In John 20, Mary went to the tomb of Jesus, saw it empty and burst into tears. Then the following ensued. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him. ”John 20:13 NLT. 

The phrase that struck me in this text is ‘my Lord’. Mary was still calling Jesus her Lord even after He had been dead 3 days and at this point she really didn’t know for certain that He was going to rise again. She was pretty much referring to a dead person as ‘her Lord’ (a person who has authority, control, or power over others; a master, chief, or ruler.). What could have led her to this point? How do you explain this case of absolute devotion ( profound dedication; consecration; earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc.; an assignment or appropriation to any purpose, cause, etc.) to someone? I believe the answer lies in the word ‘experience(s)’. What she had experienced of Jesus led her to still see Him as Lord even in “death”. 

This text leaves me with a few questions, some of which I’ll leave with you. 

Where does your devotion lie? If you’re not devoted to Jesus and His kingdom, why? If you’re devoted, are your devoted enough to see Him as Lord over your life and all that concerns you? Have you experienced the person and/or power of Jesus? If not, press into Him in the place of prayer for He has promised ‘as many as seek me, I will not cast out’. If yes, don’t let those experiences be an event in your life. Let them shape your perception, understanding and relationship with Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. 

Until next time, continue to abide in Him.  

Bolaji Ajayi. 

When God was about to bring the Israelites out of Egypt to take them to the promised land (Canaan), He had to “show Pharaoh who was God” by sending the 10 plagues to the land of Egypt while Goshen (the place the Israelites lived) was not impacted by the plagues. So even though in that period in Egypt, everyone was groaning under the plagues, the children of God (The Israelites) were not affected. However, imagine if an Israelite chose to go and stay outside of Goshen, in the place where the Egyptians stayed, would that person still be excluded from the impact of the plague? No. Simply because he/she had stepped outside of God’s covering. Flipping it around, if an Egyptian moved to Goshen, will the toads, locusts, flies etc. come into Goshen because of him? No. God’s covering was over Goshen.  

No matter the prophecies that have gone ahead of you this year, if you are not in Goshen, the plagues will get you. The prophecy will hang in the realm of the Spirit and not manifest. It’s just that simple. As you have stepped into this year, what will keep you and cause God’s word to be fulfilled in your life is obedience and walking closer with God. Let that be your focus this year, and you can be rest assured that you are in for divine and pleasant surprises.  

Remain connected, 

Bolaji Ajayi. 

After the death of Moses, the lord asked Joshua to lead the people to the promised land. Joshua then sent 2 spies into the land of Jericho. These men were hidden by Rahab the harlot and eventually had an agreement to reciprocate her favour by preserving anyone that was in Rahab’s house when the Israelites took over the land.  

One thing struck me about this story. Spying out the land was not the determining in taking over the land. That part was already settled by God because the battle was His. So why did God allow Joshua send out the 2 men? Could it be because God wanted to preserve Rahab and show us how He can use anything and anyone for His purpose? – In case you are not aware, Jesus came from the lineage of Rahab.  

God will always do His part to bring His plans for our lives to fulfillment. However, we also have a part to play. If Rahab had not obeyed the instruction of the spies and put the red cloth on the window, her house too might have come down and her entire household perished. Same way the angel of death passed over the Israelites that obeyed the voice of Moses and put the blood of the lamb on their door post. 

God is always faithful to play His part in bringing what He has planned for us to come to pass. The question is “Are we”? Can God trust you and I to play our part in order to see the manifestation of the promise and His purpose. Are we willing and able to act on His command regardless of the seeming consequence at that point in time? Rahab could have been killed if the king found out what she did. Yet, because she had heard about the God of Israel, she believed, aligned with God and showed it by her actions. We read about her in Heb 11 as part of the heroes of faith because of this act, and in Matt 1 as part of the lineage of Jesus.  

Now the ball is in our court. Will you and I “trust and obey”? Remember, He has finished the works before the foundations of the world so we can trust that what He says will come to pass if we do our part. 

Stay connected, Bolaji Ajayi

Today I was listening to a lady talk about her fear for water which was based on childhood experiences. At about age 9, her best friend drowned and shortly after, her sister’s friend also drowned while learning to swim. Of course the coach was broken and devastated at the girl’s funeral. What she saw and felt impacted her so much that her take away was “water did this” hence her phobia for water. As I listened, I paused at the thought of those incidents and engaged the Holy Spirit on it and once He was done, I knew I had to share His perspective with you. 

First thing question He asked was “what if the girl that drowned during training fulfilled her purpose?” I must confess at that point I’m like how can that be the girl’s purpose? She was just a young girl. The response was, do you know what changes her death led to and how many lives she had saved or that one life that has impacted millions but would have died had the girl not died in her place? Now at this point, I was all ears even though the human in me was still struggling with this idea. Then He said remember John the Baptist. His parents had him at an old age. In fact, he was a miracle child right. Yet, by the age of 33 he was dead. No mansions, wife, children etc. so in this world ‘he didn’t accomplish much right’? However, why did he come? To prepare the way for Christ. Did he do that? Yes. And what did Jesus Christ have to say about John? ‘I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; Luke 7:28, Matt 11:11. By human standards, we might have felt “sorry” for John like we do for the Johns who’s walked among us. However as far as the maker and giver of life is concerned, John was a great man. 

So the question I was left with, which I also leave to you is this. How do you perceive your existence? What’s your perception of everyday living? Do you live intentionally or do you just go through the motions of the systems this world has created to fit its mould? While I ponder on these thoughts,  I’ll leave you to do the same and decide what actions you need to take so your life can be truly great in God’s sight.  

Stay connected, 

Bolaji Ajayi  

How were you wired and how are you wiring the next generation around you?

I was chatting with a friend this evening, and somehow the conversation got to ‘growing up’ days. We talked about money and when she mentioned allowances, I was like yeah you get that when you went to school to which she said ‘no’ even on holiday – some kind of upkeep allowance. I did a quick ‘brain racking’ and said ‘nope’ nothing of that nature. She thought it was impossible especially since I was a girl child and supposedly parents need to make sure their daughters have enough money to take care of their needs. We chatted a bit about this and parted ways for the evening. However, the conversation didn’t leave me alone and the Holy Spirit then started opening my eyes to some things so here’s what I have to share. 

The parent’s responsibility is to meet the needs of their children. “Needs” not “Wants”. Thinking about the earlier conversation, even though I wasn’t given weekly allowance during the holidays, all my needs were met. That was 100% certain. Nowadays, the focus is on meeting the wants of the children that some basic needs (values) are lost in the mix. Even God, almighty God, the one who owns all the silver and gold, supplies our needs not wants, and meets us at the point of our needs. Phil 4:19. What did He meet when the Israelites were in the wilderness? Needs. See also Matthew 6:8, 32. One thing to note though is that, sometimes the things children term as wants are actually needs – it’s all about perspective. For instance, if a parent see that a child is creative and spends money on materials for painting, brushes etc., for the child at that point in time, it appears to be a want since the child is just having fun with it. For the parent however, it’s a need because he or she is looking into the future. Same with God. He supplies some needs that we see as wants now because we don’t see like He sees. Our perspective differs. You’ve probably had those moments when you realized you needed something and realized provision had been made for it earlier when you didn’t even know of the need. If you have, then I’m sure you get my drift. 

Now back to the conversation I had with my friend. One of her questions was ‘so how did you get money to do “stuff” during the holidays. To which my answer was, you save from your pocket money while in school. Then you could have all the fun you wanted during the holidays without always having to go to your parents to ask for money. The ‘joy’ that was set before me made saving really easy so delaying gratification became a norm. Now, fast forward some years. Has this impacted me positively in any way? Most definitely. I look at some of the things I’ve been able to achieve in many areas of my life including finances, and I have to say my ‘wiring’ during my formative years had and still has a lot to do with it. So back to my initial question. Are you conscious about how your actions or in actions are unconsciously wiring the children around you? There’s really no hard and fast rule on what to do or what not to do. You just have to own the end result and depending on what you want that to be, take steps now to get the outcome you desire. May the grace and wisdom of God be sufficient for you as you leverage the help of the Holy Spirit. 

Stay connected, 

Bolaji Ajayi 

Ruth was a Moabite. Yet, she became part of Jesus’s lineage and found favour before God and man. How did she achieve this?

She went out: When Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, she didn’t sit back at home with arms folded and expect Naomi to fend for her. She took responsibility for her well being and that of Naomi by going out into the fields to see what she could do. Note that If she didn’t go out, there would have being a zero possibility of ending up on Boaz’s field.  

She was diligent: When Boaz got to the field and asked who she was, the overseer’s response was that of a lady who had been focused and worked all day gleaning only taking one short rest.  

She had a good reputation: Boaz had heard of all she did for her mother in law even before coming into the field and seeing her. The overseer’s feedback then was more a confirmation of all he had heard about her person: her character. 

She was mannered: In all her interactions with the overseer and Boaz, Ruth communicated with humility. 

She was not self centered: After she had eaten with the harvesters and Boaz, she took the extra home to Naomi in addition to all the barley  she had for the day. 

Do you go out and make things happen or wait for things to happen to you? Are you diligent with whatever your hands find to do? How will people describe you? What is your “hallway” reputation? Are you focused on you and you alone? If you’re honest with yourself, are you selfish? Do people like to hang around you or does your communication style push them away? Ruth’s diligence, character, mannerisms and reputation caused her to find favour in Boaz’s eyes and she was “grafted by God into His tree”. If she could be grafted in the days of the law and fulfilled purpose, what is your excuse now that Jesus have given you free access by His death and resurrection on the cross. The ball is in your court. Learn from Ruth, allow the Holy Spirit teach and submit to Him so you can fulfill God’s purpose for your life. 

Remain connected, 

Bolaji Ajayi  

When God was about to bring the Israelites out of Egypt to take them to the promised land (Canaan), He had to “show Pharaoh who was God” by sending the 10 plagues to the land of Egypt while Goshen (the place the Israelites lived) was not impacted by the plagues. So even though in that period in Egypt, everyone was groaning under the plagues, the children of God (The Israelites) were not affected. 

However, imagine if an Israelite chose to go and stay outside of Goshen, but still within Egypt, would that person still be excluded from the impact of the plague? Certainly not –  simply because he/she had stepped outside of God’s covering. Flipping it around, if an Egyptian moved to Goshen, will the plagues come into Goshen because of him? No. God’s covering was over Goshen.  

Consequently, no matter the prophecies that have gone ahead of you, or those things that you are trusting God for, if you are not in Goshen, the plagues (effect of unbelief) will get you. One key thing that will keep you and cause God’s word to be fulfilled in your life is obedience to the Holy Spirit and walking closer with God. Let that be your focus this year, and you can be rest assured that you are in for divine and pleasant surprises. 

Stay connected,

Bolaji Ajayi

When Jesus met the man who had been by the pool with an infirmity for 38 years, He asked him if he wanted to get well. The man’s response? “I have no one to put me in the water when it’s stirred up…”.  Then Jesus said to him, “rise up, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well. 2 observations in these few verses of scripture that I’ll like to share. 

First, sometimes we get so myopic in our thinking and set in our ways of how something ought to be done or an issue resolved, that we don’t see other options or opportunities even when they are staring us in the face. The same Jesus that others cried out to and followed for help and got their healing, approached the man at the pool and asked if he wanted to be healed. Yet the man didn’t recognize that this was an opportunity for his healing. Instead, he was focused on the pool as the only source of healing. How flexible is your mind ? Are you able to recognize opportunities that God brings your way (sometimes even on a platter of gold)? What do you do with opportunities even when you recognize them? Question them? Over analyze  them? Explain them away? The same way Jesus performed the same type of miracle in different ways is the same way the solution you need could come from diverse means. Be adaptable and sensitive to your environment – both physical and spiritual. That is the way to recognize and take advantage of opportunities and therein lies the success you desire.  

Secondly, it was apparent to Jesus that the man didn’t realize the opportunity that was right in front of him. So Jesus by-passed his response and decided to heal him without the man even making a request. I pray that for every situation that has been a thorn in your flesh or lasted for so long that you can’t see past it, because we have a High priest (Jesus) that is touched by the feelings of our infirmity, the mercy of God will speak for you this year, give you a testimony that will cause ears to tingle and jaws to drop, and make you a blessing to others. 

Stay connected 

Bolaji Ajayi  

In 1 Samuel 16, shortly after God asked Samuel to anoint David as king, the spirit of God departed from Saul and an evil spirit tormented him. One of Saul’s attendants suggested they find someone who can play the lyre to play so the king can feel better when he’s tormented. Then another servant mentioned the name of David having seen him play before. What’s interesting in all this is the fact that, God orchestrated 2 servants to be present and give the advice and referral that works in God’s own favour and aligns to His purpose. Why was it the advice of someone to play the lyre that Saul accepted? How come the other servant remembered David (this reminds me of the story of Joseph as well). I pray that as you utilize the gifts that God has placed in you, God will organize events to work in your favour and take you to the place He has planned for you.

A side note however is that you must have been doing something with the gift. If David hadn’t played the lyre for people to hear, the servant won’t have had a reference point. Same applies to Joseph – the interpretation in the prison opened the door of remembrance for him in the palace. The gift of a man, makes room for him. Have you discovered the gifts that God has placed in you? What are you doing with them? That gift is waiting for activation to launch you to the phase of your life in fulfilment of God’s plans and purposes.

Secondly, you should prepare yourself for the next phase even in your current phase. When the servant referred David, he didn’t just say he played the lyre; he said “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the lord is with him.” 1 Sam 16:18. To stand before kings, the gift is only a baseline, there are other requirements. Same thing with Joseph when he was called, it is recorded that he prepared himself physically before even appearing before the king and once he spoke, even the king acknowledged that he was wise and God was with him. Your character and walk with God are critical to achieving that great future that eye has not seen nor ear heard, which God has planned for you. May you not truncate God’s plan for you by lack of character or lack of the fear of God.

Food for thought: Am I using the gift(s) God has given me or is it just lying to waste? How have I added value to it and myself?