God is in control

Pastor Tinashe Zinyemba The Christian Youth
Whenever the opportunity arises, my prayer partners and l go for prayer walks locally or outside Zimbabwe. Some days ago, we were walking and praying in Harare’s Central Business District when I felt a dull atmosphere around us. My heart was moved and I called on God, particularly on behalf of the youth. l could see some young people lying on street corners, no doubt high on various substances. Others wondered aimlessly. I then felt the need to dedicate this article to all those who have lost hope due to various circumstances.

In Joel 2 vs 28 the Bible says, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”

Despite what you might be feeling and seeing, my friend, this is the season in which God is fulfilling that verse. God is pouring out His Spirit to revive and bless all those willing to receive and to be encouraged. God is in control.

Hopelessness results from a number of situations – broken or unfulfilled dreams, or lack of resources to accomplish your plans. Sometimes the future looks bleak. And some youths – unable to handle this pressure – end up taking drastic action, including suicide, sex, misbehaving and abusing drugs.

Youth comes with so much energy. However, the downside is that when all of that energy fails to find proper expression, we tend to spin out of control.

My message to you today is: do not despair. Yes, life can be tough.
Nevertheless, God is still alive and has promised to bless you, even in these tough times and in this land where you are in.

The Bible tells us of a number of young people who also faced despair. Joseph for example, dreamt of a bright and prosperous future. At 17, he was enslaved and landed in maximum security prison a few years later for a crime he did not commit.

I am not sure what you think, but that looks like a pretty hopeless situation to me. However, Joseph did not lose hope in God.
And when he was not even expecting it, God turned everything around. God made Joseph prime minister of Egypt when he was 30 years old, using him to save not only his family, but the world as well. Be encouraged, God is in control.

Ruth became a widow at a young age. She was well-mannered and lived to please her family. She had hoped that her life would improve when she got married but alas, her husband and father-in-law passed away.

Her mother-in-law, Naomi, decided to return to Israel, her land of origin. Her best friend left her and stayed behind while Ruth followed Naomi, hoping for a better life.

When they arrived in Israel, they lived as destitutes and survived on left-overs from well-wishers. Her mother-in-law was too old to do manual work, so Ruth had to fend for both of them. I can imagine that Ruth could not wear the latest clothes or hairstyle. She could not even think of a happy life. But guess what? God turned it all around.

She got married to a very wealthy man and became the great grandmother of David, the greatest king that Israel ever had!
Be encouraged, God is in control.

If you read the Bible carefully, you will discover that David was born out of wedlock. He was the product of an adulterous relationship. Further, his father was actually ashamed of him to the extent that when Samuel the prophet came to their house, David’s father did not even mention him, only until the prophet enquired about him.

David was the youngest son and was relegated to a life of herding the family sheep somewhere deep in the bush.
I am pretty sure David thought that his life was a dead end, even from the beginning. He was uneducated, an unwanted child and the youngest of his brothers.

But God had other ideas, David became the most successful king Israel ever had and today we still talk about “David and Goliath”.
Be encouraged, God is in control. God is true to His word and wants to pour out His Spirit on you.

Tinashe Zinyemba is a pastor with New Life Covenant Church. Email feedback to [email protected]