Every single day of life is not just another fleeting moment—it is a living testimony.
To reflect on birth, survival, and the journey so far is to confront the miracle of God and the unquestionable power of the Omnipresent.
When God lifts a person above sworn enemies—many of whom once benefitted, or whose families are still benefitting from that same person—it becomes a blazing symbol of His unshakable favor. Yet some enemies, in their arrogance, imagine themselves as God’s secretaries, scribbling the destinies of men. They secretly wish your life to remain stagnant; in their twisted minds, they believe they hold the authority to determine your existence. They are shallow—though they have eyes, they cannot see the hand of God at work in your life.
This mystery is well understood in African traditions. The elders warn: “The enemy of a man is never far; sometimes he sleeps under the same roof.” In countless cultures, it is believed that the moment God blesses someone, envy awakens like a hungry beast in the hearts of others. Yet envy is powerless against destiny.
The Yoruba declare: “Ori buruku ko ni agbara lori rere”—an evil head cannot overpower a good destiny.
The Igbo affirm: “Onye nwe chi ya, chi ya na-aza ya”—the one who has a god will always be answered by that god.
Folktales across Africa reinforce this timeless truth. Among the Akan of Ghana, there is the tale of a boy whose jealous relatives tried to bury him alive, terrified of his future greatness. But each time they schemed, nature revolted: the earth rejected him, the river carried him to safety, and strangers raised him into a mighty king. Likewise, in Yoruba legends, a child destined for the throne may be driven into exile by envious siblings—yet his Ori (destiny) always guides him back to claim his rightful crown.
Enemies may gather in shrines, chant their incantations, or burn candles till dawn, but they cannot erase what God has written. My grandmother put it best: “When God carries you on His back, no enemy can make you fall.”
Remember Joseph, whose brothers plotted to kill him out of jealousy. Does your own story still surprise you? Look back at Cain and Abel—the Old Testament is no stranger to envy turned deadly.
Life itself is proof of this mystery. The arrows fired by enemies crash harmlessly, like rain striking stone. The traps dug in secret swallow the very ones who built them. Their curses scatter into the wind, while the blessed march forward untouched.
Every day, therefore, is far from ordinary. It is survival wrapped in miracle, divine favor made flesh, and an eternal reminder that no man, no masquerade, and no enemy can rewrite what God has written.
Mogaji Wole Arisekola writes from Ibadan
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