By Gbemiga OLAKUNLE, JP
“Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto Thy people: O visit me with Thy salvation; That I may see the good of Thy Chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Thy Nation, that I may glory with Thine inheritance. “- Psalm 106:4-5, KJV.
The Scripture quoted above aptly captures the Psalmist heart-cry and fervent prayers to GOD when he was in dire need of GOD’S quick intervention to enable him overcome certain challenges in His life.
When GOD remembers a Person or a Nation in response to prayers of request or on His Own volition, either of these 2 things can happen- Blessing or Judgement. And that was why the Psalmist clarifies his request: ” Remember me, O LORD, with the FAVOUR THAT THOU BEAREST UNTO THY PEOPLE:…” – Psalm 106:4, KJV.
But there are Seeds to be sown which will make GOD remember a Person or a Nation. If the Seeds are Good and Godly, such a Person or Nation will be qualified for GOD’S Blessings or Deliverance from their challenges. Such Good and Godly Seeds can be in terms of Services to GOD and Humanity.
The Bible says GOD is a Rewarder of those who faithfully serve Him. He says further in another section of the Scripture that those who give to the Poor lend to Him and since GOD will not owe any man, He promises to reward such people.
The Psalmist also captured GOD’S thoughts sucintly in Psalm 41:1, KJV wherein he declares ” Blessed is he that considereth the Poor, the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble”.
Service to Humanity can also be in form using ones good influence or Goodwill to help a fellow human or bring development to a Community. And on a wider range Humanity can be served by providing Good Leadership or Governance to a Faith or Social Organisation or even to a whole Nation if one is a Spiritual, Political or a Traditional Ruler.
Doing good to Animals or even Plants can also be termed as sowing a good seed which can trigger or provoke GOD’S Blessings on demand or sometimes without making a request for it.
The need to sow Good and Godly Seeds in order to provoke GOD’S Blessings and Deliverance in times of Trouble is further reinforced in another prayer of the Psalmist in Psalm 20:1- 4, KJV:” The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble, the Name of the GOD of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the Sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; REMEMBER ALL THY OFFERINGS , AND ACCEPT THY BURNT SACRIFICE; Selah; Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.”
In corollary, when this same prayer of the Psalmist quoted above from Psalm 106:4-5, KJV is offered unto GOD, it can also provoke GOD’S Judgement or Wroth upon a Person, a Community or even a whole Nation. And this can be so when
Bad Seeds are sown by the people or the Nation concerned. Such Bad Seeds can germinate, grow and bear fruits sooner or much later. Wickedness to fellow humans or Animals; failure to provide timely assistance to those in need be it to an individual or Community especially when one is placed in a position to do so are this category.
Stories have been told of female slaves who placed curses on the generations of their owners because of the way they were maltreated at childbirth or after giving birth. And such curses have become generational which would continue to run in such families except they cry for GOD’S Mercy for His timely intervention and deliverance.
There was another account of a Lady who could not get a Suitor to marry her because she was plain- chested like a man. And upon investigation when she went for a Deliverance Session, it was revealed by the Spirit of GOD that the Lady’s wicked grandfather had encountered a woman on a bush path and cut off her breasts to prepare a charm.
But before the victim died , she placed a curse on her assailant that all his female descendants would be bare- chested with no breasts at all.
Bad leadership or Governance on the part of Spiritual, Traditional Rulers or Political Leaders can also be grouped as Bad Seeds. An instance of this was when King David sinned against GOD when he took Census of the Nation of Isreal and it was the Nation that was punished through pestilence from the LORD.
Another vivid example of how a whole Nation could be punished or suffer on account of bad decisions from their Leaders is contained in the First Book of Samuel Chapter 15 verse 2 & 3 when GOD suddenly “… remember that which Amalek did to Isreal, how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”
In the account stated above, it should be noted that the generation of the Amalekites’ Leadership that committed the offence against the Nation of Israel has passed on before GOD suddenly remembered their sins and punished the then current generation of the Nation of Amalekites for the sins of the Leadership of their forefathers.
Even the infants, the sucklings and their domestic animals were not spared from that punishment. This shows that the errors committed by certain Political Leaders ( Past or Current) can have far reaching dire consequences on the Citizen either now or in the future. Hence, the need to pray for such Leaders especially in our own interest in obedience to Biblical Injunction contain in 1 Timothy 2: 1-4, KJV.
This is because their bad decision may lead to the suffering of a whole Nation for years which may not even affect them or their immediate families’ circles. When we play our part as good Citizens and cry unto GOD for His Intervention and Deliverance,
He can touch their hearts to do what is right and if such Leaders harden their hearts against GOD -the only Potentate who allows them to be power, He can deal with such stubborn Leaders decisively in His Own way.
In conclusion, as an individual or a Leader with certain spheres of influence where GOD has placed you, your deeds are either Good or Bad Seeds. And so, what Seeds are you sowing or have you sown either for yourself, your generations or even your
Community or a whole Nation that GOD will remember you for when you, your generation or Nation suddenly found themselves in a storm or in the day of trouble? Remember, certain Seeds don’t die even when they remain dormant or inactive in the soil for years! This is moreso when GOD decide to recall or remember such Seeds. Shalom!
Olakunle.is the General Secretary of the National Prayer Movement
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