Dotun had been frustrated for....... hmmm well longer than he could remember. He was 35, had been working for close to 10years, but had nothing to show for it. Pressure from his parents to marry wasn't helping matters either!
***
So one bright and early morning, while questioning God as to the purpose of His life and why God still allowed him to breathe, he stumbled on
Matt 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.''
and
Ish 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
So that day, he poured out his heart to God, committing his all into the Lords hands asking Him for direction and promising to follow that direction.
***
3 days later Dotun got calls from 3 different companies who wanted to discuss several vacancies they had, with him. The discussions went well and Dotun was presented with 3 very good offers; some better than others.
***
The time came to make his decision, and even though Prov 3: 5-7 (Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the lord and shun evil.) lay heavy on his mind, he selected the job with the most lucrative package.
Soon after he resumed work, he met Tope at a networking event organised by his company and months after while carrying out professional services for one of the companies that had made him a job offer, he met Tamara.
Although they were bought God fearing women, with equaly strong relationships with God, Tope was not what you'd call beautiful, but there was something about her that captivated Dotun. Before long they were in a semi-serious relationship on the road to marriage, well in Dotun's mind anyway. He was pleased, afterall all things work out for those who serve the Lord. Now Tamara on the other hand was breath taking, both inside and out, a fact sadly......she seemed unaware of. After herself and Dotun became good friends, he would constantly tease her, amused by how uncomfortable compliments made her.
The friendship between Dotun and Tamara was such that she was the one Dotun spoke to about his relationship with Tope and ultimately confided in when Tope left him. He just couldn't understand why, as it all seemed to have been falling into place. To make a bad situation worse, he was to be made redundant from his new place of work!
Tamara tried her best to be there for her friend, encouraged him in the word of God, and urged him to go back to God to find out where he had gotten it all wrong, where he had missed his way, and what he should do now.
So one night Dotun had a dream, and in that dream he had taken up employment in Tamara's firm, married Tamara and they lived happily ever after.
That was when he knew..... he remembered the prompting of the Holy Spirit with regards to deciding which job to pick, as well as the unsettling feeling he had while with Tope and the constant peace he felt with Tamara.
So he called Tamara, asked her to meet him for lunch as he had something to discuss with her. Instead, she invited him over to her place, offering to make them lunch. He smiled a sad smile on hearing that, he wasn't even sure if Tope knew how to cook! He shook his head at his own stupidity, recalling all the things he had put up with, with Tope and how now he could clearly see God offering it all to him on the platter of Gold that was Tamara!
***
With Tamara putting away the last traces of the lavish 3 course meal they had just had, and Dotun psyching himself up to tell her what was on his mind, they both said in unison.....
Tamara: I'm engaged!
Dotun: I think you are my wife!
Silence....
Even more silence......
Tamara: 'why would you say that?'
Dotun narrated his story.
Tamara: 'I've waited for you to say that for soo long. When you told me you intended to marry Tope I gave up waiting. Thinking I'd heard God wrong. But He told me you weren't ready, and that He would find me another. Now I'm engaged.....to my other'
Dotun: *still speechless*
So my story is a bit simplistic, but I think it touched on the 2 main human motivators. Greed and emotions. Dotun forgot God when it was time to make his decisions, greed led him to select the wrong job and his emotions the wrong spouse.
The nature of the human heart is to wonder, in our time of need and distress, we make all sorts of promises to God, but when He comes through we often don't hold up our end of the bargain.
Psalm 42:1,2 'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God .My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?'
We long for the Lord, ask Him to come, to lead and direct us forgetting (or maybe not just caring) that when He does come, we have to open up to Him.
Rev 3:20 'Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. '
The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He won't force Himself on anyone. It's a lot more than asking Him to come, when He comes we have open up to him AND then have to let Him do what He has to do. Afterall when you have a leaky pipe, you call the plumber, invite him into your house, lead him to the pipe and let him do his work!!!
We are all interwoven into God's purpose, if you don't want to fulfil the purpose for your life thus working towards the fulfilment of the greater purpose.......you just might be replaced.
Not everyone gets a second chance. Tamara waited on the Lord and he rewarded her. Dotun went the way of greed and emotions and lost out on a great job and on Tamara.
It was more than whether Tope could cook or not, but that God knew Dotun's destination. Dotun had an idea where he wanted to go, an idea God would perfect. Comparing Tamara and Tope, Tamara's journey and destination was compatible with Dotuns. But for some reason he can't explain his emotions drove him to pick Tope.
Emotions urge you to do things, and do them now! Wisdom says wait on the Lord.
Just see how God works, if Dotun had selected 'Gods choice', he would have met Tamara earlier than he did and not have to have gone threw what he did with Tope. Even then God still made a way for him to meet Tamara, but he turned away from taking it all to God!
In the bible king Saul, Ananias and Sapphira are few examples of those not given second chances. Don't be caught unaware, don't wait for a second chance that may never come. Make the right decision NOW! God and His ways will never lead you astray.
I encourage you to surrender yourself, emotions, desires, decisions to God daily.
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