I am Your Sheep and You are my Shepherd

Trust and listening to the Voice of God

Sometimes we cannot recognise the voice of God because our thoughts are clouded by our own judgements. I recently read somewhere that it takes a Sheep a while to get accustomed to the voice of its Shepherd. Similarly, as human beings this is what our relationship is usually like with God. When I read that, I thought it was such an amazing comparison, because now I understand the dynamics of the Lord is "our Shepherd"

Yes He is our Shepherd in the sense that He will not forsake us. This is clear in Psalm 121:7 "The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever"


However we need to take into the account the initial relationship, between the Sheep (us) and the Shepherd (God). The Shepherd is constantly training the sheep into its follower. I don't know how the sheep herding process works, but I'm assuming it's almost like training a dog at first, if not worse. In the  beginning stages of training, the animal will be unresponsive to the Shepherds commands, and give in to its own nature and demands. Just like the Sheep, we tend to act in the same manner with our relationship with God. We fail to listen to His voice, not because we don't want to but because our hearts haven't been able to recognise what that voice is yet. It is difficult to hear/feel that voice, because it conflicts with our worldly thoughts and this is why it is so hard to place.

I am writing this because I feel this has been me for some time now. I'll be honest, I find it so hard to recognise when God is speaking to me or sometimes I make up crazy ideas in my head and forcefully will it to be God if you know what I mean. I guess what I'm trying to say is we need to just get accustomed to what that voice is, so we can differentiate between our worldly desires and what He wants best for us. It's been said that we usually hear Gods voice when we are still in his presence, in other words just having alone time, praying or even just listening to gospel music, basically anything that will put you in check.

This is something I've been meaning to practice consistently, but I find myself getting distracted over things that should not be a priority over my relationship with God. The beautiful thing about practicing to hear the voice of God, are the life changing experiences you encounter. For starters, I start to see myself differently, my perception of things begin to change, from what/who I attract to what/who I entertain.
You start to see certain things clearly, because your heart and mind is focused on Him and what He wants for your life. It could start from a simple revelation on how to go about writing that essay you found difficult, adding little pointers to your job applications or God may point you in a certain direction and open your eyes towards something new that you may never have considered or previously brushed aside.

It's an overwhelming experience, and you have nothing to lose trying it out. Make the decision to take a few minutes out of your day, by setting alone time and just pour out all your worries to Him and ask Him to take control of every situation that seems difficult to overcome.
When you do this I pray God will direct you in all areas of your life. Be it school, relationships, friendships, etc. Worst scenario, you might not feel you heard/were moved by anything, but trust me you will definitely gain something in the long run. At the end of the day that is why we are like Sheep. It takes TIME to recognise that voice. So it doesn't mean He isn't speaking to us, we just need to want that relationship out of our free will and our hearts just need to be fully focused on Him to get results.

Remember hearing the voice of God, is not going to come as an audible voice. It's what you feel in your spirit and heart, that's where He engages with us.

Psalm 23 "The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows, He leads me beside peaceful streams, He renews my strength, He guides me along the right paths, bringing honour to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me..."

Stay Blessed and Inspired,
Zephia xx

Brief notes on Faith-Thanks Devon Franklin

Husband to Megan Good, Devon Franklin speaks on his celibacy and being two different people. "I would preach one thing, but then live another life" I watched this brief interview on him and felt like I could relate so much to what he was saying. Author of the book "Produced by Faith" where he speaks on the power of faith and how we can find success without compromising who we are and what we believe in. Now that is power in the mouth right there.
I am definitely going to buy the book and I recommend you do too, it might give you the insight you've been looking for, with regards to sorting your life out. I have always believed Faith can take you anywhere and I actually blogged about this 2years ago. (LINK below TO READ:)-->

http://www.mademoisellezee.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/power-of-faith.html

When I look back on what I wrote it just reminded me of the greatness ahead and how we can achieve anything we want in this world, once we live by faith, prayer and of course working hard to meeting our goals. Just stumbling on Devons 4minute interview, really set me back into perspective on a lot of things, so I just thought to share it with you all.
Hope you enjoy his brief interview!!

You are wonderfully made,
Psalm 139 :)
Love Zephia!
x

Transitioning

"Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The Old life is gone; a new life has begun" 2Corinthinas vs17

I like to think that people transition into something new every year, we transform into this entirely different person and begin to adopt certain traits or portray ourselves differently from what others may be used to. I'm not saying you aren't who you are anymore, I'm saying over the years there are challenges we face, which mature us into something different.

There are certain mannerisms you could have had at the start of 2012, and towards the end of the year you may have experienced something positive or negative which helped you grow into the person you are right this very moment. The truth is we are all still growing and when I say growing I don't mean physically but mentally and spiritually. For instance there are certain things that may have bothered me two years ago and now I am so nonchalant towards those things. This isn't because I changed overnight but because life always takes you through challenges that help you transition into who you are now and your perception of the world and people around you begin to change

Don't get me wrong there are times I fall back into old habits, doing the things I'm not supposed to or acting out and not representing myself the way I know I should. I guess sometimes our body just seems to have so much power over us, but the beautiful thing is we always have this conscience telling us we are wrong and for me that little voice is The Holy Spirit. Some people can't recognize what is wrong anymore because they have ignored this voice for such a long time it's almost impossible to feel bad when you have done something wrong. But He says:
"I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stubborn stony heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations" Ezekiel 36:26

You see, God has made it clear that he is in each and everyone of us, so regardless of how many times we make the same mistake, we have no business feeling like a lost cause. We need to accept the Holy Spirit is in us, therefore by FAITH we are a NEW creation spiritually. You are the better version of yourself if you believe it, you are not a waste regardless of what people say, you are not a slut, a gossip, mean, cheater, thief, liar etc and all the horrible things that life throws at you. You are a NEW creation because God has said so and you have a new heart to change, so whenever you hear that little voice in your head or you feel it in your heart to not do something maybe you need to pay close attention to that voice. This is how I literally get myself out of situations when I find myself loosing track and doing things I know I shouldn't do. I force myself to listen to that voice and I believe once we start listening, this is when we transition into the people we are supposed to be. Change isn't going to come overnight like I've said. It's a learning curve, baby steps one at a time.
We need to accept that we are fallible, we will be tested, tempted, tried, and a whole lot of negative influences to take you in the opposite direction of what you're trying to achieve or who you are trying to become, but it is alright for those things to happen because in life we need to make mistakes to realise we are wrong and then head in the right direction.

My prayer is that this New Year we transition into who we are called to be, so whatever New Year resolution you've made remember it's going to be a gradual process not just sudden change but don't give up!
I didn't really have a resolution this year but I'm aiming to to take this blog to a different level and be more consistent with my posts! I have so much I want to share with you all and I pray it only inspires you and transforms you. Trust me as I write, I am no where near perfect I make the same mistakes so for me writing keeps me in check and pushes me towards God.

Happy New Year everyone!
Thank you to all my readers who have been sources of encouragement for the past two years!
Live and Love your life because you are wonderfully made! :)


p.s don't forget to subscribe/follow by email (top right)
you can also ask me anything as anon in the comment section and I'll reply
This blog is all about interaction not just reading!


Zephia. xx

The Truth

Matthew 11:15 "He who has ears let him hear"

I stumbled upon this video from a friends blog and decided to watch it properly. Her words reveal life and truth.  It's funny because this is how I have always perceived many churches particularly Nigerian churches (I say Nigeria) because that is where I grew up. We fail to focus and understand who our Creator really is, but rather fall in love with the preachers who are merely messengers from God, because most of the time they tell us what we want to hear. Eg: you will acquire wealth, you will pass your exams, you will get a promotion, you will get married etc etc. Yes I must admit all that sounds  yummy but we are so blind and lost in what we want God to do for us that we forget what we must do for him which is simply complete submission to him and loving Him fully.

 Bear in mind I confidently write about this because I am a victim of this situation just like everyone else. I always want waant want want, but fail to give myself fully to God. Now how can a relationship work that way? looks pretty one-sided doesn't it. You and I need need to stop praying only when it benefits us but rather start praying just to give thanks for even our existence and the mercy he shows us each day. The fact that we dwell in sin and temptation but yet he has gone ahead of us to redeem us. It is Crazy, because I cant even begin to say how much sin I indulge myself in knowing or unknowingly and then I'll run back praying "OH I want want want" *BEEP*Wrong attitude to have*! If this is you too join me in this assignment for a week

Lesson for the week: Lets try and stop the self-exaltation and focus on KNOWING who God really is. Step 1-Praying to Know and Understand him. Let's also pray for others rather than ourselves, let's be encouraging to others in need rather than self-absorbed and see where it take us


Happy New Month-Happy Independence my Country Nigeria!
In his love,
Zephia.
xx

Dreams faith can buy

I took this picture at Camps Bay-S.A. The most amazing view

Lately the phrase “closer to your dreams” has been in my head probably because this is how I’ve been feeling all summer and the feeling is just amazing.
Now what does this to have to do with your dreams? Everyone was purposefully created to achieve something on earth; this is why we set goals in life, because innately we know we were created to do something. The challenge isn't getting the idea but rather how you are going to execute this idea. I feel I should emphasise on the power of doubt and fear, how these two concepts can literally hinder our abilities and potential in life because we let these factors control us. Many of us have creative ideas but we never push to make that idea a reality, because we are scared, lazy, doubtful and nonchalant until someone else happens to be living vicariously through our ideas and we have nobody else to blame but ourselves. They say the smallest ideas can grow into the biggest realities (actually I just made that up, but I know there's a saying that goes something like that) actually here’s a perfect quote “Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes” #NapoleonHill

When we decide that doubt and fear can no longer have a strong hold over our ideas and potential we begin to excel beyond what we even imagined. The number one secret and door to success is Gods way. I can't even emphasise this enough! We are not self-made beings, therefore our human capacity to achieve all we want in life is limited but when we put God in the equation it literally transforms from:

Your power + Your Intelligence + Your connections= short term success---> built on Individual strength 

ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO FOLLOW = 

Your power + Prayer+ Gods Power (which contains 'Mercy'- He will give you mercy when it feels like you can't make it. 'Favour'- when you just need that luck at a point in time. 'Glory'- His glory working through you so that the earth itself and everyone in it may glorify what you stand for. 'Motivation'- His power drives you to the zenith, you never feel like giving up because He is by your side. 'Peace' - inner peace from within reflects on your work on the outside. 'Endurance'. 'Patience'- sometimes God slows us down because He is creating a BETTER plan but we must learn to wait on His voice.  'Leadership'- when you lead, your peers shall follow willingly and see you as an example because His 'Light' shines through you) = LIFE TIME SUCCESS--->built on seeking God step by step to reach that level.

A common problem we face once we achieve something we always wanted, for a short period of time we thank God and then sort of go back into neglecting him. It's like getting exam results; the day before, we pray and beg for mercy and when we are successful we glorify Him but right after the climax has died down, we forget. It's okay; I am very like this, which is why I am comfortable, talking about it. What I am trying to challenge here is we think at that point in time yes we have made it, this is all I ever wanted so thank you God, okay bye God I'll holla when next I need you again, you've been a stand up guy. Safe. Lol. It sounds funny but that's how we literally treat situations. Have you ever stopped to think why should my success end here? If I can achieve this much and God forever wants me to succeed-Exodus 33:17 "I will indeed do what you have asked for, I look favourably on you, and I know you by name" then why should my goals be limited? When we achieve something, we need to be less like cool task done but rather our mindset needs to be okay God thank you for helping me overcome this and be successful with this, so what next can I do to Glorify you, where shall I aim for to shine and lead the way you expect me to. 

If we strive to think this way all the time, there will be no limit to our success in life. I am going to be honest, I don't think this way at all, but I just got a rush to write this for some reason, so now I'm going to put my words into practice because this summer I feel closer to my dreams and this is only the beginning. I want you to feel closer to your dreams and when you get there, the amusing thing is you realise it is only the beginning and not the ultimate achievement. At the right time, God makes our biggest dreams come easily so we can DREAM BIGGER and Aim higher. 
But remember this only happens through the "Alternative Route to follow" which I explained above (Your power + Gods power) Philippians 4:13 "For I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" :)

Stay Blessed&Inspired
Zephia

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Perseverance

Perseverance: "Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success"
I was thinking on what to write on next, and when I just said God help me, I felt the word "Perseverance" come to my heart so I decided to look it up and get the full meaning. It's crazy because this is how I see myself, to always pick myself up in spite of certain circumstances that may deter the goals I am trying to achieve. I never stop going because it feels like a race, to get to that level of achievement that I know I have the potential for because God is on my side.

Now don't get me wrong in my human nature there are times I have doubts and days of procrastination, swimming in a pool of laziness because I feel disappointed that I may not be achieving certain things yet. I know there are so many people who feel this way every day and literally have no motivation or inspiration to pick themselves up because they have failed so many times at the things they aspire to achieve. If this is you or someone you know of then I feel this post is for you..

I'll tell you what keeps me going when I feel like I'm losing it. It's not a pep talk from friends or parents. It's my faith in Gods word spoken over my life. Before I started getting comfortable with reading the Bible (still trying to get comfortable trust me) my mom would always pick out Bible scriptures for me to read when I was younger, we called them "promises" and she would fold each scripture in a piece of paper and every month it was a new message. This was what actually led me to start opening my bible out of my own will, not because I was at church and had to or because I was doing it to put up an angelic front but I actually started to get interested in these "promises" that are scriptures in the bible because I felt this was how God spoke to me, and now in my bible I have tons of little paper notes with dates (earliest date I see is 2003) pointing out a message for me. (Shout out to my mom for picking out these messages for me without realising the impact it will have on me now and on others as I share them. You are truly a blessing-Love you!) *Okay back to my point*

I want to share a promise with you all that applies to everyone- Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken or failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?"

This verse literally moves mountains, just read it again. God never changes his mind! So what does this have to do with you? In life we are created for a purpose and we set goals to achieve certain things but sometimes it doesn't look like our efforts are going anywhere. This is where this verse comes in with my topic of Perseverance. God sees it all, the trials, the hurt, the pain our efforts. Don't give up! Once you have asked for something in His name, just remember He can never fail you. Another verse to back this up is 2:Samuel 22:30 "In your strength I can crush an army, with my God I can scale a wall" metaphorically speaking it means with God you can achieve whatever you dream of!

Be "persevering" and see where it takes you
Stay Inspired& Blessed
xx Zephia xx

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Trivial Matters

It’s funny how praying/talking to God could easily solve most of our problems. I know easier said than done, talking to someone that we physically cannot see but through faith believe He exists! Talk about crazy, but hey it would be less of an experience and trial if we actually saw God on a daily basis, I think we would actually just take advantage of HIM more because we KNOW through empirical evidence that he exists as opposed to us having faith that he does.

Anyway enough of the philosophy. I decided to call this post “trivial matters” because in life we go through phases where we find ourselves complaining or worrying over the smallest issues that could easily be solved. It could be issues like what to wear the next day, what hairstyle to have on for summer, what summer jobs are we getting, worrying over exams that have already passed, wondering if a relationship would last, etc. All these issues we go through are trivial in comparison to life or death problems that people in the world actually face.

One of the things I am learning in life is to always be appreciative of everything and stop making petty issues like what to do to my hair;centre or middle part(believe it or not such decisions actually stress me out. Dont judge me, cause I know some girls think that way too lol ) dictate me. Instead of worrying and complaining I just started taking the issues to God, whether he hears me or not.

I’ll give you an example, I could be standing in front of my closet for a good half an hour, deciding what to wear, and the minute I cant decide I get stressed. Anyway I just started imaging God was beside me and I would talk to thin air pretending one of my best friends were there and go okay God what shall I wear today. Within time I started to feel my conscience getting stronger over these petty issues, like something was pointing me in the direction of, anything can be solved, stop fussing over these things.

Basically what I’m trying to say is when we start asking God to help us make decisions, regardless of how small the issue is, we get used to it and this gives us the incentive to start asking Him to help us when we face serious issues and believe it or not when you cultivate the habit of praying wisely, for some reason a solution just pops up and the problem that seemed BIG at the time becomes nothing.

James1:5-5 “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and he will give it to you, He will not rebuke you for asking” This scripture really touched me when I read it because it’s basically saying no matter what you ask from God he can never turn away from you. In other words even if the issue is little he hears and would bring a solution forward as long as it’s in accordance to His will for your life.

||*woosh as I’m typing this right now, I’m getting such a thrill, I regret it took me so long to start blogging again, I really need to get my act together and stop being so divided between God and my worldly desires*||

To cut the story short, He really does answer our problems even the smallest ones.

Ephessians3:20 “Now all glory to God who is able through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think”

He can solve our problems beyond what we can imagine, we just have to have trust.

Love,

Zephia

xx