You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
Psalm 66:12
One thing we can deduce from this scripture is the fact that there is a guarantee—an assurance that whatever situation you are going through has an end, and that end is rich fulfillment. Whether educated or not, sophisticated or not, well exposed or not, old or young, this assurance stands true for you. It does not matter what you have been through in life, God is bringing you to rich fulfillment. God will intervene in your situation and you will be a solution center to other people who are going through the same challenge.
I was watching CNN recently and there was a story of a man who graduated from the university at the age of 94. Today, he is 111 years old. It did not matter that he did not have a university degree at 60, 70 or 80; he had a desire. Deep down, he knew his life would not come to an end until that desire was accomplished. Amazingly, God has given him more years even after he accomplished it. This man did not consider age as a barrier; he kept going and nothing could stop him. His desire added length of days to him.
As a single parent, widow/widower, executive single or divorcee, do you feel like people have ridden over your head or treated you unfairly or disdainfully? Have you gone through fire and through water? Let me assure you: you are coming to rich fulfillment. The reason the fire did not consume you and the water did not overflow you is because God was with you all the way and knew all the while where He was bringing you to – a place of rich fulfillment.
So, irrespective of where you are right now or what you have been through, cheer up! God has you in mind and will not allow any situation to overcome you. Rather, you will come out victorious in Jesus’ name. He will cause the lines to fall for you in pleasant places. The same situation that has caused you pain and sleepless nights will bring you joy and rich fulfillment. In fact, it cannot be otherwise if God is involved and let me assure you that God is involved in your life. He has promised never to leave or forsake you. If he has said it, He will bring it to pass. It may not look like anything is happening in your life right now, but let me assure you a lot is happening. Your expectations will not be cut short in Jesus’ name.
It does not matter how old you are or how long you have waited, let your expectation be sky high. Hold on to God who is able to do it or bring it to pass. Others may be discouraged or giving up hope, but that is not you. You will keep hope alive and hang on until something positive happens. As Job said in his affliction, “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes” (Job 14:14).
You are not of them that give up or turn back; you will wait until your change comes. One thing that can offend God more than anything else is lack of trust in Him. It grieves Him when we doubt Him and become self-dependent instead of becoming dependent on Him. That is why the Bible states, “And without trusting, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust that he does exist and that he becomes a Rewarder to those who seek him out” (Hebrews 11:6 CJB).
Remember, when you trust Him, God does not just bring you to fulfillment; He brings you to RICH fulfillment. That is the God we serve: He gives liberally without holding back. He never gives you just enough, He gives much more than you need. If you read through the whole of Psalm chapter 66, you will realise that the psalmist had come to the knowledge that nothing on earth could change God. Let me invite you to do the same. Never let your situation define God. Unfortunately, many allow their problems to define God. But those who know, without any doubt, that God never changes and that rather, He changes everything and everyone, always move faster and farther in life than others.
Psalm 66:8 enjoins: “Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard….” How will the voice of His praise be heard when you do not praise Him? The devil is in the habit of trying to becloud our senses to all the good things God is doing with one challenge or the other (which is really nothing before God).
Invariably, that becomes the only voice we hear, making us grumble, complain or murmur. The question is: what about the thousand things that God has done? We need to make a conscious effort to always remember the things He has done or is doing and let the voice of His praise be heard.
God inhabits the praise of His people and His presence changes things. If you will let His praises be heard, His presence is assured and then there is a guarantee that your situation will change. It is actually a shortcut to the solution to your problem. You may not also know it, but giving praises makes you happier, younger and healthier because God removes every bondage or chain, be it emotional, physical or spiritual, as you praise Him. It is impossible to be in the presence of God and continue to be bound by the devil or problems.
You are never alone. Whatever you are going through is designed to test, prove or purify you. It will definitely make you a better person. You will come out it more mature, more solid, wiser and purer. What is more, you will not remember or find your tormentors or the challenges you thought were impossible to surmount, once God brings you to rich fulfillment. Once God is in it, it becomes a school from which you will definitely graduate because there is an end, and that end is rich fulfillment. God will perfect all He has started in your life in Jesus’ name.
– Pastor Taiwo Odukoya
Complete message available in audio tapes and CDs at the church bookstore