HE WAITED

The Gospel is a love story where you didn't do the seeking

«"That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3

I recently watched a video of Ashley Whitfield preparing to walk down the aisle with her dad.

She's tiny, cute, like a little bundle of joy standing beside her husband, Lateres, from the Dear Future Wifey podcast. (Well... Dear Present Wifey now. 😄)

Watching that father-daughter walk down stirred something in me.

A thought about the One who came to seek and save the lost . 

When,Lateres knew he was ready for a wife,he was also looking. He found her. He pursued her. Then one day, he stood waiting at the altar, and Ashley gave him her *"Yes." to follow him .

God calls the Church the Bride of Christ.

He sought us and found us when we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We weren't searching for Him. We weren't on a mission trying to find our way back to Him.

He came looking for us ♥️

He took our sin upon Himself, died in our place, was buried, and on the third day rose again.

Then, by His grace, He brought us to Himself, and we answered in faith.

We said, "Yes'' to following Him now that we are united with Him.

But being the Bride isn't the end of the story-there is still a walk.

A daily walk to knowing Him even as we await the glorious day when the marriage supper of the Lamb becomes a reality.

And here's the beautiful part: He doesn't ask us to walk alone.

The One who pursued us now walks with us by His Spirit .

Our "Yes" is not the beginning of His love; it is our response to the love He first showed us.

So now, we walk no as people trying to earn His affection but as His beloved.

Not striving to become His Bride but living as the Bride He has already redeemed.

Galatians 5 admonishes us now that we live in the Spirit to keep in step with the Spirit. That is Our Helper ,that is the one walking wilth us , faithfully.

You said yes.

Now walk in step with Him.

DailyWell — Peace ✨

GET UNDERSTANDING

Earlier in the day, okay I know it's still too early for some of you 😃

I was reading John 3, and I came across this remarkable question Jesus asked Nicodemus:

"Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

The things Jesus was referring to were being born of water and the Spirit, and the analogy of the wind. Nicodemus was a teacher of Israel, yet he came by night to another Teacher because he realized there was something he had not yet grasped.

That got me thinking;

You can accumulate knowledge and still lack understanding.

The book of Proverbs repeatedly emphasizes the value of understanding. It's one thing to know the Scriptures; it's another thing to understand what they are revealing. Knowledge informs, but understanding illuminates. Knowledge tells you what God said; understanding helps you discern what He meant and how to walk in it.

Jesus said that not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of the Father. You cannot consistently do a will you do not understand. Obedience flows from understanding.

David echoes this truth in Psalm 9:10:

"Those who know Your name put their trust in You."

He doesn't say those who merely call on His name, but those who know. There is a depth of revelation and illumination that produces that kind of trust.

What am I saying?

It is entirely possible to have the Book and still not understand the Book 

So don't settle for merely reading Scripture. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, to give you understanding because knowledge is easy for a man of understanding , understanding transforms information into revelation, and revelation produces a life of obedience.

With all thy getting, get understanding.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, so that you may know Him .

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of this calling . Eph 1:17

DailyWell-Peace ✨

OBSERVATIONAL INTIMACY

Yesterday I learnt of something called observational intimacy.

It fascinated me for a hot minute.

The idea that you can deeply know someone simply by beholding them—their expressions, habits, rhythms, and routines.

This isn't casual knowing. It is the kind of knowing that comes from deliberate, unhurried attention.

It isn't for surface-level lovers. It belongs to those who choose to linger.

And Scripture gives us a beautiful picture of it.

In Luke 10, we meet two sisters.

The house belonged to Martha. She welcomed Jesus into her home, yet soon became occupied with serving. Ironically, the very one who invited Him became distracted from Him.

But Mary,

She sat at His feet.

She listened to what He was saying.

Let's consider those two postures.

Sitting is the posture of rest. It is choosing to be still enough to become absorbed in His presence, where only He matters. It is the kind of rest that notices His countenance.

Listening means you are not merely present—you are attentive. Your heart is inclined toward every word that proceeds from His mouth.

Mary wasn't just in the room.

She was fully there—heart, mind, and attention completely surrendered to Him.

That is observational intimacy.

Loving Someone so deeply that your attention is undivided. Watching, listening, lingering. Becoming so acquainted with His heart that He Himself bears witness that you have chosen the better portion.

The village had many houses.

Anyone could have hosted Jesus.

Martha invited Him. That was the first level.

The house was Martha's, but after inviting Him, she became distracted by many things. That was the second level.

Then came Mary.

The house wasn't hers, but her affection was intentional. She understood that the greatest privilege wasn't hosting the King—it was beholding Him.

In the presence of the King, don't let distractions steal your gaze.

Sit.

Listen.

Lavish your love on Him.

He's worthy of your observational intimacy.

Listen to what moves His heart.

ADMINISTERED JUSTICE ⚖️

The old testament documents halorts and their ways a couple of times and yesterday these two harlots had me on hook.

These ones were not just in the same 'proffesion" , they were economically mindful to even share a house.

 

To them, individual privacy didn't seem like a thing they prized , they were bare with each other;so much so that they had access to each others children.

Then one day , there's death in their house . 

Now they are facing both a legal fight on whose child is alive and an enemity.

A separation that would alter their coexistence.

Thing with harlotry especially if conception happens is, the uncertainty of fatherhood. In such case ,the woman knows she'll have to solely shoulder the parental responsibility . 

So let's unpack a few thoughts that sat heavy on me yesternight.

1️⃣Both babies were safe at their mother's breasts. 

Then one mother turned and laid her whole body on their baby ,it died . 

Imagine a mother waking up to find her own flesh was the instrument that killed her baby😭😭well,that's what our own righteousness and strivings of the flesh produced ,death, so God called it filthy rags .

Paul records in Ephesians 6 that to be able to withstand in the evil day ,one of the armoury you will need to put on is the breastplate of righteousness. 

It is the positional stand in Sonship. And it is imputed to us . We wouldn't have gotten it any other way .

Gal 4:6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts... crying Abba father

The breastplate of righteousness guarantees our security in Him as sons .

When your breastplate is on , how you are "sleeping" is not on you but on your father ,Unlike the harlot who wanted to clear her mess using trickery .

2️⃣Another thing to look into is the sharp sword Solomon asked for .That was what he needed to use to effect justice to the two warring mother's .

Now , Paul echoes again about the sword ⚔️ take the Sword of the spirit which is the Word of God . The Word of God is living,it is active , it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." See how quickly the King established who the mother to the living child was.The sword will always come to cast down every argument that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge of God.

 

3️⃣Another thing to look into is that fact the baby died on day three .

The same number of days that changes rather reversed the trajectory of a man's history's. 

First,this case was the GRAND REVEAL of the kings wisdom.

So when Paul is saying Christ became to us the wisdom of God,the grand display of it was in the execution of our redemption from the kingdom of darkeness , translating us into the kingdom of the son of His love . 

All this in 3 days of his death , resurrection, ascension and glorification. 

 Day three,came with the fulfillment of what Isaiah prophesied "Gods pleasure would prosper in His hands. God's will had now found one who fully satisfied it.

We were now justified and at peace with God.

4️⃣Another factor to look into is ,when the baby was being swapped , his mom was sound asleep , she heard nothing , until when she woke up to realise no,this is not mine child.

The king would have condemned her for oversleeping and not keeping an eye on her baby but he treated her as one who was awake the whole time by offering her an instantaneous verdict in her favour . 

5️⃣Another factor to consider is Boldness .The audacity and courage the true mom had when she woke up to go face the king seeking justice ,you and me can boldly come to the throne of Grace , there we find grace and mercy to help us in time if need . Infact the King tells us to fear not, there's a table laid out for us 

6️⃣Finally, let's look at the same mom back at home .

 She had a guarantee that as long as she in the house, it was her baby who's there with her .The justice executed gave her a guarantee and security.

Because where the word of a king is there is power . 

Here's the best thing about this story,that we have the Holy spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance,like the woman left the kings chambers with a surerity that this is my son 

. 

Jude 1:1 reminds us that we have been preserved in Christ .

🤎In Christ. 🤎 in Him we no longer need to shoulder the weight and bear the cost of the seed 'conceived' in harlotry.

🤎In Christ🤎is where we are kept. Not by vigilance. Not by performance. Not by staying awake through the night .

🤎In Christ🤎 where our treasure is .

✨no thief can steal 

✨no rust or moth can destroy 

We began when they were in an abode , we end by telling you Christ is our abode .

WATCHFUL SHEPHERD

Yesterday our pastor highlighted this verse 

Hebrews 13:17

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. 

Pastor said that the instruction to obey presupposes you  already have a shepherd . 🙌

But this morning I have also read👇

"They watch out for your souls " 

Watching over the soul isn't surveillance and being a monitoring spirit 😃it's shepherding until Christ be formed in us .

A shepherd is not just watching what you are becoming but also what you are consuming because they have an accountability to God to steward the souls of His flock faithfully.

See,the Lord being a good shepherd ,He makes us lie in green pastures and leads beside still waters because that is where the soul is restored. 

Your soul is the faculty that receives knowledge ,the ear it is given to matters because that determines it's transformation or lack of it. 

Jesus after restoring Peter assigned him to feed His lambs ,He knew Peter had the right food for His lambs 

Watching out for the soul is not just in watching what the soul is changing into but what the soul is feeding on , how wholesome you are is purely dependent on the diet you are on.

Now they that labour in word and doctirne are worthy of double honour , not just obedience but double honour ,because if they watch over you poorly ,it's a fail to the soul .

Honour the shepherd that feeds you well because a soul without knowledge is not good ✨

WHAT ARE YOU YOKED TO?

Brethren God was not done,apart from mixed fabrics and mixed seeds ,. He also got into plowing 🤣 

But wanaisraeli pia had it rough ;

Deuteronomy 22:10

You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.

Plowing is not just turning soil in and out , it is also carefully weeding out what doesn't need to be in the field while evenly preparing the land for sowing.

 

God was not just interested in having the land plowed but also how it was done ,what animals they used to prepare the land .

An ox and a donkey can be yoked together. Both are strong. Both can pull. But they are not of the same kind and that difference matters more than the task at hand.

 Their strides are different. Their strengths are also unequal. Their responses to pressure are not the same. So what happens when you yoke them? 

One animal suffers,one animal compromises its being and the very ground that is supposed to receive good seed comes out uneven 

Plowing needs to be done yes, but it matters how it is done ,to even out the land ..

Ephesians 5 introduces a bride sanctified and cleansed with the washing of water by the Word ready to be presented without spot or wrinkle , Spots and wrinkles would be an indicator that there was uneven cleaning , and that's not how Christ wants His bride.

Christ wants His bride conformed to His image .

His warning against use of two animals which are not of the same kind was because of the mismatched nature ,the compromise that would have to tag along and the inconsistentcy which the land would be left in.

Writing to the Corinthians Paul warns them of this;

2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? 

Before using this scripture for marriage and relationships, consider your union with Christ , do you yoke His tools and those of the enemy , because that will ultimately produce a very uneven ground , which will not be fit for the seed of the Word and conformity to His image will be stained and strained.

God is not asking you to stop plowing but to stay cautious of what you are yoked to because the condition of the ground depends on it .

DailyWell -Peace ✨

DISPOSE YOUR NEEDLE

Yesterday I was here talking about God warning Israel not to mix seeds lest they corrupt their vineyards .

Today let's look at the fabrics too because this is where I am sure I'd have been rejected 🤣🤣 I can't wear silk alone ,how? 

Deuteronomy 22:11

You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.

He didn't say don't wear he just said your garment must be of the same kind

Why perhaps? 

Well ,  initially Adam and wifey were naked and unashamed?

 Clothes didn't have meaning,but upon eating the fruit ,they realised they needed to cover up so they made figs to cover themselves.

Fig leaves dry easily , crack and fall ,it was an emblem of their works ,effort which was not sustainable .

Then God slaughters an animal to make them skin which was better as a their covering though it cost an animal it's life.

Fast forward to the tabernacle,tphe priestly and Levitical garments were not fashion , they were function. God specified every detail 

He didn't want anyone wearing anything without his precise instruction.

Garments speak of covering,they speak of righteousness .

Garments cover our nakedness,our shame .

God didn't originally give Adam and Eve clothes,because they didn't need them , Adam was a son of God . His nature was righteousness.

Then sin came, and introduced a mixture of garment ,humanity wore a garment stained with sin and had to use effort, Sacrifices upon sacrifices,ritual upon ritual to cover up.

Isaiah considers and describes our best 'stitchings' and calls it filthy rags. Not rags,filthy ones ,there's a difference.

A different garment was introduced by sin . A garment so heavy it took a lamb being slain to get us a different one.

God is presently saying;

Galatians 3:26-27

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

You've been reclothed .

Don't take your own righteousness and stitch it along Christs' ,dispose your needle 😃 your fit is perfect .