Why does my heart beat so?
When thoughts of you do cross my mind
Why does my heart beat so?
When mention of your name is made
Everywhere I see your face
And when it’s you I think I see
Why does my heart beat so?
Toyin Taiwo © 2012
Why does my heart beat so?
When thoughts of you do cross my mind
Why does my heart beat so?
When mention of your name is made
Everywhere I see your face
And when it’s you I think I see
Why does my heart beat so?
Toyin Taiwo © 2012
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are northward and southward, and eastward and westward. For all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your seed forever. (Gen 13:14b-15, KJV)
What do you see? It is an interesting fact to note that God often asked men what they saw before he revealed his mind to them. In Abraham’s case, he told him categorically that he would give to him all the land which he saw. Whatever he did not see, he could not possess. In speaking to Jeremiah, Amos and Zechariah, we see God ask them what they saw before he gave the prophetic word to them. What you cannot see, you can not possess.
Of course, we are not just referring to physical sight here, but to pictures painted in the mind of a person concerning his desire or destination which guides that person to its realisation. It is also useful to note that we are speaking here of visions that are born of God. It is God who gives vision to his people and any vision not born of God cannot find help in God. God asked Abraham to lift up his eyes, which means he wanted to show him something. He wanted to give him vision. God is the author of visions.
We should also note that God asked Abraham to look from the place where he was. That meant he had a limitation as to how much he could see. But God knew that. We all like big dreams, and we serve a big God too. However, we usually have to work out God’s plan for our lives stage by stage, a little at a time. You may not be able to see far into the future today, but work at creating as much of your future as you can see right now. God expands our vision with time.
Finally, it is necessary to remember that God told Abraham that he would give him and his generation all the land which he saw. And he did give it to them. I am persuaded he will do the same for you – he will give you as a possession all that which he has shown you. It does not matter how long it takes. Just remember that whatever God does lasts forever. So what he will give you will last till generations after you – just as it was in Abraham’s case. The only question here is ‘What do you see?’
References: Jer. 1:11-13, 24:3, Amos 7:8, 8:2, Zech. 4:2, 5:2
Go away. Go away. We have decided you are not real
Neither are you true or to be reckoned with
You are only what we make you to be
You only have whatever life we give to you
When we are not here, you are not here either
We are your God, your life-giver
And all you do is to suck life out of us
But we know that you are not true, neither are you here
You were only here because we decided you were here
Go away from us, very far away from us
To a place we are certain does not exist
A place of whose existence we cannot know
We can no longer endure your indulgences
And your multitude of misdemeanors
Before you give us a bad name among men
We will ensure to give you no name at all
So we lay our hand upon your head today
And proclaim to all that you do not exist
So now that you are gone far away from us
You will no longer be a thorn in our flesh
Neither will you be a pain in our neck
You will be but a point in the line of our past
A part of ancient folktales to be told
We will say that in a way you did exist
But that, in reality, you did not exist
We will rejoice and be merry all of our lives
Because you are gone far away from us
Toyin Taiwo © 2012
Liar! Liar!! From whence did you proceed?
Clothed with falsehood as with a garment
You make a prey of the gullible and innocent
Holding him captive with tales that exceed
The limits of truth and possible realities
You nurture him with words that spring
Out of your poisoned and deadly mind
Liar! Liar!! Who was she that bore you?
And for whom did she conceive you?
Spinning webs of deceit from strings of lies
Like the renowned makers of “aso ofi”
You are an inspired and addicted liar
Who even believes his very own lies
Remaking yourself into the lies you told
Liar! Liar!! To where are you headed?
And with whom are you journeying?
Blessed is the man who never met you
And woe to him who befriends you
For your path is as slippery as your tongue
Leading you to where you belong
The place of judgment and destruction
Toyin Taiwo © 2012
LIVING AS A BELIEVER
Nevertheless, each of you should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to you, just as God has called you. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. (1 Cor. 7:17, TNIV)
Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. (1 Cor. 7:17, NIV)
1 Corinthians 7:8-24.
The Scripture passage above provides deep insight into the mind of God and the manner in which he deals with his saints, in times past and in the present times. Here, the Apostle was speaking on the all-important issue of marriage relationships and lays down certain guidelines. He relayed both the direct instructions he had from the Lord and his own judgments as one called of God, in cases where there were no direct instructions from the Lord. Then, he concludes by saying that each person should live as a believer in whatever situation they were called by God. This is the verse which has become a deep source of instruction to us today. He goes further on to explain by saying that the circumcised should remain circumcised and the uncircumcised should remain uncircumcised. Slaves and freemen alike were to serve God in the situation they found themselves. Neither religious nor social status mattered in the sight of him with whom we have to do. We must not forget either, that this statement was initially made in respect of marital status. So whether married to an unbeliever who is willing to stay or divorced from one that is not willing to stay (or even remarried afterwards), live as a believer.
What does it mean to live as a believer? It means firstly, that you give priority to the word of God as the ultimate authority in all matters in your life. The scriptures have been given for our guidance, comfort, instruction, correction, warning, reproof and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). All of Scripture was inspired by God and is therefore the all-time letter of God to his saints. This we must note in a world full of philosophies, false knowledge and deception, so that we can avoid the spirit of error. The next mark of living as a believer is prayer. God’s word is full of instructions and admonitions to us believers to pray. Prayer is the means through which we access God’s power to effect changes around us. This is how we establish God’s kingdom in heaven here on earth; by intercessions and supplications with thanksgiving to God regularly. Another mark of one who lives as a believer is personal fellowship with the Holy Spirit of God who has been given to guide and instruct us after the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven. You must yield your heart to the Holy Spirit and be led by Him through the word (Rom. 8:16). The last mark of one who lives as a believer we shall examine is the art of fellowship with fellow believers. This, the scriptures warn us not to neglect (Heb. 10:25). Corporate fellowship affords us the opportunity to be comforted and encouraged by others in our times of weaknesses and trials, and to contribute to the lives of other believers in diverse ways.
So what is the point in all this? The point is the priority of God as it concerns our lives. His priority is that we live as a believer, whatever our situation, status or condition in life. His primary concern is that we manifest the life that Jesus came to impart to us through his life, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven; that we bear the fruits of the Spirit which is what the husbandman seeks (Jam.5:7) and that we fully access and utilize the heavenly resources at our disposal in doing this (Eph.1:3). Live as a believer. That is the ultimate objective of God. And it is important to note that this objective is not without the hand of God in mind, because the Scripture says ‘…in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to you…’ So God himself assigns us to certain situations to bring out the flavor of the Christian life in that situation. After all, he wants to make known his manifold wisdom to the powers and principalities in the heavenly places (Eph.3:10). By this, the scripture means that God is revealing his many-sided, multi-dimensional wisdom to the world by bringing believers to victory regardless of their external status or situation. And this he is doing, in a world where your welfare would ordinarily depend on your status and condition. Indeed, he is a wise God!
Every believer must take this truth to heart and learn to live by it. Often, we as human beings desire changes in our status or situation in life. God is not against this. He loves for our condition to improve and our status to get better. The Apostle says that if slaves can get their freedom, they should (verse 21). So this reflects the mind of God to us. But he also emphasizes, more importantly, that we should not be troubled if we cannot change our status, because we belong to God, and so we should reckon things the way God reckons them. The slave is the Lord’s free man. The freeborn is the Lord’s slave. The poor is rich in the Lord. The rich should know that his riches are fading and only the word of the Lord will last. Everyone should reckon themselves, not by their natural heritage, but by their spiritual heritage in Christ Jesus our Lord. We therefore do not need to become desperate about changing our status to the extent of contradicting the word of the Lord, because we know that God in his wisdom is able to make all things work for our good and for his glory. Our own priority is simply to live as a believer in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. By so doing, we will be fulfilling the will of him who has called us to his own glory and virtue and to manifest his manifold wisdom to the powers and principalities in the heavenly places. Hallelujah!
October 8, 2011
Once when I was thirsty
I drank from the river
The river of mystery
The mystery of nature
The nature of life
The life of men
The men of honour
The honour of gods
The gods of the land
The land of the people
The people of the town
The town of the river
From which I took a drink
Once when I was thirsty
Toyin Taiwo © 2012
Just beyond our tiny village
Miles afar from the big city
Stood a forest dark and evil
Greatly feared by young and old
There the trees made a large canopy
Under which dwelt the wildest beasts
Amidst them the yellow woodpecker
Picking at the bark of the sacred tree
The green mamba watched in silence
Waiting for the right time to strike
Its slimy body splattered by litter
Droppings of the lousy owl above
At the edge of the evil forest
Where the trees were fat and short
The tree-canopy bent to the floor
Reaching to the leafy shrubs
There the little black mole
Ran for his precious life
Pursued by a wounded viper
Hunting for an evening meal
At the centre of the forest
Where no foot must ever step
Sat the ancient boundary-stone
Set in place by our fathers
Standing tall among the trees
Of the dark and evil forest
Is the great ‘iroko’ tree
Still regarded as the greatest
Now I see it from afar
Towering above all others
At the centre of the frame
Giving meaning to its name
I should never hope to rest
‘Neath its giant leafy structure
While it’s sitting at the centre
Of the dark and evil forest
Toyin Taiwo © 2012
You do not have all the time
To choose to do right in life
If you think good today
Then do it right away
At first you feel you’re young
All in shape and strong
But soon you’re old and frail
And can do nothing again
You thought your days were plenty
But then you say in pity
“I am only one among many
And my days are not many”
The choice to do what you think
No longer rests with you alone
If you must make a difference
Then you must act in time
For the days are soon coming
When you can do but little
Then you only hope and pray
Others will do what is right
If you are one and limited
And have a mind that’s righteous
Then spread the word to others
And multiply yourself
Choose to do right today
And help someone do it too
So when your days are ended
You’ll be glad how you spent them
Toyin Taiwo © 2012
You always were my focus
At the centre of my locus
Of you I thought day and night
Whether in darkness or in light
I feared to let you out of sight
For fear that you might not return
Or into something else might turn
You later became my poem
For me you turned to an anthem
Of you I wrote myriads of stanzas
While I sat under the canvas
Searching badly for the answers
To scores of questions about life
Causing problems that were rife
You have now become my song
The only one for whom I long
Of you I sing with harp and lyre
For you I wish, crave and desire
With passion that burns like a fire
That leads me like a guiding star
Till I find the place where you are
Toyin Taiwo © 2012
Where is this place?
The blackness of darkness
Envelopes me
Like an invisible garment
The heat of an inferno
Blankets me
Like an unwanted raiment
Sounds of screaming voices
Swirl around me
Coming from all directions
Forms of strange creatures
Emerge before me
Dragging me in all directions
Where is this place?
Toyin Taiwo © 2012