Yesterday was a peculiar day for me. I normally start my day with my morning devotion and gradually ease into the day, but yesterday was a bit more fast-paced. I had booked a flight to Abuja for 7am, which meant I needed to be at the airport latest by 6:15am, and it was going to be a long day of fulfilling what needed to be done in Abuja and returning back to Lagos the same day if everything went according to plan.
The first thing that stood out for me yesterday was the quote from my devotional. I kind of liked it – “Nothing – nothing! – Is too far gone that your God cannot resurrect it.” – Priscilla Shirer. What made it even more exciting was when I tried to post it to my Facebook story, it automatically came up with the song -“He raised me up” It was a super match. It gave me a lot of comfort and made me rethink the things in my life that I think are dead and buried, and it resurged a hope that everything can be resurrected. Little did I know that the day would literally end with me contemplating seriously about raising the dead and actually trying to.
I traveled
to Abuja, did what I had to do, and headed back on an evening flight. Everything did not go as pictured, but things ended on a positive. When you have learned to trust God, you realize you still have to trust God for everything. Whatever gives you the comfort to trust in anything else and not God is helping you blur the lines on idolatry. Man was made to be God-dependent, and learning to live without this dependence is a malfunction.
So I boarded another flight to Lagos and finally arrived around 7pm. I got home and tried to relax, when around 8pm I got a call from someone that someone dear to them had stopped breathing, and they needed my help. I quickly alerted my wife, got my car keys, and decided to drive. Now if you know me, you know I don’t really fancy driving much, but I guess if the issue is serious enough, we’ll do what we don’t really like. The traffic was kind of at a standstill, and I spent all the time between my house and location praying in the spirit and contemplating raising the dead.
In my head, I scanned science and realized its limitations of science. In my mind, I scanned Jesus and realized that the three times he was witnessed to have raised the dead were medically impossible. These three people had stopped breathing for anywhere between 1 hour and 4 days. For Jesus to raise these dead, it meant that their spirits though removed had to come back into their already cold bodies and warm them up. Raising the dead is deeper than I had ever imagined it by reading the scriptures. As I found comfort in what Jesus had done, and comfort in knowing that he lives in me, I began to search for scriptures I could hold on to justify what was about to happen.
I recall how Martha said to Jesus – “If you had been here, my brother would not have died”. We always feel, if only in sickness, so much is possible, but at death, it is really finished! Thank God, however, for Jesus’ resurrection and final onslaught on death, now, death is no longer the end. Jesus came to put an end to death as the end. Even if death wins a temporary battle, it already lost the ultimate war.
I also realized with Jairus’ daughter, Jesus needed to get rid of all the wailers and mourners so he could be alone with his disciples in the room with the daughter. The environment of unbelief can do a lot to weaken whatever faith you have. As I approached the place, I found a Pastor who had gotten there before me and asked him to join me in praying for the lady as I had not given up yet. He followed along, but when we got there, the community of mourners who were crying did not allow us to pray for long enough, nor did they fill us with courage. We did the little we could, but as in all miracles, ours is to learn to Obey; God owns the sovereign right to act or not to. The night ended with funeral home arrangements etc.
I am happy, however, that I showed up for God in a little way. Clearly not as boldly and fiery as I would love to be, but I’m moving the needle bit by bit. I am happy I went out to serve; my being there with my wife was something to love and stand by as a family. I long for those days when raising the dead, casting out devils, and healing the sick will be a regular day like Jesus. Does anyone else long for the capacity to love as Jesus loved?
Kind Regards,
Adeolu Akinyemi.
