Persevere In Your Faith Despite Difficulties, Pastor Urges Nigerians

The coordinator, Real Christian Gospel Ministry, an evangelical outreach in Dutse, Abuja, Pastor Innocent Odo, has advised everyone who successfully enters the new year to be very thankful to God Almighty, irrespective of their financial or other difficult situations.

In his New Year message to Nigerians in Abuja yesterday, Pastor Innocent said the fact that one has not gotten enough money in one’s bank account does not mean that God is absent from such person’s life.

He said: “Money can always come at any time when there is life, but life is a rare gift that can only be gotten and kept by God alone.  Looking at the ugly situation of the world today, many people have gone as a result of the deadly waves of the global pandemic, wars, terrorism, starvation that led to banditry and kidnapping. So, reasonable survivors must be grateful to God Almighty by being more obedient to Him in order to continue enjoying His mercies and gracious works.”

He added that Christians should not be deterred by the difficulties of life, as such situations are not new to humanity, but that those who remain loyal to the end would enjoy the ultimate blessings of God on earth or in the hereafter.

“Take a look back at the Israelites, how they suffered for many decades under Egyptian captivity, yet God did not depart from them. Consider King David, he was king but suffered a lot of tribulations from both Israel and outside, including his own son, Absalom, but he came out victorious in the end. Suffering did not start today, hard times come and go, but the faithful always remain with God,” he said.

Innocent advised married couples to not allow the difficulties cause separation among them, and warned women to remain loyal and faithful to their husbands as they would eventually be rewarded for their perseverance. He also cautioned the youth against joining bad groups or taking to indecent behaviour as a result of the bad economy.

“Women, respect your husbands, children, obey your parents, men, try your best to take care of your families, weeping endureth for the night, but joy cometh in the morning,” he said.