25/11/2021
*WHEN FATIGUE GOES SCARING...*
1Sam.3.18 - And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
Fatigue is simply lost of strength, interest, enthusiasm...you know, lost of fire with which one started with. LET'S REVIEW FEW CASES Here:
CASE 1: ELI
He was God's anointed Priest, who gave God all his life, but unfortunately, probably didn't invest much in his children, to prepare them for the God he had worked for all his life. His sons were reportedly so corrupt that the talk consistently drove him mad, I believe. He probably would flog them some times, shout at them some times, chase them away from the house...expressed his displeasure in many ways, but the result frustratingly didn't just come. He got tired of same shameful reports and threatening warnings from Prophets, and like a natural parent, he got tired! When the little Samuel (boy) now joined the many voices to tell him that even God has joined in with very terrible threat of termination of life and appointment, he just couldn't take it in any more. He cracked! He had lost reputation, lost name, and now God speaks to a boy, not him... Then he said: "Wo, I can't kill myself; He is God, He too should know what to do jare". FATIGUE
CASE 2: ABRAHAM
Gen.15.2 - And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
From the first month, immediately after Abram's wedding ceremony, he had hoped that a pregnancy would follow, like it happened to others. But that didn't happen. Families started speaking 'christianic' words of encouragement, physicians too gave their own reasons and assurances, neighbours both mocked and encouraged as they were led to...but nothing shifted! Every naming ceremony they went reminded him of his unexplainable childlessness. Then God came in and Abram thought, "yes, finally!" So, as far back as Genesis 12, God took Abram from his root, the people he has always known, and just threw him into a totally strange environment o, with the promise of the looooong expected fatherhood. Years passed and not even miscarriage, and God came AGAIN in chapter 15 with the usual message... Abram lost it and gave it back: "Please God, I use God to beg you; do I look stupid to you? Or does it look to you like I am growing younger? I still have Eliezer a stranger, positioned as my heir and you're saying blessing blessing blessing... Please, if you can't help me, leave me where I am". FATIGUE
CASE 3: PETER
Luke.5.5 - And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
If you're going to let down the net, why mention previous experience of frustration? Peter was a celebrity fisherman, others in the trade deferred to him. When Peter says, 'no fish today', others knew nothing anyone else could do. With taxes staring at him in the face, school fees and other bills piling up, Peter needed the bail out! With the last strength, after prayers, he traded off his sleep, got his team and they combed the sea ALL NIGHT while his heartless tax collectors were all sleeping at home. In the middle of the night, Peter called on the God of his fathers, to show up for his rescue, and like other times, it just appeared like God had forgotten him completely. Then came this local Pastor, from the poor home of a carpenter, asking him to go back to what he did ALL NIGHT, at a time fishes were supposed to be more accessible; a time when both desire and strategy aligned perfectly and yet failed in the face of prayers. Peter lost it: "sir, I understand you're new in this area, you probably don't know of my fish-catching records, but how dare you come here to mock us! If you have the powers, why didn't you do something in the night, at a time it would have made sense?!! Look, I'm going back there, so people won't say I'm disrespectful to Pastor". FATIGUE
CASE 4: ELIJAH
1Kgs.19.4 - But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
There are times you work for God as a steward and you'll be forced to give yourself a nod of approval like: "Ah! mo try gaaaaan". Elijah had called fire from heaven, and the whole country for the first time, knew God as the God of Elijah, I mean, God was linked to him personally. He then proceeded to leading a nation-wide revival...I mean, he knew he deserved some "accolades" for crying out loud! Just immediately after that, while he was waiting to be invited for national award, it was his picture in the national newspaper he saw, declaring him as the enemy of state, good enough to be slaughtered by someone like Jezebel whom God shouldn't even allow to live, talk less of commanding such influence that could end his life. Elijah said: "this is it. You know what? I think politicians and wicked people will always have their way at our expense. No use! God must be interested only in using us for others but ourselves. I can as well quit. What is it? I'm not even the best to live, so what I'm I living for? Kill me yourself, since you can't secure my life from a prostitute...do the killing yourself, at least that's more honourable..." FATIGUE
Friends, we all may share same initial reaction in the face of FATIGUE, but may not end it same way; because of CAPACITY. There are some people you probably know, who told themselves: "what sin did I commit that much gaaan? Did I kill Jesus?" And they drifted into a life of continuous blasphemy, pulling down all that God has used them to build hitherto.
Peter reconsidered God's word, Abram still listened to God and believed, Elijah withdrew his su***de note and still worked for God before being honoured with ascension. Emmmm, Eli wasn't that fortunate o. He signed out completely and God delivered judgement completely too. But here's what I want to share: No human elasticity was built to contain the whole of God. *We know in part* and prophesy also in part. So it's okay to be fatigued folks. What you must know is that, when we take it out on God, we must do so with caution, leaving a little benefit of the doubt. Why? Two reasons:
1. In all cases, God has always turned out justified
2. The SUPREMACY of God is such that does not put Him under anyone for scrutiny
There's a sure way: "Lord, have mercy and grant me Grace to finish". Amen
