THE PECULIAR WEDDING ~ Precious Victor Akah

A "broke" young man in his twenties with his fiancee were planning for their wedding. They gave out invitation cards to friends, colleagues, neighbors, family and relatives. People began to make promises towards their wedding ceremony: they'll attend the wedding, they'll give them cash gifts, they'll arrange the food and drinks, they'll pay for the cake and small chops, they'll take care of the decorations, photography and renting of the reception hall, they'll buy them gifts and everything they need to have the wedding.

The couple-to-be were filled with so much happiness and excitement because almost everything they need for the kind of wedding they envisioned has been "taken care of" by invited guests who have made promises and commitments towards it. But the couple-to-be forgot an important truth: MAN IS PRONE TO FAIL. They forgot the tendency of man to fail and how fickle the promises of man can be.

Two weeks to their wedding - all the people that made promises towards the wedding preparations had not fulfilled their promises (not one person had done what they promised to do - they were all giving one excuse or the other). The most heart-rending part was that on their wedding day, just twenty-one persons out of the one hundred and twenty persons they invited to the wedding (who promised to come) showed up, the rest who promised to honor the invitation never showed up and all had one "genuine" excuse to give.

This is what happens when you take some major steps or decisions relying on the promises of man who is liable to fail. God is the Promise Keeper. Any promise He makes to you - you can hold on to tightly because He'll fulfill the promise no matter the length of time it takes. Promises made by men may be fickle, but only the promise of God who does not renege on His Word can stand the test of time.

My husband (Victor Akah) said and I quote "Man has failed; man can fail and man will always fail. Anytime you put your trust in man you will come back in shame. Man can fail no matter the level of integrity they possess. But it is not in God's ability to fail. God cannot fail." One principal truth I've held on to and I'm encouraging you to have at the back of your mind always is that man (regardless of who they are and the level of integrity they may have, so far as they're human beings) they can fail you; man will always fail you when you put your trust in man rather than in God.

Henceforth, always strongly resist the temptation to look up to any man for help or to bank on the promises of any mortal to make any vital decision because man will always fail. There is no man on earth that has ever put his or her hope/trust in any man that can truthfully say they've not been disappointed once, twice or severally.

The Scripture says, "vain is the help of man" (Psalm 60:11) because man's help is always unreliable and undependable. God Himself warns "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD" (Jeremiah 17:5). Remember also what Isaiah 31:1 says "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord." SEEK HELP FROM GOD ALONE. Let your heart be centered on Jesus. See Him as your only Source of Help. Fix your gaze on Him. Focus on Him.

Yes, the temptation to make certain decisions based on the promises people have made to you will always come, but you must guard your heart against hurts and pains resulting from disappointments and unmet expectations from people; even your parents can disappoint you, your spouse and siblings inclusive. So, even when someone makes a promise to you, always bear in mind that they may or may not fulfil their promise, thus, you must look up to God and make your decisions and take any step you want to take knowing that God is backing you and relying wholly on the support and provisions of God.

Final Word: Never consider any man to be incapable of failing; only God is incapable of failing. Only God cannot fail because it is not in His ability to fail. Moreover, do not act on the promises of men but on the promises of God - knowing that man can fail to keep their promise but God can never fail to keep His promise.

God bless you.