There is a beautiful and reassuring revelation in Ephesians 1: 4-5 (NIV): “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”
The above declaration makes it clear that God knew us before we were born and has a plan for our lives. God knew you before you were conceived in your mother’s womb. In Jeremiah 1:5 He declares, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
I am always excited when I read from Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Based on these truths, there must be a way for us to know God’s plan for us. He does not expect us to go through life in a state of confusion and uncertainty. He does not expect us to waste our life doing the wrong things. Therefore, He will communicate with us if we desire to hear and obey Him.
One of the powers given you is the ability to hear, through the inward ear, the voice of God guiding you. Isaiah 30:21(NIV) says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
It is your responsibility to ask God. He takes delight in those who ask for their needs and is ready to answer, as long as we ask according to His will. Matthew 7: 7-8 (NKJV) says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened for him.”
What is the greatest desire of your heart? This is a clue to God’s plan for your life. God places the desires in your heart for the purpose of fulfilling your destiny. Psalm 37:4 NIV says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” As you delight in knowing and serving God, He places in your heart desires of those things that are in His plan for your life. As you delight in knowing and serving Him, He gives you the desires of your heart.
Proverbs 10:24b (NKJV) says, “And the desire of the righteous will be granted.” Desire is given by God as a part of the development of your destiny. God has given us freewill but He also knows our personality, gifts, and talents and uses them to make us desire experiences that offer fulfilment to life. We all have wishes and fantasies but they are only passing thoughts and not desires.
When I reflect on my life, I marvel how God placed in my heart the desire to study Pharmacy. The desire for B.Pharm caused me to overcome many challenges. The greatest disappointment was that after our admission in 1961, the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), cancelled the programme towards the middle of the first session and continued with the diploma course. A few classmates abandoned the diploma course and left. I was among those that persisted and completed the course in 1964. The financial strain was not there because I enjoyed a generous Pfizer scholarship.
I started work at Pfizer as soon as I finished the final exams in June. But my mind was not on the work but the B.Pharm degree. At this time the challenge was the money to return to the university in 1966.
I knew that Pfizer would not support me financially and so decided to generate the money from somewhere else. I moved to West African Drug Company at Broad Street, Lagos. After a few months, I moved to a Lebanese company, HB & Sons. The contract terminated after a few months because of the January 1966 coup and I was paid three months’ salary in lieu of notice. That was enough for me, but in order to wait till September when the new session would begin, I joined the Federal Ministry of Health.
From the FMOH I ran to the university and the government even paid me for extra months. As a result of my strong desire, God fully satisfied my financial needs.
