News
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
A woman who is accused of bolting with ‘susu’ money totaling GH₵156,445 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Martha Nana Esi Afful was alleged to have collected the money from 35 complainants.
Charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Martha, who was earlier remanded, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kuunsong on Wednesday, admitted the accused person to a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties.
One of the sureties, the court said, must be a public servant earning not less than GH₵5,000.
She is expected to reappear on August 12, 2026.
The Prosecution’s case before the court is that the complainants are traders and residents at La in Accra.
Prosecution described Martha as a ‘Susu’ collector, who resided at Burma Camp.
The court heard that the accused person run a business with the name ‘ZOE’ and she deceived the 35 complainants into believing that she collected ‘Susu’ daily, which was kept for a period of one-three years, and paid interest on the money invested.
The complainants contributed in 2023 for a three-year period, prosecution said.
In December 2025, when the complainants went to take their money with interest, Martha went into hiding and only took phone calls from a few complainants.
Prosecution said the accused provided a MTN Momo number through which a few of the complainants still paid monies.
It said all efforts made to collect the money, totaling GH₵156,445 from her, proved futile.
On June 14, 2026, a report was made to the police and Martha was picked up at a washing bay at Tse Addo.
During interrogation, she admitted the offence in her caution statement, saying she lost her husband and relocated to Swedru in the Central Region, hence the complainants were unable to reach her from December 2025 till date.
Prosecution said Martha further stated that she had invested the monies into refuse collection business and she needed time to pay the amount.
Police are investigating the claims. –GNA
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
