“GOD WAS WITH YOU EVEN THEN. ESPECIALLY THEN.”*

I can’t stop thinking about what my spiritual buddy Meta said to me at the altar yesterday.

I was venting about Jason – yeah, the guy in the pic with me! He has this habit of dragging up my past failures. Like, “Nik, lets discuss your mistakes. Let’s talk about it again.”

And Meta dropped this truth bomb on me:
“In your mistakes and failures, God is there with you. AND ESPECIALLY THEN.”

God Whisper: You think I left when you fell? I moved closer. Your failure didn’t shock Me. Your future didn’t surprise Me. I was there, holding you even then. Especially then.

HEEEHAW!!! Did you catch that? ESPECIALLY THEN.

That’s been my real-life experience, guys.
My lowest moments? My weakest moments? That’s when God shows up the strongest for me.
His love is TOO MUCH.

Let’s get something straight about your past:
You did the best you could with the cards you were dealt.
THAT’S NOT AN EXCUSE. THAT’S A FACT.

You made decisions with:
1. The light you had – you didn’t know what you didn’t know yet
2. The wisdom you had – you were growing
3. The wounds you had – hurt people hurt people, but healed people heal people

God Whisper: Child, I don’t grade you on the test you took before I taught the lesson. I grade you on the trust you give Me now. Stop re-litigating yesterday. I already redeemed it.

We all mess up. We’re human.
But here’s the key: Don’t sit in your failure. Repent. Repair. Keep moving.
DO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST!!!

God gave me 2 winks yesterday to prove He’s right here with us:

Wink #1: The Scorpion Story
Hubby told me about his mom taking him somewhere as a kid. A guy put a live scorpion on his arm. Wild, right?
Fast forward to last night. We’re Netflixing after work. The first movie on the feed? James Bond 2012.
There’s Bond, sitting in a bar, with a SCORPION crawling on his arm.
How is that a coincidence? Even hubby, who usually side-eyes my “God winks,” said, “Okay, that was God.”
Finally!!! He’s seeing it too!

God Whisper: You thought I wasn’t listening while you sat quiet that morning? I was setting up your dinner surprise. I don’t miss a detail, Ms. Nikki. When you obey “shhhh,” I say “watch this.”

Why did that happen? Because that morning, hubby was talking. And talking. And talking.
I wanted to say, “Hon, we’re late for work dude!”
But God put His finger on my lips and said, SHHHHH. Just listen, Ms. Nikki. Be quiet.
I had a LOT I wanted to say. But I heard, “Yes, Boss,” and I listened.

God Whisper: Silence isn’t empty. It’s where I talk the loudest. You chose to listen to Me instead of your urgency. That’s why you got the wink.

That dinner wink was God’s way of saying:
“I saw you obey. I’m with you. I’ve got your whole life planned. Trust Me completely.”

And that’s what I really want you to learn:
God’s discernment.
Knowing what to say or not say.
Where to go or not go.
What to do or not do.

I wasn’t in the mood to listen yesterday. But one look at God and I knew: Nik, stay. Listen. Don’t talk.
That’s relationship. That’s learning His voice.

My go-to verse for this:
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” – Psalm 32:8

God Whisper: My eye is on you, not your critics. I’m not watching to catch you slipping. I’m watching to lead you living. Keep your ear tuned to Me, and I’ll keep your feet on the right path.

NOTHING is more important than learning God’s voice.
Will you get it perfect every time? No. But we keep practicing.
We pray for discernment. We sit with God. We learn His character. We learn His way of doing life.

Real talk example:
Jason loves me and advised me to leave Nigeria.
I love Jason. I hear him.
But when I weigh it against what God is telling me, He says, “Stay right where you are.”
So love and loyalty to God are my guiding principles.
I trust Him with all my heart. I don’t lean on my own understanding. I let Him direct me. Proverbs 3:5-6

God Whisper: Jason’s advice is from love. My direction is from assignment. Both can be true, but only One is final. When I say STAY, you have peace. When I say GO, you have peace. Follow the peace, Fighter.

Big shout out to my brother Jason.
He advises me out of love. Sometimes I listen. Sometimes I don’t.
But I’m always trying to filter every decision through God and His values for my life.

So remember this today:
AND GOD WAS WITH YOU EVEN THEN. ESPECIALLY THEN.
In your mistakes. In your mess. In your “what was I thinking” moments.
He’s there. He’s strong. He’s not done with you.

WE ROLL WITH GOD…WE ROLL WITH LOVE, MERCY AND KINDNESS HEEHAW!!!

BREAKOUT #1: STOP REPLAYING, START RELEASING

The Problem: Jason keeps bringing up your past. Your brain does it too.
The Truth: “You made decisions with the light you had, the wisdom you had, the wounds you had.”
God Whisper: I don’t ask you to be perfect. I ask you to be Mine. Your past is covered. Stop digging up what I already buried.

What you can DO today:
1. Name it, then nail it to the cross. Say out loud: “God, that was me with the light I had. I repent. I’m free.”
2. Repent = turn around. Don’t just say sorry. Change direction.
3. Repair = make it right if you can. Apologize. Fix what’s fixable. Then move.
4. DO NOT DWELL. The rearview mirror is small for a reason. Your windshield is huge.

Teen version: Your phone doesn’t work if you keep scrolling old posts. God’s calling you to your next post.

BREAKOUT #2: LEARN THE VOICE = LEARN THE PEACE

You said it best: “Nothing more important than learning the voice of God.” Psalm 32:8
But how? God gave us 2 quick tests this morning. Use them before any big decision.

THE PEACE TEST
Colossians 3:15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.”
How it works:
Before you say yes or no, pause and check your heart.
Do you have peace, or do you have pressure?
Peace feels like: Calm, steady, settled, even if it’s hard.
Pressure feels like: Anxious, rushed, forced, “I have to prove something.”

Example: Jason said “Leave Nigeria.” My brain said “Maybe?”
But my heart? No peace. Only pressure to explain myself.
God said “Stay.” My heart? Peace. Even though it’s hard.
When God speaks, peace shows up. That’s your green light.

God Whisper: If it’s from Me, you’ll have peace before you have the plan. If it’s just fear, you’ll have chaos before you have clarity.

THE LOVE TEST
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love is patient, kind, not self-seeking
How it works:
Run the decision through love and loyalty to God first.
Ask: “Does this choice honor God? Does it line up with love, mercy, and kindness? Am I trusting Him, or just leaning on my own understanding?” Proverbs 3:5-6

Example:
Option A: Leave Nigeria to please Jason.
Motivation: Fear of what people think.
Option B: Stay in Nigeria because God said stay.
Motivation: Love and loyalty to God’s assignment.
Which one passes the Love Test? Option B.

God Whisper: I never lead you to choose people over Me. I lead you to love people through Me. When you’re loyal to Me first, you love everyone better.

BREAKOUT #3: THE SHHHHH MOMENT

Your scorpion wink happened because you obeyed “SHHHHH. Just listen.”
Discernment isn’t magic. It’s relationship.

What you can DO today:
1. Get quiet. 5 minutes. No phone. No playlist. Just you and God.
2. Ask one question: “God, what are You saying about this?” Then listen.
3. Obey the first thing you hear. Even if it’s “be quiet” or “wait.”
4. Watch for the wink. God will confirm. He loves to show up after you obey.

Teen version: You wouldn’t ignore your best friend texting you. Don’t ignore God. He’s closer than your bestie.

God Whisper: Ms. Nikki, you wanted to talk. I wanted you to hear. You chose “Yes, Boss.” That’s why you got the scorpion wink. Obedience unlocks revelation.

REAL LIFE FILTER: HOW I USED BOTH TESTS WITH JASON

Jason’s advice: “Leave Nigeria. You’re being lazy.”
Step 1: Peace Test – Do I have peace about leaving? No. I have pressure to defend myself.
Step 2: Love Test – Is staying loyal to God’s voice? Yes. He said STAY.
Result: I love Jason. I hear Jason. But I follow God.

You don’t have to be rude to be right.

You just have to be obedient to be blessed.

SO HERE’S YOUR HOMEWORK, FAMILY:

This week, before any big decision:
1. Stop. Breathe. Pray. “God, show me.”
2. Run the Peace Test. Do I have peace or pressure?
3. Run the Love Test. Does this honor God and line up with love, mercy, kindness?
4. Move on what passes both tests.

Mistakes are OK. You won’t get it perfect.
But you’re not alone. God is with you. Even then. ESPECIALLY THEN.

WE ROLL WITH GOD…WE ROLL WITH LOVE, MERCY AND KINDNESS HEEHAW!!!

BLOG STEP THREE: “CLOSING PRAYER & VERSES”
So we can walk out of here covered

Family, if this blog hit your heart, take these verses and this prayer with you today.

BIBLE VERSES THAT CAPTURE THE ESSENCE:

1. For “GOD WAS WITH YOU EVEN THEN. ESPECIALLY THEN”
Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
Translation: God doesn’t live in your past. He’s already in your future, working.

2. For “DO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST”
Philippians 3:13-14 – “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal…”
Translation: You can’t drive forward while staring in the rearview mirror.

3. For “HE WORKS ALL THINGS FOR GOOD”
Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Translation: Even your mistakes, your “scorpion moments,” your silence when you wanted to talk – God uses it.

4. For “LEARNING HIS VOICE & DISCERNMENT”
Psalm 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

5. For “THE PEACE TEST & LOVE TEST”
Colossians 3:15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

1 John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…”

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father,

HEEEHAW! We come to You with open hearts.

Thank You for being with us EVEN THEN. ESPECIALLY THEN.
In our mistakes, in our mess, in our lowest moments – You were there. You were stronger.
Forgive us for dwelling on the past. We did the best with the light we had, the wisdom we had, the wounds we had.
Today we repent. We repair what we can. And we keep moving forward because You are not done with us.

Lord, teach us Your voice like Ms. Nikki is learning.
Give us the “SHHHHH” moments where we choose to listen instead of talk.
Give us the scorpion winks that remind us You see everything. You’ve planned everything. We can trust You completely.

We pray for the Spirit of discernment.
Before we decide anything, let us run the Peace Test and the Love Test.
Let Your peace rule in our hearts, not pressure.
Let love and loyalty to You be our guiding principle, not fear of people.
We trust You with all our hearts. We refuse to lean on our own understanding. Make our paths straight.

For every Jason in our lives who loves us but doesn’t always understand the assignment – bless them.
Help us to hear with kindness, but obey with courage.
When voices say “go back,” “you’re lazy,” “what are you doing here,” let Your Word be louder.

God, You said it: “No weapon forged against us will prevail, and we will refute every tongue that accuses us.” Isaiah 54:17
That’s our heritage. That’s our vindication from You.

We are Your beloved children. We are positioned, not misplaced. We are led, not lost.
Mistakes are OK because You are by our side through ALL OF IT.

So we roll with You, Lord.
WE ROLL WITH GOD…WE ROLL WITH LOVE, MERCY AND KINDNESS HEEHAW!!!

In Jesus’ name, Amen.