GRAB HOLD

Back in my campus days, when senior friends came around either on invitation to minister or on visits to my fellowship, there was a thread of counsels they were always giving us. And that was, 'Seek the Lord as much as you can now, drink as much as you can from His Presence, hold Him and do not let Him go, build a strong foundation with Him now, so that when you get out there (i.e. after you leave school) you can still stand.' Sometimes they would add, 'Out there, it is not very easy to stand for God, you will meet many temptations, it might not be as easy as it is for you now to pray and seek God then, so grab hold of Him now and don't let go' and a lot more similar pieces of advice. Even during my service year in NCCF (Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship), I kept hearing such admonitions.

Did I grab hold of God? Yes I did, but much more He did grab hold of me. I can say that I sought God and He was found by me.

I tearfully and joyfully remember those days in my fellowship. I was in the choir (The Anointed Minstrels). I learnt what discipline in ministry is from that blessed band. God bless my coords: Sis Peju Coker (nee Ojerinde), Bro Henry Hector, Bro Dayo Adeniyi, Sis Sade Kehinde (nee Aina), Sis Gloria Nmanu (nee Ajani) and Sis Mofoluwake Babajide (nee Okekunle).  Rehearsals were always times to look forward to. There was a custom I met when I joined in 2002, the coordinator could call on anybody to share the word (exhort). The first day I was called on, I recalled I somewhat fumbled through my words, but you know what? Everyone paid rapt attention to me, it seemed not to bother them how I was performing. This greatly encouraged me. What about workers' retreats, camps and meetings that involved other fellowships under Ogun State Baptist Student Fellowship?

I won't forget how I used to sneak to Ibadan for a discipleship meeting organised by Brother Segun Ariyo of Potter's House. I used 'sneak' because my parents, especially my dad, did not know I was going on such trips. (In fact, my father did not know I was so involved in my fellowship, he might have guessed, but he never knew). I informed my mum about my going for the retreat once, and she started panicking, telling me to be careful and not to be moving around. I knew I would never tell her again. Those meetings at Ibadan I can never forget, they were great times in God's presence, seasons of refreshing, moulding and making. God poured into me, I knew and many of the prophetic releases then I can see in my life now. It will never go off my memories those blessed hymns that usually characterised those meetings.
As a corper, I was posted to a school in Port Harcourt. I went to service with a mind that I wanted to teach and touch students' lives. Fortunately, I was given CRS (Christian Religious Studies) and Agricultural Science to teach, mind you, I studied geology in school. But I knew it was not a coincidence. I made the best use of that opportunity to touch my children. I was in NCCF also. NCCF days were blessed days-- Rural Ruggeds (village outreaches),  National Conference, State Conference, GENCO, family house, family house song, family meetings, excos meetings, decorating the hall and arranging chairs for meetings and services (I was chief usher), editorial unit meetings and presentations, Bible Studies, prayer meetings....

Looking back now, I am sincerely grateful to the Lord because I went for those programmes in school against all odds. Many odds were against me then chief among which was poor finances, fear of my dad knowing I was at such meetings. Do not get me wrong, it wasn't that I was going for all these programs at the expense of my studies (most times, these meetings fell on periods when work was not serious in school and they were even weekend programmes). I am also glad that I was part of NCCF. Now, I cannot remember the last time I went for a retreat or camping programme. I can count the number of times I've been in church for Sunday Service this year, not because I have backslidden, but because of what I do. Have there been temptations? A lot! What about my walk with the Lord? By His grace, I still abide in Him, but I must confess that many times I struggle with my prayer altar, Bible study and personal worship lifestyle. However, He has always been there to refresh me when I am weak. For me, I will not say that it is difficult to walk with God outside campus and outside NYSC. My testimony is that the Lord has kept me. I work in an industry that is dominated by men, but you know, that has never been a big deal to me, because the Lord goes with me everywhere I go to.

I will not scare you about the outside world. It is very easy if You let the Lord. But I will counsel you like we were counselled in those days that you need a strong foundation with God now that you are young (Ecclessiastes 12:1). Of course I am still young too and still seeking Him for I can never have enough of Him. I remember asking God then to help me that my testimony will not be that it is not easy to stand when I get out there and He has been helping me big time. This is the season to seek the Lord, whether you are in still on campus, serving as a corper, waiting to go for NYSC or even if you are still in secondary school. Even if you have passed allthese stages like me, SEEK THE LORD, I BESEECH YOU WITH ALL MY HEART.  It is not as if you will stop loving and serving the Lord, but it pays to serve Him all the days of your life, so why postpone working with Him till the future? I Cor 3:9.

However, I am not beseeching you to take your work for Him above your search for Him. If you love Him , you can serve Him, not out of compulsion, but out of the love you have for Him (and remember that He loves us into loving Him--I John 4:19). And if you are yet to embrace what He did for you on the Cross, He is calling you again. I bring to you the most popular verse of the Bible again:
#John 3:16#
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The Lord is standing by, if only you will grab hold of Him and not let Him go.
#Isaiah 55:6-7#
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.