As Nigeria celebrates its 64th Independence Day on Tuesday, October 1st, Nigerians have been reminded that there is every reason to celebrate and give thanks to God.
This assertion was made by the President of the Nigeria Baptist Convention (NBC), Rev. Dr. Israel Adelani Akanji, in his Independence Day message to Nigerians.
According to him, “Yes, we have pains; yes, things may seem hard and difficult; yet we have every reason to be grateful to God for the various things He is doing for us as a country, as individuals, and as families.”
The clergyman, who took his text from Psalms 126, stressed that God is restoring Nigeria for good because He is a faithful God who will not abandon His people, no matter the situation.
The NBC President added, “We should not put our trust in man, who can fail at any time; rather, we should place all our hopes in Him because He has promised to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory.”
He also admonished that there should be constant prayers for leaders instead of curses, stressing that the prayers of intercession are always heard by God. He expressed hope and confidence that things will return to normal for Nigerians.
He further stated, “Sometimes, you don’t know where to go for a solution to your problem, but I am telling you today that you have a place to go. Go to the Lord; lift up your eyes and hands to Him, and your help will come from Him.”
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“When we are at a crossroads like this, it is time for us to get closer to God, to have faith and trust in Him, as these will make things easier for us. We need to reach a point in our lives where we understand that we can’t do anything on our own,” he added.
Israel Akanji advised, “Let us not view the present situation in Nigeria as extremely bad. God is able to bring something good out of such situations; that is the kind of God we have—He is above all situations. Our difficulties help us realize that we have a God who can do things we cannot accomplish on our own.”
Giving the theme of his message as “Sowing in Tears,” he emphasized that sowing is all about planting seeds with the hope and expectation of a good harvest at the end of the year, with tears representing hard labor.
However, he lamented that the current state of the country reflects self-centeredness and a tendency to look away from the poor and those who are suffering, often offering various reasons for not helping.
The clergyman called on Nigerians to be their brothers’ keepers, to share the little they have with love and affection, saying that God is always pleased with such acts and will use them to bring more blessings.
He concluded by stressing that “Nigeria has the potential to be great again, irrespective of the present situation. All we need to do is have faith and believe in God. As we celebrate the 64th Independence Day, we must look forward to a better and greater Nigeria.”
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