Tuesday, February 10, 2009

There's a Remnant Somewhere


Once upon a time, my income was just enough to cover my transportation and toiletries. I could not afford clothes, shoes or luxury of any kind.

God was gracious enough to bless me with a line manager, who was the same size as me. She became my benefactor as far as wardrobe was concerned. What she gave me were her remnants but they were light years better than my best clothes.

When I look back over the struggles that I have been through, I can testify that no matter how horrid any situation was, God always left me some remnants...something to anchor my hope on while the storm raged.

God is so deeply touched by the touch of our pains that even when He appears out of site, out of reach and out of vibes, He is ever very present. What but the presence of God could have made Moses describe a messed up place as “a holy ground”? Jacob was in the middle of God-knows-where, using a stone for pillow; he couldn’t help but acknowledge that “God is here and I knew it not” It takes the presence of God to make a stone feel like a pillow.

When challenges come knocking, especially when they come with numerous company, we get so bombed out that we neither recognize nor acknowledge our remnants even when they come dressed in red hats.

The truth is that there is always a remnant and God is in the remnant. If you take a tour of the bible, God always left His children some remnants.

When God destroyed the earth, Noah and co were the remnants.
When Abraham’s barrenness went on for too long, his remnant was a covenant from God.
When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot was the remnant.
When the Israelites were at the risk of being annihilated by King Ahasuerus, Esther was their remnant.
My girl, Ruth had Boaz give a command that remnants be left for her on purpose.
When Laban was cheating the living day light out of Jacob, his speckled stick was his remnant.
When Moses forgot what confidence meant, and couldn’t stick two words of Egypt together, a staff was his remnant.
How about the widow of Shunammite and her little jar of oil?
And the list goes on…

I don’t know the size or number of lemons life is throwing at you right now but, I know the God of remnants. Take a closer look and you will see what your remnant is.

It could be hope.
It could be a very minor miracle that is a pointer that something is about to happen.
It could be a word of encouragement from someone.
It could be a revelation from the word of God or from a least likely source.
It could be a still small voice from the Spirit of God.
It could be just one idea or an encounter that might not look like much.
It could be the ability to hold onto God even when your knuckles have all gone white.
It could be the ability to pray even when your words sound very empty.
God knows our limitations so, no matter how gruesome your trying moments are, if you look closely, you will find some remnant to hold on to. If you hold on and hold out, surely there will be the breaking of a new dawn. God will so mess you up with blessings that you can’t find the right word, song or body language to express your gratitude. Isaiah has a living word that summarizes all I am trying to articulate:

“Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah.”(Isaiah I: 9)

Look upwards with a heart of gratitude and God will show you what your remnant is.

1 comment:

  1. Uju, you write from your heart and you have written well. God bless you.

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