Just Another Reflection on Thinking
Certain things are alien in this clime of ours. You say certain things and you are thought of to be crazy, out of your mind, or simply unbefitting to be living in this clime. This can easily be tested. Tell a friend that you have been thinking all day and wait for the response, which can be readily deciphered immediately anyway. The reason isn't far fetched: 'to think' in Yoruba, is indistinct, and shares similar meaning with anxiety and panic. Unfortunately, as a result, 'to think' is considered the hobby of the hopeless and the destitute! It was Henry Ford that declared, "Thinking is the hardest job there is, no wonder only a few engage in it." If then Henry Ford said that in his generation and such was uttered in God's own land, well, in lands not God's, at least so Americans want us to believe, thinking might be unpopular, very, very unpopular.
Encourage people to pray, and they will readily agree; encourage people to fast and one might be amazed at the level of compliance but what if they are asked to think, excuse me, would anyone want to do so (that piece of advice is unAfrican)Think? Think?! Yes, think! The writer is not disproving the need for prayers and the necessity of fasting but things must be placed in proper perspectives, less they are misunderstood and abused. While the Scriptures do not testify to the fact that God prays or fasts, they expressly state that God thinks!
God is a thinker! Thinking is a capacity humans have in resemblance of their creator. He thinks and does so deeply. God Himself speaking declared, "I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord God." Something is germane here, God's thoughts are numerous; they aren't a few!
He goes further to declare somewhere else, challenging His covenant people, "Come, let us reason together..." It is instructive to note that this is an invitation from the sovereign God to His human race for brainstorming. He is saying to His man, we can share thoughts. This can be likened to what God did to Adam when he created the animals and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. God didn't oppose Adam. He did not oppose not one name that Adam gave to the animals!
David said of God, "How deep are your thoughts..." David came to know God has thoughts; thoughts for His human race; thoughts for His water bodies; thoughts for His celestial bodies. So vast are His thoughts of and for His celestial bodies that God calls, for instance, each of the stars by their names. That is over 100 billion stars per galaxy, each by their names!
That would have been enough. But why would God pay attention to something that readily be assumed to be inconsequential. He numbered the hairs of the human head! Kai! Every strand numbered, not counted! How thoughtful is this God, very, very, very thoughtful.
The great Apostle Paul unequivocally was a thinker and this was obvious in his writings. He instructed the Philippian church to think! (Do you think that kind of admonition would suffice a Christian?) In other words, the Philippian church was commanded to be a thinking church! A church that thinks? Yes! Apparently, such a church might be unattractive to many in our contemporary time. It was this thinking church that sent to meet the need of Apostle Paul in Thessalonica, another of the churches planted by the great Apostle.
Not the last word yet on thinking. God revealed to Joshua, Moses' associate, the secret to Moses' success. It became obvious that one couldn't but be intimidated by Moses' walk with God and his deeds among the Israelites. However, God counselled Joshua "to be strong and courageous", promising that, as He was with Moses, He would be with him (Joshua). Albeit, the key to replicate Moses' deeds and the secret of success was delivered into his hands. It was simple; just too simple it could be ignored and taken for granted! I wouldn't take it seriously too had not God being the one who said it to him. Joshua was to meditate on the Scriptures. In other words, he was to think on the Scriptures day and night. To my mind, could that be God talking? Is that just all? Couldn't there be any more things to do? I might think there should be more but since the One, who is exclusively described as "The only wise God", has spoken, it is sheer display of foolishness to seek an alternative to His wisdom.
A word from our saviour to His disciples is the final word on this issue. He said, "...Be careful what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you..." (Mk 4:24, AMP).
The church in Nigeria should pray. The church in Nigeria should fast. However, the church in Nigeria shouldn't neglect thinking! I concur with a cleric who opined that, though Africans have seen diverse miracles: the sick healed; the dead raised; and many more; more importantly, Africans need to experience the uttermost miracle: the miracle of the mind. That, to my mind, is the urgent need of Africa, particularly Nigeria, at the hour.
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT: MIRACLES STILL CREATE A VOID
Seeing and experiencing the miraculous aren't enough. The children of Israel did. They saw wonders that will tickle the ear. They were first hand witnesses to a smoking mountain when God descended on it. Only the mountain could tell the tale of a mountain turned wax! They could tell of the parting of a sea, twice in their exodus. Like the drawing back of a curtain, proud violent tides and waves succumbed to the impetus of the imperial majestic sovereignty of the creator. They could tell of supplies of angels' food for human consumption! They needed no witness to assure them that sandals and clothing could be supernaturally sustained from wear and tear for 40 years! F-o-r-t-y! years? Is any shoe line willing to take up this challenge? Their souls desired meat, and God didn't hold back their lustful desire. In fact, they had a glut of meat in the wilderness! A table of farthings furnished in a wilderness. At the beckon of an East wind, quails were summoned to satisfy the nutritional need of His covenant people. Provision for the day and night, not wanting in any nutritional value. Water gushed unhindered from within a rock to quench their thirst and there was a pillar of fire, what readily electricity represents today, for their journey at night. It was simply a case of wilderness electrification! Every need imaginable and unimaginable was met. There was nonetheless a malignancy within them. Their mind was not renewed! The deluge of miracles had made out of them, unfortunately, hardened mind. Men with no renewed mind. Such is a sadden state! And that is the state of emergence that must be declared in Africa, particularly, Nigeria, her pride.
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