In Between fried fish & fornication!

Many years ago, during one of my holiday periods in the University, I had to travel back to the school environment in order to pick up a critical document I left behind in my campus room. At this time, the entire campus environ was almost totally dry as most students had travelled home, leaving most of the halls of residence (including mine) completely empty. As I was still re-counting my ordeal, I suddenly saw a very good female Christian friend of mine (Abike) who had been longing to see someone with whom she could share some of the loneliness and boredom of the season. We both walked up to her residence where she was rounding off a delicacy of Fried Fish and Plantain. Abike then asked me to escort her briefly to a cybercafé before coming back to eat. Unfortunately, we individually got carried away with the internet and had to walk back late in the night. That was my set up ! Abike clung to my shoulders (while I held on to my spirit man so holily) as we walked down in the cold night, an act hot enough to set my spirit ablaze. Unknown to me, her hall mistress had warned her not to attempt entering the house after 9pm so when we got to her house gate, she knocked and turned to me, “Oh! She won’t open the gate… she already warned me… “I understood clearly: that meant, we were to head for my own apartment and I knew anything could happen… Although I was tempted, being moved by divine grace, I managed to grab a stone and hit that gate vehemently. The hall mistress came out fuming and angry. She grudgingly opened the gate amidst an ocean of insultive words and here came the final blow… Just as Abike stepped into the gate, she motioned to me to come in… with her so that I could eat the fried fish and plantain she had cooked and also keep each others company… I had just few seconds to decide before her angry mistress shuts back the gate! To avoid fornication, was also equal to sleeping hungry, thristy and missing out on that fried fish… plantain… and other probable sumptious accompaniments. I stepped forward and backward, fish… fornication…! Goose pimples rushed at my skin and suddenly a thought came… “You can spend the night with her and eat without fornicating by just choosing to sleep on the floor” Hmmm … Abike kept her gaze on me, wondering why I was still in between opinions… Somehow I said “NO” (it was divine grace). She reluctantly shut the gate while I walked away with a war between my soul and my spirit! That day was one golden opportunity for this well starved body off mine to enjoy sex and food without any public interference, “free of charge”. I hated myself, went to my dry apartment as there was no single soul present there, no food, nothing really to drink, dusty bed, dirty room, etc. imagining what I would have enjoyed in Abike’s place all through the night… Hmmm …as I reflect back today, I realized that, that was the key test I saw coming my way before God blossomed my ministry . Almost immediately after that victory, that was when I felt a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit on my heart, a unique grace to teach God’s word, a fresh anointing to impact people, authority to compel attention, grace to speak and disciple other lives, power to speak anointed words that cannot be ignored…. All followed suit thereafter… as though God just wanted to confirm before he coronates. Hmm… I almost went for the fish with the fun! Thank God I didn’t… In between the fried fish and the fornication was the selection and ordination to a greater assignment, divine trusteeship and glory . After every call comes the test and those who scale through it make up the chosen ones for a divine appointment . Job 23:9b says “…he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. …” Jas 1:12 says , “ Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him”. Note strongly in the above scripture that there is always something to receive from God after every trial if you turned right with God. May be that passionate pull to a sexual release of emotional pressure in a secret place was God’s way of trying you for the divine appointment you’ve ever longed for… Did you fail a test? Or about to? Something great ahead of you is hanging on your not failing again. Watch out for the large pit of irrelevance in between the fried fish and the fornication or adultery… Don’t do it! Run! Many have crashed there already and it would take another round of divine process with test to bring them to God’s originally pre-planned agenda! Segun Coker