Too many times, we want make people notice us and praise us. But by di very nature of any act of love and compassion, na simply because of love we suppose do am. In fact, when we do something with love and compassion and nobody notice am, e dey help us grow for love and compassion. E dey purify our intentions and help us to love simply because of love.
Today, think deeply about wetin dey move you to do di kind things wey you dey do. Pray make you too fit desire to do good without people knowing, as you dey imitate our divine Lord.
My humble Lord, make I grow for love for other people and show that love with pure heart. Make desire for empty praise never be wetin dey move me. Jesus, na You I trust.
Lord, I No Worthy
Satode for Week 12 for Ordinary Time
“Lord, I no worthy make You enter under my roof; just talk di word and my servant go get healing.” Matthew 8:8
We dey repeat these words wey we know well every time we prepare to go receive Holy Communion. Na words of deep humility and trust from di Roman centurion wey ask Jesus make E heal im servant from far away.
Di faith of this man touch Jesus, and E talk say, “I never find this kind faith for anybody for Israel.” This man faith na something we suppose tink deeply about as example for our own faith.
First, make we look at im humility. Di centurion acknowledge say e “no worthy” make Jesus come im house. Na true. None of us worthy of this kind great grace. For spiritual sense, di house wey this dey refer to na our soul. We no worthy make Jesus come into our souls to make His home there. At first, this one fit hard to accept. We really no worthy of this? No, we no worthy. Na just di truth be that.
E important make we know say na so e be, so that as we humbly understand this, we go fit also acknowledge say Jesus still choose to come to us. When we recognize say we no worthy, di only thing wey this suppose do na to fill us with deep gratitude because Jesus dey come to us as we dey this humble condition. God make this man righteous for di sense say E pour His grace on am because of im humility.
E still get strong trust in Jesus. And because di centurion know say e no worthy of this kind grace, this make im trust even more holy. Di trust holy because e know say e no worthy, but e still know say Jesus love am despite that, and Jesus want come meet am and heal im servant.
This show us say our trust in Jesus no suppose depend on whether we get right to His presence for our lives or not. Instead, e show us say our trust rest on wetin we know about His mercy and compassion wey no get end. When we see that mercy and compassion, we go fit seek am. Again, we no dey do this because we get right to am; instead, we dey do am because na wetin Jesus want. E want make we seek His mercy even though we no worthy.
Tink well today about your own humility and trust. You fit pray this prayer with di same faith wey di centurion get? Make e be example for you, especially every time wey you prepare to receive Jesus “under your roof” for Holy Communion.
My Lord wey worthy pass all, I no worthy of You. Especially, I no worthy to receive You for Holy Communion. Help me to humbly recognize this truth, and for that humility, help me to recognize too say You still desire to come to me. Jesus, na You I trust.
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