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God and Abandoned Projects By Anie Udoh
President Olusegun Obasanjo obviously knows his Bible. What may be in doubt is the degree of his belief and commitment to obey the commands of the Holy Scriptures.
His recent assertion that God does not abandon projects is a fact supported by copious biblical accounts. I hear the president is a Sunday school teacher in his Aso Rock Chapel. This is commendable for a professed Christian. A seasoned Bible teacher will no doubt be conversant with some scriptural facts including God’s steadfast character of accomplishing set missions or projects. However, the flipside of Obasanjo’s sermon that he apparently was silent on is that God abandons people!
We shall examine three classic biblical accounts where God abandoned His people but not the project or mission. These include the case of the children of Israel and their legendary leader Moses; King David, described as a man after God’s heart; and Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
First, we have a detail account starting from the Book of Exodus, of the rescue mission of the children of Israel from 430years of bondage in Egypt to God’s chosen Promised Land of Canaan. God himself choose Moses and mandated him as the leader of the mission in a spectacular “bush burning” incident, a forerunner to a typical Hollywood fire stunt. After numerous miracles and 40years of wandering in the Wilderness, the children of Israel made it to the Promised Land. The mission was accomplished without about “six hundred thousand men” (except Joshua and Caleb) who set out from Egypt for being “stiff-necked and rebellious.” Moses, whose birth was divinely programmed, specially groomed, God’s chosen leader, and “whom the Lord knew face to face,” did not make it to the Promised Land despite his 40years of commitment to the mission. In spite of Moses sterling leadership qualities, divine mandate and unquestionable commitment and loyalty, God in his wisdom brought Moses to sight the Promised Land and thereafter declared, “I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” (Deuteronomy 34:2-3).
Secondly, King David described in ever glowing terms with respect to his leadership qualities, patriotism, good intentions, and passion for God, genuinely acknowledged as “a man after God’s heart,” was denied a strong personal wish and the privilege of building a House for God. King David’s confession is succinct: “I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it. But God said to me ‘You shall not build a house for My name…” (1 Chronicles 28:2-3).
Thirdly, the case of Jesus Christ, the Son of God being abandoned by His father at a point when the sin of the world was imputed on Him is well known. Because He was abandoned by God, Jesus was captured, tortured and crucified on the cross. His resurrection three days after His death was a necessary condition for accomplishing God’s Redemption Mission for mankind. The lessons to be gained from these examples are that God is no respecter of persons and will always be true to His character of steadfastness. God will always accomplish His set missions and projects with or without people who may consider themselves as important “godly” agents and perhaps indispensable.
President Obasanjo’s reference to God not known to abandon projects and by inference, the Nigeria Project is gratifying. The God that we know will however not hesitate to abandon people who choose to frustrate or attempt to abort the Nigeria Project. Of course, we are living witnesses to such gracious and divine intervention in the affairs of our country. However, if in an intemperate desire of Obasanjo trying to play God with respect to his touted “Reform and Continuity Project,” an inferior subset to the Nigeria Project, the consequences for such pretenders and usurpers are well documented in the Bible. Kings Saul, Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar to mention a few are familiar bible characters - impious and recalcitrant leaders, who were set aside with ignominy while Israel continued to make progress as a nation.
It is my hope that President Obasanjo as a good bible scholar and Christian will appreciate the efficacy of the truth. He should allow the knowledge of the truth to guide his decisions so he can avoid the booby traps of evil political jobbers who seem bent on foisting falsehood and gloom on him and the nation through a satanic tenure extension project. The president should be honest enough and clear-sighted to acknowledge the bold caution signs scribbled all over the faces of suffering and concerned Nigerians. The message is loud and clear: Mr. President, you would have done enough by 29 May 2007. Please go and enjoy a well deserved rest!
The 3rd term project as it were is the project of men. Cowed men, sycophants, corrupt men, dishonourable men, liars, defectors, betrayers, destroyers, and men whose thoughts are continually evil. The 3rd term project is ill-motivated and in the manner it is being promoted portends danger and will meet the same fate as the biblical Tower of Babel project that was not of God. The project brought confusion and the balkanization of a hitherto united people. Our hope and confidence is that God will not abandon the Nigeria Project even if at the expense of casting off people whose intentions and aspirations are inimical to the well-being, progress and unity of Nigeria.
Anie Udoh
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