David just excites me. There is always something new to learn from him. In I Samuel 17, the Bible records his amazing victory over the Philistine champion and giant, Goliath.

What most people miss is, the biggest fight David won that day was not the fight against Goliath but the fight against his own. How many of us abandon a dream or passion because it makes our family, bosses, colleagues, lovers or friends uncomfortable?

Proverbs 29:25 (NLT) says “Fearing people is a dangerous trap but trusting the Lord means safety”.

Let’s look at the David and Goliath story again and see how many obstacles David had to cross in order to fight Goliath:

I Sam. 17: 28 says ‘But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was very angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”

Eliab was just a jealous brother. The prophet Samuel nearly anointed him as king but God obviously preferred David and he couldn’t handle it. He was so jealous, he couldn’t see the great opportunity that was before them. If David kills Goliath, no member of their family will ever pay tax again. Secondly, he will become son-in-law to the king. His chances of progressing in Saul’s army will shoot up. His father’s few sheep” won’t have to be so few after all. Eliab also knew David had been anointed as Israel’s next king and yet he makes no effort to win his heart. Are we amazed when we don’t hear of him in David’s ranks when he reaches the throne? It’s amazing how many people allow their own family to destroy them.

Second battle David had to win that day was King Saul. This is where most of us stop. We don’t want to appear ridiculous before our bosses so we shelve that great idea. David already had a job as Saul’s harper and that won him enough respect but deep down, he knew he could do more. How do we react when a vacancy is advertised in our jobs? Some people spend their time worrying about whether their bosses will think they are ungrateful or unhappy with their current positions whilst others just go for it. Just go for it. What is the worst that can happen? And even more importantly, “what is the best that can happen?”

The third hurdle that David had to cross was David. He was a ruddy young man, standing among some of the most experienced warriors in Israel’s history. Compared to some of them, he was just a harp playing, shepherd boy from a poor family that only owned a few sheep. He could have beaten himself with his own words and shrunk back into his shell. He didn’t do that.

We have to stop seeing ourselves by what the world defines us to be and start seeing ourselves in the light of who God says we are. Don't stop you. Don't let them stop you.

One of my favourite Bible characters is David. He is one I can relate to on so many levels. I think for our purposes, what most of us share in common with him are- HIS PAIN and HIS CREATIVITY.

The first time we hear of David in the Bible is in I Samuel 16. We are quickly informed that he is a shepherd boy, who spends his time in the bushes with the sheep. At first glance, it looks like a normal job for a young man till we quickly realize, he is in the bushes because he’s not wanted at home. His is a son who has been reduced to a servant. His father Jesse doesn’t count him among his sons… or if he does, was quite embarrassed to present him to the prophet Samuel. To put it simply, David was an abandoned young man, who received more love from his sheep than from his family. We are not surprised when we learn later that, David will fight and kill lions and bears to protect his sheep. His herd was all the family he really had in the world. We can conclude that David had pain. True but he focused on his talent and his job but never on his pain.

For the creatively endowed, those moments of pain and rejection can be your best friend if you put your mind to it. What better place to rehearse, discover and learn new moves if not where there is no one. If you play your harp to sheep, you can afford to make mistakes and not be embarrassed about it.

I remember the story of the two friends whose girl friends broke up with them at the same time. One jumped over a bridge to end it all. The other wrote about his love experiences and quickly became a bestselling author. What do you do with your pain?
One other thing we learn from the David story is, when God is on your side, the distance between the wilderness and the palace is actually very short. David never attempted lobbying anybody. He was just focusing on his sheep and his music. Yet in just one chapter, he gets secretly anointed to be Israel’s future king and also recommended to be King Saul’s harper.

I believe God has appointed people like Saul’s servant who recommended David and the Prophet Samuel all over the world to look out for his children. His only requirement is that we be so good at what we do that we won’t embarrass him when we stand before kings. Christians with mediocre skills are an embarrassment in every sphere of society; especially when they are rather loud about their faith.

Are you skilled enough to stand before kings or are you nagging, hurting and complaining instead of rehearsing. Focus on God. Focus on your job. Focus on your talent. DO NOT focus on your pain.

Life is War. This is a common inscription you find on cars and trucks all across Accra; and I surmise to say the commonality of it indicates its universality: Everybody fights this war called Life.

Many times in the book of Joshua, God tells Joshua “only be strong and very corageous”. In the New Testament, Paul writes to the church in Corinth and says “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling of strongholds”. Did you notice Paul just said we have a “warfare”? It is ridiculous to go through life thinking everything must just fall in place. It never works like that. Show me someone who didn’t fight and I will show you a bummer.

Quite recently in my life, I was feeling low. I was feeling so low I had to raise my head to see the bottom of the pit. Yes, that low. Those are the times when you want to sing “I feel like a motherless child”. I don’t know if you’ve ever been that low but trust me, it is not a good place to be. Just when I felt I was never going to win this war, I heard the Holy Spirit clearly, “if you don’t fight this war, nobody is going to fight it for you”. That was my wake up call.

Sometimes, we just want to bury our heads in the sand hoping by the time we raise our heads, the problems have solved themselves out. No. It doesn’t work that way. You have to fight. If you are a Christian, you have to “war with the scriptures”. Never allow the wrong to become the norm. King David once said, ‘even though I fall seven times, I rise seven times’. In other words, he had no quitting sense. We all know the saying… Winners never quit and Quitters never win. It is your responsibility to fight this war called Life until you win.

Let me share a secret I learnt a while back with you. After struggling to beat looming deadlines, I had a frustrated art director who had a client service person breathing down her neck tell me “look, I choose my battles”. Wow what a deep thought.

Many times in life, we focus on winning a battle and in the end, we lose the war. What we forget is that a war is broken down into several battles but not every battle is worth fighting. When the (in)famous french footballer Zidane head-butted Materazzi in the world cup finals, he allowed an unnecessary battle to distract him from winning the war. He got red-carded and his team lost. He could have focused on winning the match and pressed charges against Materazzi later on.

We all have Materazzis in our lives. They goad us till we want to lose our cool. We’d love to show them what stuff we’re made of. My advice, look beyond them and see the bigger picture. You have a world cup to win.

One of the few times Jesus got mathematical in the Bible was when Peter asked him about forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-22.
Peter thought seven times was enough but Jesus said “No. You must forgive seventy by seven times”

I remember perching on a pew one Tuesday evening and watching a preacher try to work the math out. It was so funny because I thought only creative people have math problems. As he went on, God just dropped a word in my spirit about what that scripture really meant; and if you have a moment, I will share it with you.

Psalm 90:10 says a person’s lifespan is 70 years and if they are strong, they might reach 80. The number seven is the number or symbol of Perfection. So what Jesus was really telling Peter that fateful day, was that you are supposed to live in Perfect Forgiveness all the days of your Life. He didn’t mean count the offences till they get to 70 or 490 or 7 as the common interpretation is. But what does Perfect Forgiveness really mean?

This truth might shock you but the easiest way to keep a prisoner, is to offend them. Unforgiveness enslaves. If somebody abused and hurt you in the past, they obviously are not good for your future so why will you carry them along with you? Some of us cannot enjoy new relationships because we come with a lot of baggage. Negative baggage from a past life. We are suspicious, never trusting, never releasing. We never love fully again, we always have a plan B. But that is so sad. Unforgiveness enslaves.

God calls Today “The Present” because it is a gift and the worst thing you can do to yourself is to judge Today with Yesterday’s eyes. Move on, my dear. Forgiveness empowers you to love again, trust again, pray again, risk again, gain again.
Perfect Forgiveness is NOT letting sleeping dogs lie. Remember those dogs will definitely wake up one day. When we are in love, we tend to ignore the flaws that glare at us, we sweep the offences under the carpet or we consider it inappropriate to wash our dirty linens; especially when we have to do it in public but these attitudes are so contrary to scripture and Christianity.

Many times in the Gospels, we read about people wanting to stone Jesus and he walks away from them. He leaves. If Jesus left people who wanted to abuse him or stone him, why do you think sticking to a partner or a boss who verbally or physically abuses you is the Christian thing to do? Jesus never tolerated abuse. Even when he was about to die, he asked the Father if there was a way he could avoid the oncoming abuse. He allowed himself to be beaten and killed for us because there was no other way. But you have a choice.

If you don’t want to walk away, then cry out loud for help. Call the Police. Call your Pastor. Call your parents. The Bible says “open rebuke is better than secret love”. If you, however, decide to walk away, make sure you don’t carry them along with you because they are not good for your future. Forgive them and move on.

In summary, remember Perfect Forgiveness means focus on strengths but don’t ignore the flaws. Celebrate the positives but confront the negatives, howbeit, with love.

This morning King Solomon took me to a farm. What I learnt was so refreshing, I thought I should take you along because you might enjoy it too. No, we’re not going to a flower farm. There are no tractors and combine harvesters here. It is old school oxen, manure, yokes, hoes and cutlasses.

Proverbs 14:4 says “without oxen a stable stays clean but you need a strong ox for a large harvest”.

I like a clean stable. I like to have my space, my time, my thing. One of the main reasons why I quit my job in advertising to pursue photography as a career was because in advertising a lot depends on other people. Somebody must have a problem, somebody must bring a brief, somebody must distill it into a creative link, somebody must plan your time, somebody must organize research, somebody must approve final artwork, somebody must provide the budget, somebody must produce the commercial well and on time, somebody must remember to place the ad in the right medium and at the right time… I can go and on but after depending on too many people (most of them unreliable in Ghana) to turn great ideas into reality, I got fed up and all I wanted was to be boss of my creativity. I wanted a clean, manure-free, hay free, stench-free stable. I became a photographer.

Within a few weeks as a photographer, I learnt if I really want to grow. I need to employ other people; even if on part-time basis. Allowing other people into your life either in a professional environment or at the private level is not easy for anyone. Other people come with their manure, their need for fresh hay everyday, their stench. This is as true about the house help as it is about your knight in shining armour or the queen of your dreams.

The secret is what you focus on. Don’t focus on the stable because you’ll see how messed up it has become since that ox came into your life. Focus on the harvest their helping you create. Too many people divorce over nothing. Of course, if you focus on trivial issues they become giant issues in your mind.

So do you want a large harvest or not? If yes, you know what to do.

Father Abraham and his wife Sarah were barren for a very long time. God however, never expected them to get used to it.
Getting used to their barrenness was going to rob them of the promise of fruitfulness God made to them as part of the covenant. When Abraham was 90+ years old and still there was no sign of his wife Sarah giving them the promised child, we can say the trial of their faith was working patience in their lives.

When we live with a problem, disease or addiction for a long time, the human tendency is to adjust our lives to make them a part of our lives. We move things around and re-arrange our homes, schedules, hearts and minds to create room for it. Over time, we even cannot remember the promise God made to us anymore. This is when we face the most dangerous kind of doubt: FAMILIAR DOUBT. It is this kind of doubt Jesus addressed when he told his disciples in Matthew 17:21 “but this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

What have you come to accept as normal? Remember just because you were born with it or grew up with or it is heredity doesn’t make it normal. Now, what has God told you He will do? I am not talking only about specific words of prophecy you have received but also what God has said in the Logos (The Bible)? The word of God still works… but are you ready to, through study, prayer and fasting confront your problems with his promises till his promises prevail?
Let me share a secret with you that might be of tremendous help to you:

WITHERING STARTS FROM THE ROOTS.

One day, I was reading Mark chapter 11 when this deep revelation in verse 20 hit me. Jesus had cursed the fruitless fig tree the previous day but nothing happened to it in the physical. The following morning whilst they passed by that same tree, the disciples observed that the fig tree had dried up from the roots. The disciples were amazed and Jesus was amazed that they were amazed.

Yeah, we all know the story, what is the insight? What is so significant about this story? The significant thing you must see, is that the tree didn’t start dying from the visible parts. It didn’t start dying from the leaves or the branches or the stem. If it had started like that, the disciples would have seen it happen just when Jesus cursed it; but no. It started at the roots, the invisible but also the most crucial part of the tree.

Often times, when we confront our problems with the promises of God, we don’t see anything. Actually our problems get worse most of the time but that does not mean nothing is happening. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “…the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart.” What this simply means is, the word of God works but it starts from the most crucial but often invisible source of your problem: the roots, the soul, the spirit.

If you were to look at the passage in the book of Mark again, you will notice when Peter exclaimed about the dead tree, Jesus responded by saying in Mark 11:22-24 "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
So my dear friend, no matter how old the problem is, remember it is dying from the roots and just as Abraham and Sarah received their promised son, God’s word of promise to you will come true. Don’t get used to your problem. Don’t give up.

I have noticed that the Devil really likes the scriptures; not because it spells out his ultimate state but because it works. The Word of God is a legal document which holds true no matter who presents it in the court of law. The bible states clearly that “God is not a man that he should lie… His promises are yea and amen… His word does not return to him void…” I can go on and on but I’m sure you get what I’m saying. One scripture that sums this all up is “God has lifted his word above all his names” and because the word of God must come true no matter what, the devil has learnt to exploit it, where possible, to his advantage.

Today, I want us to look at this scripture in Genesis 8:22 “As long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest time… shall never cease”. How many of us are aware that the devil takes this scripture more seriously than most believers? He does. Normally, when this scripture comes up in church, all we hear about is the need to sow some money as seed so we can reap God’s abundant riches. My dear, this scripture means far more than that.

I am at a point in my life where, it is all coming together. Before I was five, I had been introduced to sex and alcohol and narrowly escaped being raped by a relative. Before I was ten, I had been introduced to porn and also experienced traumatizing degrees of rejection. Obviously, the devil had been busy sowing seeds into my life. Negative seeds which were intended to bear much fruit. But I want to thank the God of John Chapter 15. He is called the Gardener; and I am grateful that He considers me a branch in Him.

Even though most of these negative seeds were sown even before I could properly spell my name, today I struggle with the fruits they seek to bear. I am a happily married. I love my wife. I am proud of my son. What will break my heart above all else, is if ever my marriage should fail. Adultery, no matter who commits it in my marriage will be a great devastation. Above my love for my family is this deep love and reverence I have for the Lord God who delivered me. Yet everyday in my life I battle the fruits these seeds seek to bear.

I’m sure you’ve heard your fair share of tragic heroes in God’s Kingdom. It is not uncommon to hear of a highly anointed, highly respected man or woman of God being caught in fornication, adultery, corruption, drug abuse, alcoholism, domestic violence etc. The sad thing is, normally when we hear these stories. We quickly label them as hypocrites and discard them. We never pause to ask why and even when we do, we don’t wait to hear why. “As long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest time shall never cease”. That is why.

The bible clearly proves that God doesn’t call us when we become born again. He chooses us even before we are born. God appeared to Samson’s parents before he was born. He told Jeremiah He chose him even before he was born. The birth of Jesus was prophesied way before it became a reality. Another parallel truth to the above is that, the devil can smell a good seed and normally tries to destroy us even before we grow. Pharaoh killed all the male children of the Israelites because he knew by sorcery that a Moses was about to be born. The devil filled Zechariah with unbelief because that was a sure way of hindering Christ’s coming. John the baptist had to come and prepare the way. The devil also tried to get pregnant Mary stoned to death by making Joseph think she had committed adultery. The bible says Joseph said he was going to divorce her quietly but since when has a woman been able to hide pregnancy? That belly was going to blow up with its story and that would have been the end of our Messiah. When this ploy failed, he got Herod to kill all the children 0-2 years. My dear, the devil can smell a good seed and attacks it even before it grows into a mighty tree.

What were you exposed to as a child? What seeds were sown? What fruits are you struggling with now? In the same vein, what are you exposing your children to? Who do you allow around your children? Can it be that the secret sins, the addictions, the fears and every bad habit you are struggling with was once a seed that was sown? A tiny, negligible seed? If big faith starts small like a mustard seed, what does rape, murder, drug addiction and adultery start like?

No matter what you are struggling with now, no matter what seeds have been sown, we have a Lord of the Harvest. We have a Gardener who has more than enough expertise to prune you. Our God has more than enough power to uproot every evil fruit bearing tree in your life. Those seeds were sown in you so that you could never become the man or woman God has destined you to be. But thanks be to God, who is able to set you free in deed. The God of the Bible is able to really make you born again; not in a religious sense but in a true way. He is able to make you a whole new creature. The devil expects a rejected young girl to become a vulnerable woman, he expects the male child exposed to pornography to become adulterous and unreliable but when Christ comes into the picture, the story must change.

God is constantly sowing seeds too. Expose yourself to His word, prayer and sound christian fellowship. Expose your children to God’s seeds because the trees they bear are beautiful to behold. God bless you.

As I step out today...
Let gratitude grace my every word
and only blessings roll off my tongue.

Let my thoughts be just like a child’s
and my embrace warm cold hearts.

As I step out today...
Let me not see colour before heart
nor gender and age before mind.

As I step out today...
Let me start the day afresh
appreciating the present it is.

Let me not fear what I can’t change
And let me fear what stops my change.

As I step out today...
Let me know what matters most
and help me give it the best of me.

Let me end wrong even when it favours me
And let me pursue right no matter where it hides...

As I step out today.

Nana Kofi Acquah © 2009