“All things work together for good to them that love God, and to them that are called according to His purpose”. - (Rom. 8:28)… Bible says All Things –God or Bad- ALL THINGS!
There are seven forces which act as variables in life, ensuring that God's purpose is established. God has these 7 forces at his disposal to use as he wills, the born-again man has access to the seven to work for him, but the devil is limited in access. Here are the seven (7) forces: 1. WISHES This is apparently the weakest force- you must have heard this before: ‘If wishes were horses, beggars will ride the best of them all’. To wish simply means to have a strong feeling of wanting something to happen or wanting to have something. Every man has this ‘force’… Is it really a force? Maybe! Ask, who is the most miserable of all men on earth? A man whose operations in life are zoned only to the realm of wishes! His life will be full of wants, desires & need- all these, with no means for them to materialize. He will most likely also have a lot of regrets… Have you ever heard someone say “I wish I did/didn’t…” I want you to know that every man is a wisher somewhere in life… You know, you probably wish the government will do certain things, but you really do not have a say as far as that is concerned, all you can do is wish! Above all, I want you to know that God is a wishing God. Sounds like blasphemy? At least, we know two of God’s wishes: I. That all men should be saved and II. Be brought to the knowledge of the truth… -1Timothy 2:4 Beloved, is this the case? At least, we also know that some people died as unbelievers, thus, making this scripture one of the expression of God’s wishes. 2. OPINION Who is the man that has an opinion? It is someone who has a platform to express his view on an issue. The power of opinion is a platform. Take for example, opposition parties in any country have their opinion on the performance of the party in power; activists have their own opinion on how the masses are being treated… They are just entitled to their opinion! Opinion is however, subject to two things: DISPUTE and DEBATE before it can be accepted. That is why when union leaders present their opinion to the government, they will always go first to the NEGOTIATION table. These factors weaken the force of opinion. I also want you to know that God is a God of opinions. Jer. 29:11 says “I know the thoughts I have towards you, they are the thoughts of good and not of evil, to give you an expected end”… God is simply saying, my opinion about you is a good one, I want you to have a hope and a future. The will of God for you is God’s opinion about you; your divine destiny is God’s opinion about you! However, its fulfillment is largely dependent on the choices and decisions you make! Your mind is the negotiation table of your destiny! 3. INFLUENCE The simplest way I can explain influence is this- If you are the son of the president, your opinions have found a higher level of expression, this is the level of influence. Influence is a special advantage wherewith you can affect other people’s thinking and actions. This special advantage may be wealth based, relationship based or otherwise… We all know the influential men in our different societies. I will like you to know today, that God is a God of influence! God told Moses in Exodus 10:1- “Go in unto Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, I have also hardened the heart of his servants; that I might show these signs before him, and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy sons that they may know that I am the LORD”. God influenced Pharaoh’s response, so as to show forth his power! A power that will forever be a memorial in Israel. 4. AUTHORITY Authority is the ability to gain the reverence of other people. It refers to the quality a man possesses wherewith he can prevail over the turnout of events. A good example in Nigerian politics is Rtd. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo; he is an ‘Elder statesman’ in Nigeria, A former president. He’s an authority as far as politics in Nigeria is concerned, however, he has no political POWER. You know, when the righteous are in authority, Bible says, the people rejoice (Prov. 29:2). I make bold to tell you this today: that the God I serve has authority. Mark. 1:22 makes us understand this phenomenon, it tells us that Jesus taught as one having authority. Verse 27 of the same chapter tells us that with authority, He commanded evil spirits and they obeyed him. 5. POWER There is a thin, yet wide difference between authority and power- You can rebel against authority but dare not rebel against power; you can only resist power if you have a greater power. Take for example, you exercise the authority of ownership when you tell someone, ‘get out of my house!’ But boy, if the person is more powerful than you, he can throw you out of your own house! Remember, Rtd. Gen. Obasanjo is an authority in Nigeria’s politics, but currently, presidential power is vested in another man! There is a Yoruba liturgy that may help here; it goes thus: "The King sends his servant on an errand, which requires crossing the Oba River. Oba River has overflown its boundaries and is very turbulent. The king’s errand cannot be refused, yet, the Oba River cannot be crossed… The big question now is this: Will the King go and confront the river? Will he demand answers as to why it will not allow his servant to accomplish the king’s errand OR Will the river dare both the king and his servant: “Both of you, come close ‘if they born you well!'" The King here, has authority over the messenger, however, the River has power to drown both the King and his messenger. I want you to know today that God is a powerful God. Luke9:1 says: “Then He (Jesus) called his twelve disciples together and gave them POWER and AUTHORITY over all devils…” When God said to Pharaoh ‘Let my people go’, that was authority, however, since Pharaoh’s heart was hardened (by God’s influence), God brought His people out with great power and with a mighty hand! (Exo. 32:11, 2Kings 17:36). The mystery of the Sovereign God! There is nothing God cannot do… He is ALL POWERFUL. Bible makes us to understand that all authority and power in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus (Matt. 28:18, 1Cor. 15: 24-25). This implies that the devil has neither power nor authority. The highest level of his operation is at the level of influence! Again, Luke 9:1 says Jesus has shared his power and authority with us, his disciples… The devil is in trouble! 6. CONTROL To control means to supervise, monitor and regulate the turnout of events. Beloved, when things look like they are turning upside down, as a child of God, just remember that God is in control! Remember, all things work together for good to them that love God, and to them that are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28) Remember the story of Joseph- God, by his sovereign control orchestrated his steps to the throne: From Daddy’s pet to the pit; From the pit to potiphar’s house; From potiphar’s house to prison; And finally, from prison to palace… God was just in perfect control! Such that Joseph could say to his brothers, “…You thought evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Gen. 50:20) 7. WISDOM Wisdom is the highest and final force on earth. It is the ability to make cognizant decisions and judgments; the ability to strategize based on personal knowledge and experience. You really can’t beat a wise man. Power may sometimes be useful, but wisdom is profitable to direct! (Eccl 10:10). For wisdom excels folly, just as light excels darkness (Eccl. 2:13) Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city! (Eccl. 7:19) Jer. 10:12 says, “God made the Earth by His power, but he established the world by his wisdom!” i.e. He established the system being operated on the earth by his wisdom! 1Cor. 1:24 calls Jesus the power of God and the Wisdom of God… It makes a lot of sense when these two scriptures are juxtaposed with John 1:1-3- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made”. When they were killing Jesus, it looked like God had gone on a vacation, but that was the unravelling of the MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD! Ephesians 3: 9-12 “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Talking about God’s wisdom, Bible says: “None of the princes of this world knew it, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory” (1 Cor. 2:8) One minute, they thought to themselves, “Finally, we got rid of this Jesus” The next minute, they heard an announcement: “O death where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory” (1Cor. 15:55) Alleluya! God's wisdom is His Joker against the enemy! As a child of God, whenever it looks like God has gone on vacation, maybe in your life or over your affair(s), know for sure that God’s wisdom is definitely at play, and He is in perfect control… Just say to yourself: “The devil thought he got the best of me, but thanks be to God which gives me the victory, through my Lord, Jesus Christ! Now, Thanks be unto God, which always causeth me to triumph in Christ, and maketh known, the savour of His knowledge by me in every place. To the only wise God, my Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen”. (1Cor. 15:57, 2Cor. 2:14, Jude 25). Then watch everything turn around for your good, as you catch a glimpse of God’s infinite wisdom. In conclusion, I want you to know that it is only when you have embraced the wish of God (by becoming born again) and when you have given yourself to His opinion (the plan and purpose of God for you) that God's Influence, Authority, Power, Control and Wisdom will begin to work for you. If you are yet to do this, and you are making a decision to give your life to Jesus today, say this short prayer.