I have come to return the glory to this God that is too faithful to fail.
You know what it means from scriptures that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Most times, we don’t count it. However, I have learned from experience that you can have whatever you actually state with your mouth over your destiny.
I want to humbly state that this story is not because I am better than others. It is simply a testament to the fact that I have found mercy with God despite my stubbornness and the rest of all my faults. When I sing the song ‘He loves me, I cannot say why’ with such passion and solemnity, understand where that is coming from. The level of His love for me despite me is beyond my own comprehension.
So, I became Dean, Faculty of Arts, National Open University of Nigeria a little over four years ago. In short, being an incurable romantic, I always think only of good things happening to people around me. When I see people facing challenges, it bothers me. The only thing I would be thinking of is how to help them and put a smile on their faces. I guess God will have to forgive me for such excessive and grandeur view of myself. Indeed, when I recently listened to a message by Apostle Femi Lazarus where he admonished that if you try to be an El Shaddai who can solve everyone’s problem, you shall die. I had to repent because that was me. Only God is El Shaddai. He is the only one that can meet all human needs when we call on Him for help.
As I was saying, I had a declaration for my Deanship tenure. I told God I do not want to bury anybody who is my staff during my tenure as Dean. Indeed, the God that is too faithful to fail heard my cry. My heart cry for all the people who I was leading was for them to be preserved in good health despite themselves.
In 2023, the enemy tried to take that glory but the Lord had mercy on me. One of my staff members was first attacked by armed robbers and later he had a very serious accident by a hit and run vehicle while he was out of station on an official assignment. My Deputy Dean called me very early one morning to inform me. I was at first devastated and greatly troubled. As much as I was running around in the University to get all the help to him in order to save him, I was also reminding God that our pact is that no one dies under my watch in these years I am superintending the Faculty. A
7-day prayer and fasting also commenced in my church at same period over Nigeria and the 2023 elections. He was my main prayer point all through those seven days. God heard me and had mercy on me. He pulled through and is back fully on his feet and at work today.
I want to appreciate the Lord for having mercy on me and the Faculty. Indeed, God helped me as no one was lost to death. Instead, God increased our staff strength and made us to increase in size, strength and value.
I do not take credit for any of these His mercies. I am only returning the glory to His Majesty that found me worthy of so much love and mercy that He gave His divine covering to all those He had given to me to lead for four years. I have come to return ALL the Glory to you, my Lord Jesus Christ. May your name be exalted for ever and ever.
What does all this teach us? I think we need to learn to trust Him and put our hands in His hands. We should trust God with whatever office He gave to us to hold in trust in the first place. He is the only one that can help us succeed.
There is a lot of hype on how successful my two-term tenure as Dean is. However, I think much more than anything is the privilege that God has granted me by hearkening to the voice of a mere human being like me and preserving all the staff He gave me to work with all through my tenure. Not a single one was lost.
Joshua had this privilege when he asked the Sun to stand still for a day. The astrologers and geographers found this as a historical fact from their calculations. He listened to Elijah and He stopped and fell rain at the will of that man. He listened to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, in His human form and He rose from the dead on the third and ascended to heaven afterwards. History has also proven this.
This should encourage us as leaders of those we are privileged to serve that we also have that grace of God on our lives when we fully tap into it. I sincerely hope we do not take this for granted but truly lock it down and ask of God to show mercy to us on whatever we need to move our organisation forward indeed.
Are you saved?
He is willing to lead you and cover you with the covering feather of His mercy if you will accept Him as your Lord and personal Saviour today. You can comment on this blog post or reach me through our contact details if you will like to be guided on how to go about this crucial decision. God bless you!
Lara Authe
IYABODE OMOLARA AKEWO NWABUEZE 