Don't Die A Fool

By: Apostle Jerry Ossei Otoyo

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                                   So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their                                               brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle. And David said to Joab, and to all the                                       people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth,                                           and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.  And they                                       buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave                                     of Abner; and all the people wept.  And the king lamented over Abner, and                                           said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put                                       into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the                                           people wept again over him. - II Samuel 3:30-34

 

Abner was loyal to the throne established by God. He helped and defended Saul while he was a king and during the emergence of David. Even after the death of Saul, he kept on defending what he thought was right. At such state of loyalty, he still finds himself being accused wrongly by the same people he was fighting for and defending.

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When his eyes was open to the fact that David was ordained of the Lord to lead Israel, he decided to shift camp in order to serve David as the newly ordained king to the throne. He was ready to be loyal to him to the very end of his life.

 

Joab who was leading David's troop felt threaten because of Abner. He and his brother Abishai knew what Abner was made of remembering how he defeated them while in opposition. Abner was the one who killed their brother in defense of his boss. They might have thought within themselves that it will not be long, Abner will take over the mantle of leadership in David's troop if allowed to live on, thus nursing the  plot to eliminate him which ended with his dead.

 

Abner refused to defend himself in the midst of his enemies, he had what it takes to have destroyed them. He was so skillful that they could not ignore. He could have fought them and escape from their evil plan against him but he rather decided to give in to their wicked devices. So religiously loyal that he even decided to die at the hands of David's men because he wanted peace with him.

 

After his dead, Abner was mourned by all. Even Joab and Abishai who killed him were among the chief mourners with David he wanted to make peace with so that he could defend. He was given a befitting burial with sympathy from all Israelites. But!

But his destiny was cut off prematurely. His goals in life and plans could not come to pass. His visions was killed by his enemies who lived on to effect theirs.

 

He might have thought that he will come out of it to tell his story to the king but met with his dead in the process. He who fights and run away timely will live on to fight another day and probably with renewed strategy to win while he who wants to finish the fight when he is not equally and fully armed for victory will die and ends his future untimely.

 

Decision taken too late may end up in brutality. Claiming and positioning yourself at the state of humility to the fault in order to maintain peace is not also the nature of God but an act which could only be describe as stupidity.

 

One may be a born again Christian but still act foolishly placing his life in danger and at the mercy of his torturers. Sometimes, just praying over some enduring circumstances and wait, expecting God to come down literally to take you out of the prevailing mess in your life could only mean that you are a fool who will soon be sacrifice and given a befitting burial by those who wants you out of their way.

 

God will not come down to literally take you out of certain trouble, He expects you as a son to know when to decide for something. When you were a child, He decided for you. He directed you on what to do but when you have grown to a position of sonship, He is not expected to always decide for you. "Be ye holy for I am Holy" is a lay down principle by God but it's your final decision to be holy or not.

 

Don't die as a fool! This will mean going away untimely, enriching cemeteries, satisfying your enemies while disappointing those who hope to keep on living through you and your leadership. When you finally die, the best your competitors will do if they can't ignore your remains is to organize a befitting funeral for you still with their benefitting interest in mind. Though in the physical, they mourn your passing, laughter still permeate within their vain mind that you've truly died a fool.

 

Don't be too religious to get annoyed and conscientious violence at certain stage in getting your right. Remember, Jesus said that the Kingdom of God from the time of John the Baptist suffereth violence and those that takes it by force possessing befitting nature. Maintaining peace among brethren will sometime require violence actions to achieve it.

 

You might have given yourself into the effort of making so much needed peace that you yourself have become a sacrificial lamb. Thinking about what others will say is reasoning foolishly and that might keep you at a stagnated state if not deteriorated for the delight of your competitors.

 

My advice is: Don’t die like a fool! You do have everything at your disposal to live a victorious lifestyle, use them! Your hands, your eyes, your nose, your brain, your legs including spiritual endowment. Time waits for no man.

 

Observers and some friends and partners might not tell you the right things to do in order to set yourself free and claim the necessary victory in your life. Some with attitude of insecurity will feel serve if you remain at your present stage and not free from bondages that could eventually set you higher than them.

 

These are those who have seen the bright future in you but since your present state benefits them, they will continually want you to always remain there so as to keep asking arms from them. When your pitiable asking-for-handout position in live benefits their effort in ministry, your freedom will be a great minus in the proposal that feed their egoistic and family's needs.

 

Arise and think rightly, react while you still have the strength for that is what you will not always have at your disposal as age and circumstances of life are going rapidly against you naturally. Don’t dwell there because, you've been on this mountain of confusion for too long. Turn to the other side, your victory is sure.