A child of God can live in one room apartment, while a known evil person lives in a mansion. A Christian can still be without a car and facing challenging tough financial situations, while a schoolmate, whose lifestyle is dubious, rides the best cars in town and enjoys a luxurious life.

It becomes difficult sometimes to go through these tough times as a Christian, and it seems the one who does not serve God is living well. It does not matter the type of harrowing experiences that may dog the steps of a child of God, God’s verdict is, “It is well with the righteous”. And it is!

Nothing has changed the believer’s position today and nothing will ever change it. God’s Word stands the test of time. Is it not God who told me to tell the righteous that it is well with him? If you are a child of God, it is well with you, irrespective of your tribe, church, background, the pains you may be passing through, et cetera. So it is, and so it will be! Yes, it is well with you, and because of you, it is well also with anyone in relationship with you. Heaven and earth will pass away but not one syllable from the Living God. Believe it with all your heart.

The Living God says that it is well with His people. The idol I worshipped when I was an unbeliever, was stolen during the war. There is no way it could say that it is well, as it was not well with it. If it were not well with it, how then would it be well with me? The odds were against Uncle Joseph, my namesake, in his father’s house, but it was well with him. When his siblings sold him out of envy, it was still well with him in Egypt. The randy wife of his master lured him to sleep with her, but Joseph refused. She framed him up and he was sent to jail, but there, it was well with him. It did not look like things would go well with him. Imagine telling Joseph everything was well with him for suffering for standing for his faith. People around him might not have known it. He might not also have known it, but it did not diminish anything. The future would prove it. And it did! Pharaoh sent for him, and he emerged as the Prime Minister of Egypt without contesting any election! It was a straight ride from Prison to the Palace!

When Babylon defeated Israel in battle and carried most of the people to exile, including Daniel, one might have wondered whether all things could still be well with the righteous. There was no way to equate slavery with the statement, ‘it is well with you’.  Thanks be to God, for He knows how to advertise His children for good. Daniel was one of the people. They were chosen as candidates for service in the king’s palace.

The king was very particular about their feeding based on the expected responsibilities. They needed to look fresh and well fed. Uncle, aware of who he was, that in rain or sunshine, it is well with the righteous, refused to eat the sumptuous food prescribed by the king. The kings’ servants would not accept that, fearing that the king would deal roughly with them, should he be lean for not eating the executive food. A deal was struck between Daniel and the officers to see if he would be lean by eating mere pulse and drinking water. At the end, he and his three brothers in the faith (Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego) came out fairer and fatter than those who ate the king’s food. No one was left in doubt that it is well with the righteous, food or no food, clothing or no clothing!

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No one knew that the big test was still coming, which would determine who was who. It was the king’s decree that everyone must worship the golden image or risk being burnt in the fiery furnace. Daniel and his men would not bow. They were resolute that their God will deliver them, and if he chose not to, they would not bow to that idol. The king was furious and requested that the furnace be heated seven times more. Daniel and his men were unperturbed and would not change their mind. As they were thrown into the fire, our Lord was with them and not even their clothes got burnt.

We can go on and on, mentioning the names of people in the Bible, through whom God fulfilled His Word that it is well with the righteous. May we not make the mistake of thinking that the righteous man is the individual who tries to do good to his neighbours, lives honest life, is dedicated to his church, et cetera. The believer’s righteousness is imputed to him by God through the vicarious death of Jesus. It is that person, who, one day, recognised that he was a sinner and that in the Lord Jesus, God has provided him a Saviour. He confessed his sins to Him and surrendered his life to Him, accepting Him as his Lord and personal saviour. Through daily reading and studying of God’s Word, and fervency in prayer, like a newborn baby, he grows up in the Lord.

The Bible makes it clear that self-righteousness cannot save any person because our righteousness is like a filthy rag before God. In that case, there is nothing we can do by our human effort to please God. If we could please Him by our so-called good works, He would not have sent Jesus to come and die for our sins. It was His love for man that compelled Him to send the Lord Jesus to suffer and die on our behalf.

Jesus told us in John 16:33 that we will face tribulation, but we must be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. James told us in James 1:3, that the trial of our faith worketh patience.      

Once someone is born-again, God’s affirmation remains that it is well with him.      

For further comment, Please contact: Osondu Anyalechi:  0802 3002-471; [email protected]