The Hand of God

By Tommy Ajayi

What if I told you that problems, hardships, and failures are all a part of life? But, most people are unaware of this, and hence cower in the face of even the slightest obstacle. Yet, this opposition is a sign from life that you are on the correct track. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) reveals that "No temptation has overtaken you except that which is common to man; but God is reliable, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability." Temptations are life's hardships and disappointments that are "common to man." Whatever temptations you face will not be too much for you. If you ever need a sign, look no further.

 

Remember when you thought there was no hope? When everything seemed hopeless, but then something good happened, and you found yourself debt-free, completing that degree, obtaining an amazing job, being in a healthy relationship, hearing good news from the doctor. These favorable circumstances is The Hand of God impacting your circumstances in the face of adversity.

 

The protective truth of the 91st Psalm is the invisible hand of God to ponder and focus your attention as you face life's inevitable hardships and trials. Listen and meditate on each verse of the 91st Psalm one at a time because the words contain healing and restoring power - it can transform sickness into wellness, depression into joy, and failure into success.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tommy Ajayi
• Release date: Jun 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215405567

Tommy Ajayi

Hello, I'm Tommy Ajayi, and I'm an author and speaker who writes about personal empowerment and freedom. The freedom to be, do and have anything you want. My ideas are focused on empowering people to be the best version of themselves in all areas of life. Basically, I bless, heal, inspire, elevate and dignify the minds and hearts of women and men through my writings and ideas.

Book preview

Introduction

When the late Diego Maradona, arguably the greatest soccer player ever, scored an infamous goal with his outstretched hand In the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup, the accepted goal came as a surprise to most people. And they were right to question the validity of Maradona’s goal; after all, the feet are used to play soccer - not the hands.

According to the rules of soccer, Maradona should have received a yellow card for handball, with the goal disallowed. However, none of these happened because there wasn’t any VAR (video assistant referee) technology in those days for video replays to overrule the goal decision, and Maradona’s team won the world cup quarter-finals because of his infamous goal. When Maradona was asked afterwards about the goal, He confessed a little with [my] head, and a little with the hand of God. Now, this moment when things could have turned out to be a total disaster but everything ended up working according to plan, and for one’s good - I call this moment, The Hand of God.

‘The hand of God’ is God’s way of protecting you from a blunder, and turning things around for you. We can all recall situations when we were sure there was no hope, where things looked impossible, but suddenly that unfavourable thing changed for the better, and we found ourselves out of debt, completing that degree, getting that amazing job, being in a healthy relationship, hearing good news from the doctor. These favourable situations are the hand of God touching our circumstances in the face of difficulties.

What if I tell you that challenges, obstacles, and failures are a part of life? However, most people do not realize this so they cower in the face of any slightest bit of difficulty. Yet, this resistance is a signal from life that you are heading in the right direction. The book of 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) confirms that No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. Temptations are the difficulties and failures that life gifts to you, which the passage reveals are ‘common to man.’ Whatever temptations you encounter will not be more than you can handle. If you ever need a sign or revelation that you are going on the right path, it has to be when you experience any resistance on your way towards victory.

As ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, Lao Tzu, puts it: Misery and fortune share a trust. Happiness hides in misery. Misery is the failure you experience, and fortune or happiness is the success or dream you are seeking. To taste success, you would have to sink your teeth into misery first, for both are siblings. Unfortunately, most people do not realize that hidden in every misfortune is good fortune so they interpret failure to mean NO or their dreams are impossible.

This negative viewpoint on difficulties stalls many men of good fortunes, and allows them to lead lives of quiet desperation, as American naturalist and philosopher Henry David Thoreau solemnly puts it. They close the cotton on life too soon, and develop a resigned attitude towards life that is a pessimistic view towards their dreams in the face of difficulties.

Not too long ago, I flunked out of my first year of university as a first year engineering student - my grades were beyond abysmal, and looking at them also startled me. During that first year, if anything could go wrong, it did for me. I was at the bottom of the bottom. I didn’t want to reveal to my family about my school difficulties, so I faced it alone. During that academic year that the university rusticated me, I had to fill my mind with certain truths that would later help me overcome my failure in school, and allowed me to look at my difficulty as a springboard to success in life. Fast forward to now, I am now a chemical engineering graduate, and I also landed an amazing job in a wonderful company with a lavish salary.

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