Sometimes ago, in the year 2006, in Ilesa, Nigeria around 10pm; it was night and everywhere was stark dark. I was walking with two friends along a path where there was a very deep ditch. As we walked and chatted on, I saw like a flash, a picture of someone falling inside the ditch. Being a very playful and jovial person, I made fun with it and said to my friends, "It's possible for someone to fall into this ditch o, the day someone falls inside, I will lau.....gh" Yours sincerely, I completed the last word inside the ditch!
After falling into the ditch, it dawned on me that what I had was a divine communication, and I missed it. Not only that, I missed it in a grand style! As you would expect, my friends laughed... One of them then exclaimed, "Ah! They saw a very large snake inside this ditch yesterday" so they ran to call people to rescue me. Though, I would have loved to ask if the said snake was still in the ditch or they were able to kill it, they didn't even wait. You could imagine what was running through my mind the whole time they were away! I waited endlessly... Maybe they spent less than 5 minutes, but if you ask me, I'll say they went for soooooo long. How many times have we trivialized Divine instructions and Divine cautions? How many times have we fallen into ditches of life, while in fact, all the alarm bells of our spirit went off in protest, but we ignored them? How many times have we blamed God for failing us, while we were actually the ones that rebelled against his caution?... Let God be true, and every man a liar, so that you may be justified in your words! (Romans 3:4). Fast forward 8 years after that incident- December 2014; just few days to the end of the year. I went to pay a quick visit to my brother in Molete, Ibadan, Nigeria. It was past 10pm in the night; everywhere was as dark as dark. This time, I was walking alone and I was walking so fast because I didn't intend to stay at his place for too long. I actually promised to get there around 5pm, but was held down in a meeting. More so, I had disappointed him few days earlier, and didn't want to do that again. Suddenly, as I approached his house, I saw again, like a flash... exactly what I saw 8 years ago! Now, you'll agree with me that what happened to me in 2006 was a very funny experience, so it looked like a reminiscence of funny moments, but then I remembered the lesson I learnt in 2006... Once beaten, twice shy, isn't it? Immediately, I stopped, flipped my phone open, and switched on the flashlight. Guess what I saw- Right in front of me, was a dilapidated SOAK-AWAY PIT. To put in proper context, the soak-away pit was only partially covered with two wooden planks which have started decaying already. One more step would have meant death! You see, sometimes, God uses certain experiences to prime us for a future occurrence. He uses casual moments to prepare us for critical moments. God allows us to make certain mistakes when they are not costly, so that we would have learnt our lessons the day that making same mistake would be very costly. Again, the first time, I was with two friends while the second time, I was alone. God will allow you to make certain mistakes when there are people there to bail you out, so that you would have learnt the lesson, and won't make the same mistake when there will be no one to help you, and you are left with only two options: Get it right, or Get thrown out... No second chance! As I pondered on this, I remembered King Saul. Many people don't know exactly where Saul started failing... Saul's failure actually predates his Kingship... He started failing before he was crowned king. See below what transpired between Samuel and Saul after their first meeting; see what Samuel told Saul- 1st Samuel 10:6-8 (BBE): "And the spirit of the Lord will come on you with power, and you will be acting like a prophet with them, and will be changed into another man. And when these signs come to you, see that you take the chance which is offered you; for God is with you. Then you are to go down before me to Gilgal, where I will come to you, for the offering of burned offerings and peace-offerings: go on waiting there for seven days till I come to you and make clear to you what you have to do". I believe this instruction Samuel gave Saul was clear enough! Let's see what Saul did- 1st Samuel 10: 10,13 (BBE)- "And when they came to Gibeah, a band of prophets came face to face with him (Saul); and the spirit of God came on him with power and he took his place among them as a prophet. Then going away from the prophets, he came to the house" Saul was asked to WAIT FOR 7 DAYS at Gilgal, but he went to the house instead. He disobeyed the instruction, and there seemed to be no consequence. It was in fact, after that incidence that he was crowned King over Israel. Fast forward 2 years after he became King; let's see what happened in1st Samuel 13: 7-11,13-14: "And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. And he tarried SEVEN DAYS, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue..." Can you see what the two stories have in common? 1. Wait for Samuel 2. WAIT SEVEN (7) DAYS! 3. Both times, at Gilgal 4. The Burnt Offering 5. The Peace Offering I believe if Saul had waited the first time he was instructed to do so, he would have made this mistake at a casual moment when it would cost him nothing, and would have been prepared 2 years before he would be confronted with a critical moment. He would have offered sacrifice foolishly at a time that it wouldn't cost him anything, or maybe not much; and would just have been corrected and probably disciplined, as against being judged. You see, God always comes to us before the devil does; He comes to supply us with the necessary abilities to be able to wade through temptations, trials and traps... It's however, our duty to make sure we are are not absent when He comes for us. You know, sometimes, you attend a class, and you are given a class work, only to find the same question staring you in the face during your promotional exam. If you initially failed the class work, but took the correction, you won't have a problem. You only have a problem, when you: 1. Didn't attend the class, (like Saul did in the above scripture) 2. Failed the class work, and didn't take correction, (like Samson did when he eventually told Delilah the secret of his power, after he had lied to her twice and she tried it out each time. Judges 16: 6-21) Beloved, make sure you are are neither absent nor non-challant at those seemingly casual moments when God comes for you. Don't cultivate the habit of disobeying Divine instructions- you might just be missing a lesson that will be a major determinant factor in your life's journey. The lesson you refuse to learn now will become devil's tool to take you down in your future. Saul didn't go to class, and that cost him not only his kingship, but also his anointing and generational heritage; Samson didn't learn his lesson, and that cost him his anointing. Take heed to these things... Go to class, and learn your lesson!