MAN WHO IS BORN OF WOMAN… (in honour of Rev Stephen Asaju)

Dearly Beloved, MAN WHO IS BORN OF WOMAN… (in honour of Rev Stephen Asaju) “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue” (Job 14:1-2 NKJV). As we gathered together in one of the meetings for post-session evaluation and prayer during the just concluded Christian Education Conference for West 1 Zone, it was glaring that my immediate boss was sad. She started speaking in parables. Someone in my workplace is dead, and the news was vague then, so she did not know how to break it. Finally, she mentioned the name of the person that died: the Reverend STEPHEN OMOTOSHO ASAJU. She led in a prayer for the family and loved ones of the deceased and bid us good night without any usual any post-session evaluation and prayer. Every one of us was sad. It was as if I have never heard that people have died. How would death just snatch one of us like that? Why did it (that is, death) not give any warning or sign that it was coming to wreck this irreparable havoc? Will I also go like that without any warning or sign that the end is looming from this earthly sojourn? Job had foreseen this scenario centuries ago! He declared, “Man [or woman, of course] who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He [or she] comes forth like a flower and fades away; he [or she] flees like a shadow and does not continue” (Job 14:1-2 NKJV. See also Psalm 39:5; 89:47). It is a pity that most of people (including me!) are not mindful of this. We live our lives as if we will not leave this earth one day. We aspire. We strive. We do things. If we are unable to achieve our aspirations, we become unhappy and at times become angry with God. If our struggles do not yield the expected result, we strive the more and hope to succeed one day. At times, we succeed; at times we fail. If we succeed, we think that it is by our making. Even, if we remember to ascribe the glory of the success to God, we, on many occasions, forget that the success is temporal. We do not remember that we have just few days to live here on earth. The “few days” may be some years. They may be some decades of years. They may be a longer number of years. Nevertheless, we will come forth and fade away like a flower one day. We will be stopped from our aspirations, struggles, achievements and any other things that we might have been doing here on earth. We will become history one day. I doubt if Revered Stephen Asaju had any premonition that he would be called home few days ago. I am sure he had many aspirations; at least, both of us discussed some of such aspirations. Certainly, he had many struggles of life. However, he did not wish to die now without overcoming these struggles. All the achievements that he had have become useless to him, except the ones that he did for eternal purposes. His wife, children, or any relative or loved ones cannot make use of certificates. Indeed, man who is born of woman is of few days! Are you mindful of the fact that you are of few days? Do you remember that you will fade away like flower no matter how flourish you are now? The reality of life is that every one of us will flee like a shadow and will not continue to be on this earth forever. Each of us will die one day. Are you ready for that day? In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Points: 1) Pray for the wife, children, and loved ones of the Reverend STEPHEN OMOTOSHO ASAJU that God the Holy Spirit, the great Comforter should console them and grant them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. 2) Pray that you will always be mindful of when you will die.