My Birthday Epistle

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓!!!
9th June, is always the code.

It’s another 365 days.
A very happy birthday to yours truly.
————-
Lemme leave you with something.
I pray you find a “take away”.

My hopes were pretty high this year, expecting my birthday was going to meet me in the heart of the Atlantic or Pacific or maybe the Mediterranean, hurraying with the dolphins as my guests.

But some how my hopes were extended.

I was like, Lord why me?
This one thing please..!

You know how it is with those things that are outside the circle of things you can control or influence.

You just align in sober reflection.

While I was in that sulky humour, the devil uninvitedly and successful peeked into my moments and started suggesting junks.

I had thoughts like:
Austin, just let this birthday slide.

There is actually nothing to celebrate.

Can’t you see your hopes were almost dashed[God forbid].

You have nothing to be thankful for.

And other craps.
______
But some how, the word of God surged in my heart.

Maybe because I have mastered the act of flooding my heart with God’s word.

Lo, the scripture was:

𝑩𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅, 𝑶 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒔:
Ps. 103:2

The later part of this verse “AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS” really hit me hard.

Pals, suddenly my faith was leavened and it began to yeast.

I sat down, took a pen and paper pronto, I started listing and counting the goodness of the Lord [his benefits] in my life, from my last birthday to today.

Before long, I have lost count because his blessings are just too much.

I absolutely couldn’t count it all.

The benefits of the Lord are just too much to mention.

Even if He does nothing more, He has done too much and enough.

Then I understood the devil’s trick. He was actually trying to pin me and defraud me of my joy.

But he failed woefully.

Because of one thing that is yet undone, if you allow him[devil], he will induce you to be ungrateful for all other numerous blessings of God upon your life.

Kai…

The devil indeed is a bastard as I have heard so many people describe him.

He’s a veteran con artist and a legendary cheater.

Friends, just few hours to today, my SD card mysteriously went bad. Over 1,300 photos gone. All scanned documents and other vital files gone.

This is how far the devil can go just to get you disorganized and sad in other to steal your joy when he knows your happy moment is just few hours away.

This is enough to get you sad and disgruntled.

But you know what?

Happiness is a choice. If you choose to be sad, then the devil really gat you.

If you are strong enough to choose to be happy, you’ve successfully disarmed him.

For me, I have chosen to be happy and joyous irrespective of what happens or doesn’t.

Imagine how many peoples joy and celebrations the devil must have whisked away by this trick.

Hmm!

I know this has come to you as a light.

You just took a deep breath, I know.

See, God has given you countless reasons to be happy, grateful and celebrate.

Worry less about what hasn’t been done. Celebrate what has been done.

Be deaf to what the devil is suggesting and be too “woke” to the promises of God in his word for you.