“From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.” (1 Chron. 12:32 NLT)
In 2013 while on a family vacation in California, my wife and I accompanied my brother in-law to San Francisco to have a feel of the hustle and bustle of that cosmopolitan city. While my in-law went about his business, my wife and I decided to explore the city within the short time available to us. As we moved into one of the streets, one astrologer/sorcerer approached us to read our palms for a fee and perchance tell us about our future.
The incident reminds me of the scene in Shakespeare’s Macbeth where the the witches or weird sisters predicted Macbeth’s future but vanished into thin air when Macbeth interrogated them on the process or strategy for the fulfillment of their predictions. Macbeth said and I quote:
“Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:
… Say from whence
You owe this strange intelligence? or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.”
Unlike Macbeth and Banquo that indulged the witches, my wife and I found their merchandised sorcery very despicable. We don’t need any astrologer, diviner, necromancer, commercial prophet or anybody to tell us of our well known most colorful destiny in Christ. A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.
Many have left their destinies to chance because some stargazers, necromancers, diviners or commercial prophets have predicted their future. Worse still, some have resigned to fate and have refused to challenge the fate with faith – because there seem to be a particular pattern or trend of failures or events in their lives. What a tragedy!
It’s also disheartening that many, including some people that claim to be christians, still attribute their destinies to some horoscopic predictions. Some in ignorance are proud to identify with some star or horoscopic signs rather than Christ – The Bright and Morning Star.
Every child of God has a glorious destiny in Christ. Please don’t sell off! And I have come to realize that people fall into this trap of stargazing or luck or chance living because they are lazy to go through the process. The men of Issachar had understanding of the signs and the strategies to actualize their stardom in God.
Sadly, today many are more interested in the prophecies, predictions and promises than the process. Hear this: Prophecy without the process is a mere proposal or at best a proposition.
You don’t watch prophecies like a stargazer. Stargazers are usually fazed by what they face. You war with prophecies and you need strategies to execute any war. (1 Tim.1:18; Prov.24:6)
Therefore, I counsel you today to stop watching events and begin to create the events you want to see happen. This can only be done by matching prophecies of Scriptures with Holy Spirit inspired strategies.
Howbeit, strategy has its process flow that finally culminates in strategic result. Here is the flow.
1. Strategic thinking.
2. Strategic planning.
3. Strategic positioning.
4. Strategic execution.
Note that the first three in the flow chart have gerunds- verbal nouns ending in “ing” which shows progression in the activities. While strategic execution bridges the big gap between what we know and what we do.
According to Dan Carlin, “ Life is a verb. Nothing will ever happen if you don’t act.” And hear this: A strategy not executed is only as good as a comedy script.
Pete Johnson, British businessman profoundly summarized strategy thus: “ Strategy is a style of thinking, a conscious and deliberate process, an intensive implementation system, the science of ensuring future success.”
It’s over to you! Stop gazing and guessing. Start strategizing!
To being a strategist,
✝️Tochukwu Kemakolam
Prime Minister