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Do you thank God in all circumstances?
Though the Holy Bible enjoins us to give thanks to God in all circumstances, there are occasions when we momentarily lose track of this fact, get confused and completely become miserable.
We are never challenged in life when everything is going on smoothly and things seem to be in their right perspective.
Death is inevitable though, but the death of a parent, child, siblings, close relatives, acquaintances and colleagues among other misfortunes, set our minds to question or doubt the sort of love the omnipotent God has for us.
In such circumstances, we consider death or whichever calamity as unkind, very wicked and impatient. God is also viewed in such circumstances as insensitive to allow calamity or misfortune to befall us.
When a sick person dies suddenly, God could be saving the deceased from excruciating pains, the bereaved family from shock and spending money which would eventually not restore the health of the sick person.
Calvary
Before he ascended the cross on Calvary which had brought salvation to the world, Jesus became sorrowful when he prayed fervently to God to let the cup pass by him. ” Having prayed thus, he quickly concluded that his father’s will should be done, but not his under the circumstance.”
In another vein he prayed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46.
Though Jesus was in such a state, God’s love and his spirit did not depart from him. ” Behold l am with you, even till the end of time.” This phrase should serve as a reminder to all that God’s love shall never depart from us irrespective of our sinful state.
Lazarus
Our attention should be drawn towards Martha and Mary in the Bible about the death of Lazarus. One can envisage the agony, pain and uncontrollable wailing the two sisters and their relatives might have endured during the period.
To them all hope was lost on account of the death of Lazarus. Additionally, varied thoughts might have passed through their minds, giving way to a state of hopelessness and mistrust.
Bartimaeus
Imagine you were Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, and in another instance a man who became blind from birth. Until their miraculous healing by Jesus, one can envisage the thoughts which might have passed through their minds all these years.
They might have viewed God in a different light, questioned God’s saving power and His love for them. Why has God made them like that, while others enjoy the best conditions in life ?
Can one envisage the ecstatic joy that might have filled the two blind men at the time they received healing variously from Jesus?
Joseph
Another example in the Bible which reminds Christians to give thanks to God in all circumstances is the decision by the children of Jacob to throw Joseph their brother into a well, ostensibly to sell him into slavery.
Unknown to his siblings, God’s saving hands were heavily on Joseph as he had designed a unique task for Joseph which would invariably help many people including their family.
Under such trying moments, Joseph might have lived in a state of confusion and prepared to doubt when the saving hands of God would reach him, if at all.
God allows certain things to happen to us for a purpose and we are surprised as to why misfortunes should happen to us.
Zachariah
When Zachariah, the priest became deaf and dumb, how did he feel about God’s love, care and forgiveness?
Zachariah might have grumbled about how unfair God was to strike him deaf and dumb.
Life is more precious than any treasure we can possess on earth. Irrespective of the misfortune that has befallen us, do we pause to say, ” Thank you God for sustaining our lives?”
In every situation, we must give thanks to God, for we do not know what God has in store for us.
Get yourselves prepared always and let us get inclined towards receiving whatever comes our way.
We ought to know that no matter the ordeal we have to encounter, God is still the same unchanged Supreme Being who has plans for our progress in life, giving us the reason to be grateful to Him at all times.
By Raymond Kyekye
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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