Contributor: Ngozi Roberts

INTRODUCTION
For the past few weeks, we have been studying the benefits of being in God’s Plan for our lives and come to understand that it brings fulfilment to us. We learnt that we are able to live an ordered life when we are living in accordance to God’s plan and last week we considered divine intervention as one of the benefits that we will enjoy when we work and live in harmony with Gods plan. We understood why we needed divine intervention, its characteristics and also had a peep into the lives of those in the bible that experienced divine intervention.
Today we are going to continue in our study of the benefits of being in Gods plan for our lives and we will be discussing

Fruitfulness. In general when one is successful it can be said that person is fruitful. In Christendom, the way we place value on success is different from the way it is done in the world. Usually, people tend to place a lot of value on every success we achieve as if it were to be by their own strength that they achieved that success. However, Paul said in 1Corinthians 15:10 that

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

So we see Pauls fruitfulness being attributed to Gods’ Grace. This is why it is very important for us to understand Gods idea of success or fruitfulness. We are all destined to be great, fruitful and succeed in life as Christians. We are made aware of this fact early in the scriptures in Genesis 12: 1-2 when he called Abraham:

12 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

So being the descendants of Abraham, we are all destined to be great, fruitful, and successful in life as children of God. As we go through this study, I pray that the Lord will open our eyes of understanding to find the missing link to our fruitfulness in Jesus’ name.

Text: John 15:5-8
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

One of the benefits of Gods plan for our lives is Fruitfulness. In other words, when we are working in accordance with the Plan of God, we will be fruitful. Let us break it down a bit.

Fruit - fulness
Fruit meaning – In God’s kingdom fruit has been used to describe an effect, or outcome or result of somethings. For example in Psalms 128 it says that “You will eat the fruit of your labour; blessings and prosperity will be yours. It means the outcome of our labour is the fruit which we will eat. This is likened to the regular meaning of fruits that come from trees like oranges or apples. So, if a farmer labours to plant an orange tree for example, he will eventually harvest the fruit to eat which is oranges.

Fullness - Simply put, the online dictionary says it is the state of being filled to capacity. This is simple enough.

Therefore, when we put them together, we can say that Fruitfulness is the state of being filled to capacity with fruit. It now depends on the type of fruit you are labouring for. So you will be filled to the brim or capacity with whatever kind of fruit that resulted from your planting or sowing.

John 15:5 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing

Remember we are talking about being in Gods plan. As children of God who are working in according to Gods plan, God is saying in this scripture that we ought to attach ourselves to Him. He brings an analogy of the plant called the Vine. There are actually different types but generally A vine is a plant that its stems requires support. It either climbs up a tree or sprawls over the ground. The most common plants that come to mind are grapes and tomatoes.

How can you differentiate the Vine from the branch?
From research I found out that the vine is the source of life for the branches. It provides the water and nutrients by which the grapes are produced. Without the vine, no fruit could ever result. So the vine and branches contain the same substance, the same life. There is one plant. The function of the vine is to pump life to the branches and the function of the branch is to produce the fruit of the vine.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Therefore, Jesus is letting us to know that we are the branches. As long as we are attached in him, we will receive all that is need of us to be able to fulfil our purpose in this kingdom. So there is a condition to this promise just like almost all the promises of God in the scriptures. Now there is a flip side in the next verse

6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

But this is not our mission. We all want to fulfil purpose or be fruitful. Therefore, must fulfil all the conditions required of us which is to Remain in Christ. So what then can we do to remain as a branch?

To remain in Christ
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth
The scriptures made us to understand that God should be the beginning of everything in life in this kingdom. Without God being at the beginning of our purpose in life, there is no way we can succeed. Note that everyone of us is destined for greatness /fruitfulness. The fact that some of us have not attained our desired greatness is because we have not understood the steps to greatness.

These steps are highlighted in Deuteronomy 28:1-2
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

So from the above scripture, I understand that to remain in Christ and be fruitful and obtain these promises:
• to be set thee on high above all nations of the earth
• to be blessed and overtaken by blessings

That if I want to remain in Christ, I must fulfil these conditions:
• hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD
• to observe all his commandments
• do all his commandments

A typical example is Abraham our father. – Genesis 12:1-4
12 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee :2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran

Promise: (fruitfulness)
And I will make of thee a great nation, and

• I will bless thee,
• and make thy name great;
• and thou shalt be a blessing:
• And I will bless them that bless thee,
• and curse him that curseth thee: and
• in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed

Condition: (action)

• Get thee out of thy country, and
• from thy kindred, and
• from thy father's house,
• unto a land that I will shew thee

Now did Abraham fulfil these conditions? Yes. Did God fulfil his promise? Yes!
Genesis 17:6 "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee."

Interesting! So after twenty four good years, God still reiterated and elaborated the same promise and Galatians 3:29 confirms this –
"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

So the moment we said ‘Yes’ to Christ. The moment we accepted Christ as our Lord an personal saviour, at that point, we are surely testifying to the fulfilment of this promise.
It’s comforting to know that it does not matter how long it takes, Gods promises will surely come to pass!
Therefore, the first foundation to being a branch of Christ is to be born again. If you want to succeed in the kingdom of God, your first step is to encounter the God of the Bible. The day you encounter Christ is the day the clock of your destiny begins. John 3:3 says
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

And verse 15 says:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life

That is the life of God, a life of purpose, fulfilled vision, why, because we have to be relevant even after this life as the testimony God has given us is eternal life.
So you have to receive and encounter God in Christ to be a branch

Secondly, you have to encounter the Holy Spirit. It is in building a relationship with the Holy Spirit that the guidance to your purpose will be found. That empowerment you need to remain as a branch will be released unto you. Jesus introduce the ministry of the Holy Spirit in
John14: 16

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
As branches we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth as He is dwelling in us!

Thirdly, to remain as a branch we must encounter the Word of God. The logos of God. The principles and mysteries embedded in the word of God. Matthew 13:11 says

11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

The Word of God is the instrument of transformation. We will be transformed through enlightenment. Our minds will have the opportunity to change towards the mind of Christ. Romans 12:2 tells us that 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Therefore, to become a branch, we must strive to get the knowledge and the ways of God.
Another case in point is Moses. In Exodus 33:13, Moses first asked for the ways of God to be shown to Him -

13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

Then after God had answered him, Moses asked for the God’s Glory in verse 18 -18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
So first strive to know God’s ways before His Glory. It is when we act upon the ways of God that you have learnt from his word that you will start experiencing the manifestation of His Glory and not the other way round.
In the process of encountering the word of God, you strive to get knowledge which is the access to information but it is not enough. When you get the information, ensure that you have a godly understanding of the underlying principles that comes with the information and then finally act on it by applying wisdom. This is the experiential application of the knowledge you have received. In doing this diligently, you are gradually rooting yourself as a branch ready to bear fruit.

Fruitfulness
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:7-8

In Matthew 21:18- 20 Jesus was hungry and went to a fig tree to pluck a fruit to eat but found nothing! Jesus was unhappy and therefore caused it and the fig tree withered.
18Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

This is exactly how God feels when we do not bear fruit. It is the desire of God that we bear fruit. When we engage in the mysteries of the kingdom that we understand; the mysteries apportioned to bring result that we desire, we see ourselves exhibiting some peculiar ways and experiencing some results that are of higher dimension that is far from the norm. Then we know that we are bearing fruit.
Jesus told us another story, a parable of the talent in Matthew 25:20-30 the Master was not happy with the servant that did not yield any fruit, what did the Master do? In verse 30 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
What then are the criteria for fruitfulness

1. Humility – Psalm 51:17 - 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
When we put on humility, meekness, broken and contrite heart, God will embrace us. The fact that we are humble enough to receive his food, learn at his feet, we will surely be filled up and bear fruit. Remember, in the beginning we established that the work of the Vine is to feed an nourish the branch. Note that even if we get the knowledge, wisdom or understanding that we talked about, they will be useless in a proud heart. The proud heart is like the heart of stone, there is no way it can yield any fruit. When there is pride and arrogance, the word of God cannot pass through the life of that person. He said to Abram, get thee out…” and he obeyed.

2. Total Trust and Confidence – Gen 12:1 - Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
In the economy of God, He does not give you details of the instruction of where you are going. The mission is “Follow me”. When he was selecting his disciples, He would simple say “follow me” and they did. The time he told Peter to follow him and went further to tell him, he will make him fisher of men. To a Fisherman, what does that even mean! It does not make sense! Yet Peter followed him. Same way the other disciples followed in trust without asking questions and followed Him.
What about Abraham, he trusted God and obey in confidence. He was 75 years when he was promised this greatness, yet here he was 99 years still being promised, am sure if it were to be some of us, we would have compromised but Abraham was still faithful and still trusted God till the end and you and I are the end product of his obedience and trust.

3. Encounter with the Spirit of revelation - At this stage you do not stop at the gaining of knowledge but become an expression of the knowledge. As a result of your brokenness, you are able to do as He guides with ease. Because you trust Him, He uses you to manifest His will. It is like having Intercourse with Him. You see yourself experiencing the word e.g.

Psalm 23: 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me

You are experiencing a life changing tribulation in your place of work or family but you are not bothered because you have the scriptures reassurance.

CONCLUSION
I will leave us with the mantle scripture
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:5-8

Shalom!

Contributor: Esther Alajiki

INTRODUCTION
Through the last weeks we have considered the benefits of living within God’s will; we have considered - Perfect Peace, Fulfilment, An Ordered Life, and this week we shall be considering Divine intervention. Divine intervention is the interference of a deity in human life, popularly extended to any miraculous-seeming turn of events, an event that occurs when God becomes actively involved in changing some situation in human affairs. For you to attract divine intervention, you need divine attention which attracts divine visitation.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. (Read Psalm 34:15, 1 Peter 3:12, Job 36:7)

Isaiah 41:18 – "I will open Rivers in high places fountains in the midst of the valleys I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and dry land springs of water."

Exodus 23:25 "So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you."
There is a part for both parties to play. All of God’s best blessings are conditional

Exodus 15:26 "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."
(Read Deut. 28 – 1, 14, Psalms 91, Ps 23)

As children of God we must be aware of not only the promises and provisions but also the conditions attached.
Deuteronomy 7:15 "And the LORD will remove from you all sickness. He will not lay upon you any of the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you."

WHY DO WE NEED DIVINE INTERVENTION?
1. Every great and outstanding achievement is by God’s intervention.
2. Many wonderful dreams can only be fulfilled by God’s intervention.
3. By strength shall no man prevail
4. Divine intervention and removes barriers puts an end to prolonged delay.
5. Divine intervention brings you out of the pit of reproaches, confusion and sudden death.
6. Divine intervention makes your heaven to open and release her dews upon you.
7. Divine intervention makes your cloud that is full of rain to pour it down.
8. Divine intervention sponsors sudden miracles and elevation in your life like Joseph.
9. Divine intervention brings victory
10.Divine intervention will make helpers to remember you - Mordechai and King Ahasuerus.
11.Divine intervention prevents untimely death and resurrects dead good thing - Lazarus.
12. Divine intervention delivers answers to payers.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DIVINE INTERVENTION
1. It is promised – Psalm 91:14-15. Answered prayer is promised – Matthew 7: 7, Mark 11:24, John 15: 16, Jeremiah 33: 3. If God did not promise to intervene when we face difficulties, we will have no grounds to ask for it.
2. It is for a purpose. Every miracle is done to bring glory to God’s name and to advance the cause of the kingdom.
3. It is pure. God will never use unholy means to solve your problem. Trading hard drugs, ungodly relationship, fraud
4. It is powerful, nothing can stop it. When God stretches forth his hand to deliver, nothing can turn it backwards. (Psalm 66:3).
5. It is peculiar. if your problem is peculiar, but God will give you a peculiar solution.
6. It is sometimes progressive divine intervention may be instantaneous sometimes but can occur in phases.
7. It is recipient-participatory. Your faith is absolutely essential. God is not moved by need but by faith.
8. It takes place at God’s own time, not necessarily at the time you expect. Lazarus John 11.
9. It is perfect. It is complete. Lazarus raised back to life, healed of the sickness that killed him. • (Psalm 138: 8).
10.It is permanent. The Red Sea ended the Egyptian army.

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF DIVINE INTERVENTION
1. Heavenly intervention: Joshua 10:11-14.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. 12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.” 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

Judges 5:2 “Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.”

Judges 5:20 “They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera”.

2. Financial Intervention: Matt. 17:24 – 27 Tribute money from the mouth of a fish

3. Debt Settlement Intervention: 2 Kings 4:1-7 (Go, sell the oil and pay your debt”).

4. Angelic Intervention: Angel opened the prison doors. Acts 5:17 – 20

5. Healing Intervention: Man at the pool of Bethesda John 5:1 – 4 Acts 3:6 – 9 (Man at the Beautiful Gate)

6. Security Intervention (Daniel in the Lion’s Den), Daniel 6:13–22

7. Protection/Rescue Intervention- (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) Daniel 3:22 – 25

8. Turn around Intervention (Obed-Edom) Psalm 126:1 – 6

9. Restoration Intervention 2 Kings 8:1 – 6 Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

WHAT HINDERS DIVINE INTERVENTION?
1. Lack of Salvation – John 10:9
2. Sin – Destiny Killer – Secret Sin – Prov. 9:17-18 and Besetting Sin – Heb. 12:1; Col. 3:5-16.
3. Association – 1 Cor. 15:33
4. Compromise – Prov. 1:10
5. Unsanctified Life – 2 Tim. 2:19-21
6. Prayerlessness – Luke 18:1
7. Disobedience – 1 Sam. 13:1-14.

CONCLUSION
Ask God for divine intervention by His mercy
A cry for mercy is a key to access divine attention, Mercy opens doors can bring you into remembrance and qualify you for uncommon favour. Mark 10 – Blind Bartimaeus first asked for MERCY before asking for His eyes to be opened.

Contributor: Martins Olubiyi

INTRODUCTION
Mariam Webster dictionary defines an Ordered Life as a life marked by regularity or discipline. Moreover, order implies a neat and logical organization of items, task, or people. Now for emphasis, it may be good to consider other verses of scripture that are germane to our text.

Prov. 20:24
“Man’s steps are ordered and ordained by the Lord. How then can a man [fully] understand his way? (AMP)

Psalm 37:23-24: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by His hand.”

Proverbs 16:9: “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

God Is A God Of Order
1 Corinth. 14:33, says ‘

for God [who is the source of their prophesying] is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order’.

The Greek word for peace is inclusive of oneness and quietness. This verse is backed up by:
• God’s entire creation- Universe. Everything God made is perfect, orderly, and consistent. Living in an orderly way helps us to be in line with God. God’s universe is orderly. He created everything in an orderly sequence within six days and set the world into motion. (Gen. 1:31; Exod. 20:11; 31:17). He created the sun, moon, and stars to regulate time and seasons (Gen.1:14-18; Psa. 104:19). The cosmos, the moon and the star operate with precision and accuracy.

• Living bodies are another example of God’s orderliness. The heart pumps blood through organs designed to receive it. The brain fires thousands of messages per second to regulate pain, temperature, respiration, and thought.

• God is a God of order within His own person. Although no human being can fully comprehend the tri-unity of the Lord God Almighty, we see orderliness in the three Persons of the Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, yet they function in complete harmony (Mat.28:19; John. 14:26; 15:26). Within God Himself is completeness. He needs nothing. He is complete love, complete joy, complete justice, and complete mercy.

• God’s creation of time is another indication of His orderliness. God exist outside of time as we know it, but He created time as a way for earth to mark changes. Time is orderly, sequential, and does not vary based on anything mankind can control. Times keep us orderly. Rich or poor, young, or old, we all have the same number of hours in a day. The sun will rise and set on schedule no matter what may be happening on earth. He keeps everything in motion as He first designed it. It is His orderly hand that holds the world in place. (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17).

• The arrival of Jesus. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world at just the right time (Gal. 4:4). God planned the arrival of Jesus with nearly five thousand years of a sacrificial pattern designed to teach people about holiness and repentance (Lev. 4:35). Through the
Hebrew nation, He gave His law and showed us what was required to approach a holy God (Exod. 19:12; Lev. 17:11). By the time Jesus came, the Jewish people were well schooled in the sacrificial system and understood their need for a Messiah to make them right with God (Zech.9:9; Heb.9: 22-23). God did not spring the idea of a Saviour on the world. He spent centuries patiently preparing the world in an orderly fashion (Mark. 14:49; John 3:16-18; 5:39).

What Does It Mean To Have A Well-Ordered Life According To The Scripture?
The foundation of a well-ordered life is rooted in Gal. 5:25 ‘If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]’ AMP.
In other words, as we walk in the Spirit, we must remain in step with Him.

The Analogy Of The Vine And The Branches- Jesus Our All In All.
In John 15:4-5, Jesus said; ‘

Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. 5 [b]I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing’.
We can be the most organised people on earth but miss out on the rich blessing of abiding (remaining) in Jesus day after day. A well-ordered life is a life that gains every nourishment from the vine- The True Vine- Jesus Christ. As we remain in Jesus, His life flows through us, producing fruits for His glory and the good of others. We must focus on His word and attending to details of His word as revealed in Psa. 1:1-3. Check (Job.23:12; Psa. 119: 11, 105.

We Should Do Everything For The Glory Of God
1Corinth. 10:31 says,

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”.

This verse keeps us from trying to order our lives according to the world’s standards. Such as doing things to please man instead of God; working hard to store up treasures on earth instead of heaven. When we turn away from ordering our lives after the pattern of this world and instead order our lives in honour of God’s glory, we will find ourselves most content and at peace. We should remember that nothing in the world worth sacrificing God’s peace. Paul said

‘Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. 7And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]’. Phil. 4: 6-7.

A well-ordered life is grounded in the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.
Live a Quiet Life of Love, Work, and Witness. 1 Thess. 4: 9-12. (Read AMP).

CONCLUSION
Since God is a God of order, we should be, too. We were created to think in orderly ways, reason, judge, and consider all aspects of a matter. God invites us to “come, let us reason together” (Isa. 1:18). God enjoys our communion with Him, our questions, our studying of His word, and our willingness to let Him bring order to our chaotic thoughts. The more like Him we become, the more orderly our lives will be because He is a God of order.

Note: message culled from crosswalk web; contributors: Jennifer Waddle; Jennifer Heeren.

Contributor: Okwudili Prince-Isaac

INTRODUCTION
It may be good to attempt to define God’s plan. The most concise and accurate definition of God’s eternal plan is found in the Westminster Confession of Faith, which reads:

“God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.”

God’s plan is greater than anything we can fully fathom because it is all designed to bring Him the maximum honor and glory. God’s sovereignty, knowledge, wisdom, love, and justice (to name a few) are all displayed in his plan of salvation (which is the door-way to fulfilment). The more we grasp this, the better we understand our own finitude and reliance on God, and ultimately fulfilment.

Psalm 1: 1-3
“[1] What delight comes to the one who follows God’s way. He won’t walk in step with the wicked, nor share the sinner’s way, nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat. [2] His passion is to remain true to the Word of “I AM”, meditating day and night on the true revelation of light. [3] He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by GOD’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous”. TPT

OTHER TEXTS
1. Eph. 1:3
2. Jer. 1:4
3. Jer. 29:11
4. Gen. 39:3
5. John 4:34
6. Gen. 18:19
7. Deut. 30:19
8. Josh. 24:15
As God’s creation He has a purpose for your life that if followed will reap maximum benefit for His glory. The majority of people live in frustration and despondency because they may not know God’s plan for their lives. What’s worse is that a few may know it but still choose to ignore/avoid it.

BENEFITS
Below are four benefits of following God’s plan for our lives:
1. Peace of mind
As children of God, we will have an internal compass that guides your decision-making based on the values of the word of God. This is the Holy Spirit who guides us in all truth revealing to us the mind of God. The Apostle John put it this way,

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)

Even when situations don’t make sense but we have peace in your heart we can trust in God’s faithfulness. We just need to be obedient to what He commands us to do. But when we choose to do our own things instead of God’s, that when we experience trouble. A good example of this is Old Testament prophet Jonah whom God instructed to go to Nineveh to preach the word; He fled to Tarshish instead. The result of his disobedience was almost tragic as many people almost perished. Exact opposite of peace. He then repented of his disobedience and did what God told him to do in the first place.
When we contend for what we should be contending for, the result will be a peace the passes all understanding (Phil 4:6).

2. Blessing and increase
The ultimate purpose of life is to bring glory to God and advance God’s Kingdom agenda. He loves to show Himself mighty on our behalf so that the earth may know that there is a God in heaven. When we walk in obedience, He will validate our purpose by causing us to prosper. (Ps 1:3). There are numerous examples in the Bible such as Joseph (Gen 39:3). Others are Joshua, Moses and Daniel who experienced the blessing of God in such a way that it made the people they led to believe on the Lord.
The blessing was not just for these individual but for the benefit of those they led too. When we are careful to obey God’s will He will certainly bless us so that you become a blessing to those around us as well.

3. Joy at seeing changed lives
At the end of our race. what matters is the difference each of us would have made in other people’s lives. Can people point to you and say their lives have been that much better because you lived? Your work and everything we do is a form of ministry that impacts the people God puts in our life.
A general misconception in some places is that in order to minister to people a person must be a full-time Minister or have some other ministerial role. We can still minister to people outside that setting through our work in the marketplace, on the sports field, social work, classroom, etc. However, our life’s calling is our ministry and the people we serve can be likened to our congregation. So whatever God has called us to do is our ministry and His plan is for each of us to follow through on it so that we touch the people He has called us to serve. Therein lies a great measure of fulfilment (John 4:34).

4. Securing the destiny of future generations
Our choices today will have an impact on future generations and understanding the weight of that will help you make the right ones (Gen 12, Gen 18:19). Choosing to be selfless and doing what God commands you will attract a blessing to your life; blessings that will pass on to our children and generations after that.
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”  Deut 30:19
The greatest legacy we can pass on is that of the faith (Josh 24:15). The blessing is passed to the third and fourth generation in our lineage. May our families point to us as the person that made a difference in our family’s history by seeking fulfilment following God’s plan and Word.

ROLL CALL OF PEOPLE WHO OBTAINED FULFULMENT IN GOD’S PLAN
1. Abraham (Gen 18:19)
2. Joseph (Gen 39)
3. Moses
4. Joshua and Caleb (Num. 14:24)
5. The Rechabites (Jer. 35)
6. King David (1 Kings 11:32-36)
7. Jeremiah the Prophet (Jer. 1:4)
8. Daniel (Daniel 6)
9. Apostle Paul (Phil 1:14)

EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE WHO DEPARTED FROM GOD’S PLAN
1. Esau (Gen 25: 31-34)
2. Joab (2 Sam 3:29)
3. King Saul (1 Sam 15:9-28)
4. Samson (Judges 16)
5. The nation of Israel
6. Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:3-10, Acts 1:18)

CONCLUSION
Most products come with a manual from the manufacturer to give you a blueprint of how to use that product. Our lives are similar, and well planned out by God. God’s plan for creation is perfect and of the highest good, and produces the end for which it was ordained. Just as Jesus told His disciples, let our redeemed souls also testify “….my food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and complete it”. (John 4:34)

This is ultimate fulfilment.