PROVERB CONSIDERED: “Omi ló dànù, agbè ò fọ́”
INTERPRETATION: "It is the water that is spilled; the water container is not broken."
MEANING & BIBLICAL APPLICATION: This proverb is usually used in consoling someone who has experienced a loss. It's a way of shifting their perspective from the loss in itself to the fact that there is still 'something left' -- something capable of giving rise to many more of what was lost.
For the Christian, that 'something' is, above all else, Christ in us! Hence Paul writes to the Colossians, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27b)
We reflected on the Proverb in a couple of dimensions.
1. WHEN HOPE IS DEFERRED. Solomon said, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy." (Proverbs 13:12 TLB). We considered the possibility that God may actually use a cycle of seeming disappointments to lead us into exploring other alternatives of what we've always wanted, only to discover all along that sometimes, our 'Plan B' has been God's 'Plan A' all along!
2. HOPING AGAINST HOPE. We highlighted the case studies of Joseph and Sarah, both of who hoped in difficult circumstances (and Abraham, of course). In the case of Abraham and Sarah, we were told that they hoped against hope in the sense that inspite of Abraham's dead body and Sarah's dead womb, they judged God faithful and He came through for them. We therefore wrapped up the episode with the hope-inspiring scripture in Job 14:7-9 NKJV -- “For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant."
Scriptures Cited include:
✥ Job 14:7-9 NKJV which says "For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant."
✥ Acts 16:6-10 TLB which says "Next they traveled through Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the Turkish province of Asia Minor at that time. Then going along the borders of Mysia they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus said no. So instead they went on through Mysia province to the city of Troas. That night Paul had a vision. In his dream he saw a man over in Macedonia, Greece, pleading with him, “Come over here and help us.” Well, that settled it..."
LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE
✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/
✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589
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