- (Israelmore Ayivor)
According to the 1st law
of motion, propounded by Isaac Newton, a body will continue to be in its state
of rest or constant motion unless it is acted on upon by an external force.
This simply means, without external forces, the mentioned body will proceed to
progress till time immemorial.
A Christian journey is crowned by a
good ending; either a good beginning with a good ending or a poor beginning but
a good ending. Hypocrites have a good beginning and a poor ending while lazy
cowards have a poor beginning with a poor ending. In short what is achieved at
the end whether good or bad crowns the entire work done, therefore make sure
you finish your journey well.
It would be very pitiful should
someone graduate his /her spiritual status by vacating the “sinner stage”
of lowliness by fervent repentance and mounts the “salvation platform”
of highness. Then by the misfortunes those external forces try to pose, this
individual would recede to get him/herself messed up and starts all over from
number zero. Doesn’t this sound funny and very foolish? Only dogs can do this;
they eat, vomit, go around, come back and eat up the same thing they have
vomited. Solomon confirmed this by saying “as the dog returns to his
vomits, so a fool repeats his folly” Prov. 26v11.
Some Israelites have demonstrated
this foolishness, revealing their ungratefulness to God. It all happened when
the Lord sailed them through the 40 years’ journey from Egypt to the wilderness
of Paran at Kadesh. It was left with few hundred meters for them to reach
Canaan, the Promised Land. On their way God helped them through every need of
theirs; water, food, shelter etc. God even promised them victory in every
battle they may encounter and a lot more. But was there any exhibition of
gratefulness from the nation to God? Not at all. In the wilderness, Moses
inspired by God sent 12 spies to have a view of the promise land. They came
back with good news and sad news. The land was good, milk in abundant, but the
inhabitants were stronger in their view.
The Israelites failed to recognize
that roses have thorns and to obtain your beautiful flowers, you must remove
those thorns. Instead, of them victoriously moving forward some complained
among themselves “let us select a leader and return to Egypt” Num 14v4.
Back to Egypt? Select another leader? What a poor ending? This is foolishness,
do you know? Another forty years of journey back into the land of filthiness?
How will that wicked King receive them? What a tragedy! How has the faithful
city become so notorious? “….it was full of judgment, righteousness
lodged in it, but now” it is full of disobedience! (Isaiah 1v21).
Beloved don’t return to Egypt in your life because nothing good can come from
that for you.
Study the life of this King who by
his pride made a poor ending. His name was King Uzziah. His life history was
capture in 2nd Chronicles chapter 26 and this gave an account
that:
Ø He was 16 years when he was made to
be king (verse 3)
Ø He reign for 52 years in Jerusalem
(verse 3)
Ø He did what was right in the sight
of God just like his father did (verse 4)
Ø He sought God and God made him to
prosper (verse 5)
Ø He went to war and won it powerfully
against the philistines (verse 6)
Ø He defeated people of Gath, Jabneth
and Ashdod, breaking their walls with victory (verse 6)
Ø God help him against his enemies,
the philistines, Arabians, Meunites (verse 7)
Ø He became popular and his name
spread across the territory (verse 8)
Ø He became strong, powerful and brave
(verse 8)
Ø He achieved many uncountable wonders
and statuses redeeming Israel (verse 10-14)
Ø He became more popular and before
and his name spread wider than before (verse 15).
Ø He became wonderfully strong
(verse15)
Ø The he became proud and sinned
against God. He entered the temple and burnt incense, something King were not
allowed to do (verse 16)
Ø Priest Azariah met him doing the
forbidden thing and questioned him (verse 18)
Ø God was angry and stroked him with
leprosy (verse 19)
Ø He suffered leprosy till he died
(verse 23)
This coverage was a demonstration of
a poor ending. The King actually started well at age 16 continued very well,
ruled till he was at age 68, achieving higher statuses and laurels for Israel.
At age 68 he offended God and died. Uzziah climbed higher and higher, but he
could not reach the peak of his journey. His pride landed him onto level zero
being sinful and was stroked with leprosy. Leper were not allowed to mingle
with others, so the King probably had an Isolation; thus he dropped from the stage
of popularity to the stage of Isolation; from powerful status
to level of sickness; and from a “hero life” to a “shameful
death”. What a poor ending!
Beloved though the ramps that make
people to have poor endings, I entreat you to be steadfast and break your way
through. With endurance and perseverance, persist to be on track and you will
reach there. Don’t forget the lord’s promise to give you an expected end. The
lord said “…I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of
peace, and not evil, to give you an expected end” Jer. 29v11. Remember
there is “no pension” in the Lord’s vineyard till the harvest in ready and
God’s restoration becomes evident.
Earlier patriarchs trample the same
path you trod today. Some did well till the promise they await now. There is no
doubt that you can do the same. As you move, do not look back. In no time you
will reach there. Press on higher, higher and higher. Amen.
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