Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha
Polluted streams and water bodies generally make a
land uninhabitable. This is because water is essential to life which perhaps
explains why it is commonly said that water is life. If the water bodies in a
land are polluted, the land gets impacted negatively – plants may not grow,
animals cannot live there because when they drink the polluted water, it causes
sickness and death; the same impact it will also have on humans. Unfortunately
this was the case with Jericho. It was a city described as pleasant yet the
water was bad and because the water was bad, the ground was barren.
Certain Churches, families, communities and nations are barren because the leadership of such institutions make negative pronouncements on the people and the negative pronouncements impact the people negatively. Consequently, there is no productivity. Rather than point accusing fingers to the wrong sources, the leadership that is actually responsible for the problem through their negative pronouncements should stop cursing the people, stop
making negative pronouncements that God will replace them, God will punish
you, God will impoverish you, God will dethrone you, God will not bless and
prosper you. The leadership should also stop speaking from a heart of bitterness, deep
seated resentment and anger against the people. The leadership should also stop wishing the
people evil and projecting ill will towards them as all of these are akin to
the bad water of Jericho which was causing barrenness and death in Jericho. The
question then is; is it possible for a pastor or the leadership of families, communities and nations to do this? Yes.
The source of cleansing and seasoning is the heart of the leadership –
to turn their hearts to the mind of God for His people so that like Aaron and his
sons whom God commanded to bless the children of Israel, they would bless the
people of God worshiping and serving God in their Churches; actually the Church of
God in the name of the Lord. Please read Numbers Chapter 6 verses 22 to 27. The
continuous and continual pronouncements of the blessings of God on the people
will cancel out the barrenness and death and bring in life and fruitfulness in
the lives of the people of God.
A person can make his or her land unproductive,
unfruitful and barren by the pronouncements he or she makes on the land God
blesses him or her with. Please read Proverbs Chapters 12 verses 14, 18 to 19
(the truth of the word of God; 15 verses 1 to 2, 7 28 and 30; 17 verse 27; 18
verses 6 to 7. That probably explains why God asked the Priests to bless His
people in His name. On a number of occasions, Moses blessed the people of God;
he blessed the people after they completed the building of the tabernacle
according to the pattern God gave them. It is good, it is great, it commands
divine blessings when instructions are carried out, activities done, prophetic
declarations made as instructed by God. Please read Exodus Chapter 39 verses 42
to 43.
King David also blessed the people in the name of
the Lord. That was after the successful return of the Ark of the Lord to the
tabernacle which David erected for the Ark in Jerusalem. Please read 2nd
Samuel Chapter 6 verses 12 to 20. He also blessed his household. Please see
also in Psalm 115 verses 9 to 18 yet another instance of David pronouncing
blessings on the people of God.
King Hezekiah of Judah, a descendant of David,
alongside other leaders of Judah blessed the people of Judah and Israel. Please
read 2nd Chronicles Chapter 30 verse 8. Hezekiah also encouraged the
Levites and as the people celebrated the Passover and rejoiced before the Lord;
the Bible records that there was great joy in Jerusalem; and subsequently, the
Priests and Levites arose and blessed the people; in a loud voice and their
prayer went to God’s holy dwelling place in heaven. Please read 2nd Chronicles
Chapter 30 verses 21 to 27. Hezekiah also prayed for the people who did not
cleanse themselves before partaking of the Passover and the Bible records that
God listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. Please read 2nd
Chronicles Chapter 30 verses 17 to 20.
Significantly, there was great spiritual, physical,
mental and economic prosperity in Judah in and Israel in the days of Hezekiah.
The king certainly knew how to use his tongue. Even in the face of external
aggression, he took refuge in asking God for help while encouraging the people
to trust in God. The result was God taking on the battle and routing out Sennacherib and his army. Please read Isaiah Chapters 36 to 37.
The Bible records in Ezra Chapter 5 verses 1 to 2
and 15 that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah played pivotal roles in the
rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Through the words they spoke, the Bible
records that the elders of the Jews built and they prospered through the
prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. The Bible also
records that the prophets of God were with the people, helping them. How? They
daily spoke words that edified, exhorted and comforted the people as well as encouraged
them to be kingdom minded – words akin to those spoken by Judas and Silas (Acts
Chapter 15 verse 32) words which Jesus Christ describes as spirit; and they are
life (John Chapter 6 verse 63); words taught and given by God through His
Spirit (Isaiah Chapter 50 verses 4 to 5); words that bring about revival and
restoration of hope and life as evidenced in the valley of dry bones.
Ezekiel spoke as
instructed by God and life and hope returned to the very many dry bones in the
valley. What are you speaking, life and hope or threats and ill will? The
choice is yours to make your ground fruitful. Shalom.
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