I love an environment where there is love and peace. I thrive there; great spiritual and physical manifestations are always possible in such atmospheres. My life journey so far has witnessed the input of many people who have loved and believed in me over the years.
However, in addition to people who love me, I realise that sometimes a dose of haters, or at least non-sticky, overly-caring lovers, has been necessary. People who don’t believe in me, my dreams, or God’s ability have been instrumental at certain stages of my life.
Jacob’s hindering love and Judah’s helping hatred
I’ve always wondered why Joseph was so stubborn to return to share his dreams with his brothers who hated him. He got them so mad that they had to decide to offload him out of the family truck in some way – either through hate or murder.
I’ve often taught people to be careful with whom they share their dreams and aspirations with, but I see that in the case of Joseph God was actively involved in making him talk about those dreams openly and confidently.
Joseph knew everyone except his father hated him, yet he opened his mouth wide to share such a magnificent dream with them (Genesis 37:4-10). Their hatred towards him increased but he returned to share the second round of troubling dreams with them. That’s insanity. But Joseph could not hold himself because God was involved.
You see, Some of us are carriers of great dreams but those around us can love us so much that they would not let us go to where we would accomplish those dreams. They would love you so much till they talk out of it or persuade you to accept the status quo.
Jacob would never have let Joseph go to Egypt. He loved him so much that allowing Joseph to take on such a journey would almost mean his death. That is the first son of Rachel, the wife he loved so much and served fourteen years to marry. He even made a special coat of many colours for Joseph alone.
But God wanted Joseph to go to another place. Canaan was not the predestined place. It was Egypt. The love of Jacob would be a barrier. So, he allowed Joseph’s brothers to sell him.
God who often spoke with Jacob all his life did not tell him about the whereabouts of Joseph. Jacob sorrowed that his son was dead but what God had in mind, he was ready to execute to the last, Jacob’s tears notwithstanding. God knew that Jacob would smile later, so he closed his ears to Jacob’s distress.
Sometimes, the people that love you can be sincerely wrong. And God will use those who hate you to push you into the manifestation of your dreams.
Joseph told them much later that God, who knows all things, had sent him ahead to prepare for the famine and save the family. Genesis 45:7-8
The irritating questions of the sons of the prophets and the focus of Elisha
The sons of the prophets who irritated Elisha with their continual questioning helped Elisha to remain focused and determined to get something out of that journey with Elijah. It would have been doubly humiliating to go all the way over Jordan and return without something extra. So, Elisha resolved to persevere until the double portion of Elijah’s anointing came (2 Kings 2).
Herod’s hatred and Peter’s Love
God did not stop the three wise men from the East when they entered the house of Herod to tell him of the moving star that they had seen (Matthew 2). They were only instructed never to return to Herod after they had met with the child Jesus. Just the right dose of hate was already administered to Herod by their visit that Herod’s next action drove Jesus, Mary, and Joseph out of Israel to Egypt, thereby triggering the fulfilment of many prophecies that had been made about Jesus. Just the right dosage of hatred was necessary. Enemies at the service of God.
Left for Peter, the man who loved Jesus, Jesus would never have neared Golgotha. It took the haters of Jesus to take him there and kill him (Matthew 27:33). Did you observe that Jesus did not stop his haters from crucifying him, but he rebuked Peter for
When love cannot allow you, you need the right dose of hatred
This season, some of you need to make the enemies angry enough until they sell you to the Midianites who are passing through Dothan to Egypt. You can’t fulfil your dreams in Canaan. You must travel to Egypt on free transportation even if you have no idea whether Egypt is the right place or not. It may not be a palatable experience, but you must leave. All you need is the assurance of God, the giver of the dreams.
Some people love you so much that they can’t allow you to take the smallest risks, even when you know that is the right thing to do for your destiny. They genuinely don’t want you to hurt your skin, but the truth is that you don’t grow in comfort. Building immunity requires exposure to the noxae or vaccination. Staying in your room where everyone pampers you will get you nowhere.
Today and this week, you need to provoke Satan to anger enough until he will do everything within his power to crucify you at the cross, not knowing that he just helped you accomplish your purpose.
You need the right amount of hate. Turn Satan mad through right living, your prayers, and ask God to go all the way to do what he has planned. Tell God that you place no restrictions because you must fulfil your purpose.
Prayers: Dear God, use my enemies to take me to where I should be. Employ all the instruments at your disposal to cause a shift in my life. I must fulfil my purpose/destiny in Jesus’ name. Amen.
