When I watched Eno as she walked the stairs to the top I asked myself how it was I had never talked to her before, how I shivered each time I wanted to approach her. She wore a white frock over a long dress underneath. I stood up harnessing all the courage I could muster and walked to her direction. When I reached her row, I beamed a smile and waited for a tolerating response at the head that bent down. She looked up puzzled and said, ‘Hello,’ it was the perfect introduction. The one I had needed to start the talk, the talk I had rehearsed for days.
‘How are you?’ I asked her, watching her face for any sign of irritation. ‘I am fine. Ehmm… You want to discuss something with me.’ I nodded and motioned my hand towards the seat by her side. She smiled and whispered ‘yes’. I stretched and started with a silent prayer.
‘Your name is Eno, right, Eno-Obong?’ She was startled and let a frown. ‘How did you know my name? ’ ‘A rare source: a dream.’ I replied. ‘I want to tell you about Jesus.’ She let out a smile and watched me somewhat keenly as if I had let out a secret, one that was not suppose to be told. ‘What makes you think I don’t know Him?’
I continued, ‘He loves you and has asked me to tell you to fear him. That’s all He told me to tell you. I could add but that’s all, Eno.’ ‘Why would He send you to say that when I have ears to listen?’ she asked. The teacher had walked out and we both felt more relaxed at this and shared a smile. ‘Sometimes, we are not listening. I don’t listen all the time too. But, I am learning to.’
‘So, God speaks to you about who does and doesn’t fear him. How funny!’ ‘Funny?’ She nodded and said, ‘It is funny. I think He could have told me if you say He speaks and I have ears, so, sum that up. I can hear when He talks too.’ ‘Yes. You are right. You have ears but “do you really listen when he speaks” that’s another question.’
‘How do you fear someone who says loves you?’ she asked looking straight into my eyes. ‘It is impossible to love someone without fear. God is our father. He is the reason for our existence and its source. He is the peak of our every achievement and the standard for it. What relationship do you have with your father if I may ask?’
‘I love Him. I don’t fear him.’
‘Can you steal and go to jail if you didn’t care for anyone but your father only?’ I asked her.
‘No, it would be unfair to him.’
‘Exactly, the point. There is an element of fear in your relationship with him that restrains you from deliberately dishonouring him. You fear what his reaction would be. It is in this fear that your love is perfected. That your love is complete.’
‘So, He is telling me to love Him with honour. I mean, Jesus.’ She said. ‘Yes, are you getting the concept of fearing Him?’ ‘I am.’
‘How did you hear Jesus speaking? How did you know that He was the one and that it was I who was the Eno and not just any other person?’ ‘I was willing to listen to Him. I was patient to follow his lead and I was diligent in finding the Eno, the one who would wear the frock on a Tuesday afternoon. God was always willing to talk to me, all I had to do was prepare myself by listening for his voice.’ When I saw the tears drop down her eyes, I realised God had prepared me to talk but had not prepared me to win a soul for Him. I too learnt a lesson from Eno, God is always speaking and he speaks for many different reasons. He speaks to fellowship, to warn, to educate- to provide a deep understanding of who He is to us. But again, like I told Eno, ‘Are we ready to listen to Him talk to us?’ ‘Are we ready when that voice does remind us of the things we ought to know?’ ‘Do we listen?’
Quite a number of us profess our love for God in many ways but we fail to fear Him (to love Him to honour). Until we are able to define who God is to us, how much He is what He is to us, How far we are willing to go for Him, the very core nature and importance of our love for him would still elude us.
I ask you this again: Do you fear God to honour?
For the month of September, Jesus says: Love me to honour. Love me to do my will. The will of the Father. For I am my word and my word is I. He who loves me will do as I have said. There is no greater sacrifice than to love me to honour. For I have loved you always from the beginning of time. I have proven this, time and again and I still do. Will you love me this month? And see if I won’t speak to you. I will speak only when you are willing to heed. When I come, which is very soon, I will take only my sheep and not the goats. I am coming for my listeners. Only my listeners. The ones that heed after they have heard.
If you read this month’s issue of our ‘Jesus Says’ and you were blessed, kindly pass it to another for a heavenly reward.
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If you want to give your life to Jesus, say this prayer:
Jesus, I come before you. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that you died to remove my sins from me. I ask you into my life to be the shepherd of my life, my saviour and king. Today, I declare that I am born again to reign with you in glory. All these I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Welcome to the Royal Family of Christ! You are a Prince(ss) of the Kingdom. Hallelujah.
TARE ABANG 