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Blessing Offor: Seeing God’s Light

Blessing Offor: Seeing God’s Light In The Darkness

Blessing Offor: seeing God's light

Do you like to sing in the car?

Well, me too.

A big thanks to my husband for not covering his ears.

My current favorite song for gracing the cars next to me with song (wink wink) is a No. 1 radio hit, “The Goodness” by Toby Mac. 

When I noticed the other vocalist’s name who Toby was featuring in the song, I just had to look him up.

In one word, “amazing.”

Are you familiar with Christian musician, vocalist, and songwriter – Blessing Offor?

Blessing Offor

There are so many wonderful things to say about this man and yes, “Blessing” is his real first name.

Blessing has already collaborated with many top Christian artists and shared his own vocal expertise on Season 7 of The Voice.

A virtuoso on the piano, Blessing (in his own right) has been called “a force to be reckoned within the music stratosphere” and rightfully so. (JFH News, 2022)1

But there’s much more.

Born in Nigeria, Blessing knows what it means to face overwhelming challenges. Congenital Glaucoma, combined with a freak accident later in elementary school, claimed all of his vision before he turned eleven years old.

Even so, he has a gift from God that continues to shine through the challenges he faces.

His incredible voice and the joyful attitude I saw him display in an interview drew me to his music.

Released last year, the song “Tin Roof” is one of my favorites. Not only just for Christians, it strikes a chord for anyone who is in the midst of despair.

As Christians though, we know that through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our sorrows are washed away once we’re in Heaven.

That beautiful analogy is like the comforting sounds of raindrops on a tin roof.

Blessing Offor: Seeing God’s Light

How do we react when we face overwhelming challenges in our life?

Do we dwell in anger over our suffering, or do we look forward to a brighter day?

Even though Blessing faces a daily challenge that most of us can’t even imagine, he’s never given up on his dreams . . . or on God.

When you find that your faith is up to the challenge and in fact grows for the challenge, it’s a kind of joy that nothing else can touch. – Blessing Offor.2

Earlier this year, Blessing released his full length debut album titled “My Tribe.”

Here’s a favorite – the soul-searching and faith-affirming song, “Believe.”

Blessing Offor’s upcoming tour starts March 2nd of this year. You can find his tour schedule here.

Face the problems head on, ask questions, ask God the tough questions, but don’t give up.

We are all going to go through hard things, really hard things, but we can have the confidence to know that there will be brighter days ahead.

“Even if He doesn’t save your eyesight, He’s still good.” – Blessing Offor.3

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1From JFH News Report via PFA Media, No. 1 Artist Blessing Offor Shares Soaring live Video For Single Believe. (November 11, 2022). https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2022/11/11.BlessingOfforReleasesLiveVideoforBelieve.asp

2-3Blessing Offor interview.  “How Losing His Sight Affected Blessing Offor’s Faith.” [YouTube]. March 8, 2022, Web. Accessed February 16, 2023. Retrieved from: Interview With Blessing Offor

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Three Encouraging Bible Verses

Finding Hope in Three Encouraging Bible Verses

Do you have a special time of day when you read your Bible?

For me, the best time is right when I wake up.

I love the peace and quiet of the morning.  

Often, I’m up between the hours of 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. 

Granted, my PJ’s are still on and my bed hair could frighten children, but God doesn’t care.

He delights when we study His Word and worship Him.

There are so many passages in Scripture to treasure, but I wanted to share three encouraging Bible verses that speak to my heart.

Finding Hope in Three Encouraging Bible Verses

When I came to a saving faith in Christ and started reading my Bible at age 30, my whole perspective on life changed.

No longer did my faith take a backseat and I earnestly sought how I could use my God-given skills to glorify Him.

In this often dangerous world that we live in, His Word is the shining light that cuts through this present darkness and lights the way to our eternal victory through Jesus.

This universal calamity we’re all witnessing is temporary.

Delight in God Because He Delights in Us

Psalm 18 is a Psalm of David.

From what we read in the pages of this amazing scripture, God brought David out of the depths of despair into a life marked by humility and gratitude.

The verses end with “. . . because He delighted in me.”

18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
But the Lord was my support.
19 He also brought me out into an open place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me. – Psalm 18:18-19, (NASB).

Today’s world is consumed with distractions, temptations of the flesh, and fear.

It’s enough to grieve the heart of every Christian.

But, God hasn’t gone anywhere.

He loves us and delights in us as our Heavenly Father. That is the beauty of His character – we are still His children.

We fail Him daily and yet He still loves and delights in us. Someday we will be with Him in Heaven.

Talk about encouragement!

One of the reasons I named this blog “Delight-in-God” in the first place is because, as Christians, we know that He delights in us and wants us all to come to repentance in Him.

God Is Our Strength

The following verse in 2 Corinthians is a great example for us of the Apostle Paul’s complete trust in God, no matter how challenging and dangerous his daily circumstances were.

Remember that Paul was beaten, stoned, and thrown in prison several times for preaching the gospel.

2 Corinthians 12:10

I have to admit when I first became a Christian and read those words from Paul, it was a shocker.

How can anyone “delight” in persecutions? Is this for real?

Of course when you’re being persecuted, your first reaction might be sadness or anger . . . but delight?

I once read that sometimes God has to bring us to our knees for us to realize our need to trust Him, no matter what.

This is a constant lesson I need to remind myself in my very human desire to make a bad situation better quickly.

Jesus is the perfect divine example of endurance through suffering.

It may feel like we’re struggling with a mountain of issues, but we are not alone.

As I grow older and look back on the past challenging circumstances in my own life, I realize that my prayers for perseverance to cope with those situations and move forward were answered.

He Knows You and Me By Name

He knows our names

Our God – God of the entire universe knows you and me by name.

He knew you before you were even born . . . He saw you being born!

He sees you in a crowd, standing in line, sleeping . . . everywhere.

And, He looks upon you as His child, worthy of redemption and salvation through His Son – that blessed gift of grace when what we really deserve is death for our sins.)

Jesus wants to have a relationship with us.

What do you do when you love someone?

You think about them  – a lot and all the time.

Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2You know when I sit down and when I get up;
You understand my thought from far away.
3You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways. – Psalm 139:1-3, (NASB).

He knows us better than we know ourselves and, for that, we should be grateful.

Better Place, Divine Grace

I hope you’ve enjoyed these three encouraging Bible verses that I’ve shared.

There are many more that capture my heart that I’ll share at another time.

I’m grateful that God chose me and I rejoice with you that He chose you – my brother and sister in Christ.

As much as I love the many wonderful things that have happened (and will happen) in the rest of this life, I know that Heaven is going to be so much better.

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All scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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Take It To Jesus

Anna Golden Take It To Jesus

Take It To Jesus

What do you say to someone in your life who is deeply hurting?

You may be surprised, but you don’t have to say anything.

Besides prayer, what your grieving loved one really needs is for you to just be there.

Be a good listener and let them talk about their grief and struggles.

Actually, comforting hugs and your presence will mean a lot more than well-meaning pronouncements that might come off wrong.

Talented Christian artist, Anna Golden, has been there.

She was recently inspired to co-write the song, “Take It To Jesus,” after a close friend of hers lost her fiancé.

I hope this song touches you as much as it does me.

Will someone please pass the Kleenex?

All of the lyrics are good, but these particular words really struck a chord with me:

He hears you before you can speak
Come with me, let’s take it to Jesus. – Song lyrics, “Take It To Jesus.” 1

Let’s take it to Him, because Jesus knows.

He knows our pain and what it means to suffer greatly.

Who better to turn to when our lives are turned upside down?

As Golden said in an JFH interview earlier this year, 

“Oftentimes when you’re in a place of leadership, especially within the ministry, people expect you to have the answers, to know what to say during such unimaginable grief,” Golden explains.
“I literally said to my friend, ‘I have nothing to say.’ The last thing you want to say is ‘God has a plan’ or give a specific scripture. We’re all so busy trying to figure out what to say and have the right answers, but nothing I can say can take away the pain you are feeling. All I can give you is Jesus.” – Anna Golden.2

Jesus.

One glorious, life-changing Name – God in the flesh, and the blessed assurance of our salvation and eternal joy through Him.

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1 Song lyric, courtesy of Anna Golden. (2022, April 28). Anna Golden – Take It To Jesus [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEkYc1aibBI

2 Anna Golden interview.  “ Emerging Worship Artist and Songwriter Anna Golden Releases a Live Video Of Her Newest Song, Take It To Jesus.” [Jesus Freak Hideout]. May 13, 2022, Web. Accessed May 16, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2022/05/13.AnnaGoldenReleasesLiveVideoofTakeItToJesus.asp

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Listen . . .

Do you hear what I hear?

I’m talking about that beautiful sound in your soul that rises above all the noise of this world – a sound straight from Heaven.

It’s the sound of God calling you to trust Him, no matter what happens.

As the Apostle Paul assured the Corinthian church in his letter, God is faithful.

God is faithful

God “is” faithful.

If you love Him completely, have a repentant heart, and trust that your salvation comes through His Son, Jesus Christ, you are saved.

All glory to God!

Can we even fathom how amazing that is?

do you hear what I hear

Known and Loved

What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him? – Psalm 8:4, (NASB).2

The Almighty knows yours and my name.

We have countless reasons to let our lights shine – a reflection of His goodness.

Those that wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be kept by him, and confirmed to the end; and those that are so will be blameless in the day of Christ: not upon the principle of strict justice, but gracious absolution; not in rigour of law, but from rich and free grace. How desirable is it to be confirmed and kept of Christ for such a purpose as this! How glorious are the hopes of such a privilege, whether for ourselves or others! To be kept by the power of Christ from the power of our own corruption and Satan’s temptation, that we may appear without blame in the great day! O glorious expectation, especially when the faithfulness of God comes in to support our hopes!  – Matthew Henry, Christian minister and author.3

Do you hear what I hear?

It’s God’s call for His children to come to Him.

We can’t earn our salvation through our deeds.

We simply need to open our hearts and respond to His amazing free gift of grace.

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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

3 Matthew Henry quotation, “Bible Commentaries”. [1706.] Courtesy of Studylight.org., https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhm/1-corinthians-1.html, n.d. para. 6. Public Domain. Web. Accessed 29 March, 2022.

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God First

Is God First In Your Life?

is God first in your life

Admittedly, there are days when I don’t spend time with God.

Sometimes there are appointments to get to or other pressing demands that take up the day.

Those aren’t excuses, mind you, and I feel disappointed in myself later.

I want to have time with God every day.

For me, that means reading the Bible and praying, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen.

That’s on me.

Has that happened to you, too?

While I do talk to God every day, I want less distractions and more devoted time to reading my Bible.

For awhile there, I was up around 4:30am in my office.

I appreciated the stillness.

Just me and God in my thoughts.

Considering all of the amazing blessings He has given me and His presence during some of the most difficult times in my life, I want to do better.

After all, giving Him all the glory is why we’re here.

The Lord Before Me

Our Sovereign God knows everything about us – including our busy schedules.

A “skip” here and there isn’t a big deal, but Satan knows how to use distractions to keep us away from our Bible studies.

With that in mind, here’s a verse to treasure from Psalm 16:8.

In the Psalm, David issues a declaration that he will make God first in his life. 

I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. – Psalm 16:8, (NASB).

God First

The first thing I see after lifting our window shades in the morning is a sunrise.

God first

So beautiful.

I wake up and see beauty like this and it reminds me that, while I was sleeping, God was “up” the entire time and on His throne.

The bad things that are happening in our world right now – God has got this!

I found a great poem that I believe attests to this.

It’s by an anonymous Christian poet.

If I had to pick, I think the second stanza is my favorite.

God will not go back on His promises to save His faithful people.

“God hath made His saints victorious.

Sin and death shall not prevail.”

Now those are words we can count on for eternity!

Praise the Lord, Ye Heavens, Adore Him 

Praise the Lord: ye heavens, adore Him;
Praise Him, angels in the height.
Sun and moon, rejoice before Him;
Praise Him, all ye stars of light.
Praise the Lord, for He hath spoken;
Worlds His mighty voice obeyed.
Laws which never shall be broken
For their guidance He hath made.

Praise the Lord, for He is glorious;
Never shall His promise fail.
God hath made His saints victorious;
Sin and death shall not prevail.
Praise the God of our salvation;
Hosts on high, His power proclaim.
Heaven and earth and all creation,
Laud and magnify His Name.

Worship, honor, glory, blessing,
Lord, we offer unto Thee.
Young and old, Thy praise expressing,
In glad homage bend the knee.
All the saints in heaven adore Thee;
We would bow before Thy throne.
As Thine angels serve before Thee,
So on earth Thy will be done.

Anonymous Christian Poetry
Public Domain

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1Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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