Displaced but not misplaced: God’s purpose cannot be overthrown (II)

By Rev. JOHN OKWII

Though you may now live in a temporary shelter or displacement camp, you have not been forgotten by the Lord.

The Bible repeatedly assures us that displacement does not cancel divine purpose. Joseph was separated from his family and taken to Egypt, yet God’s hand remained upon him. David fled from his throne but eventually returned according to God’s promise. Israel experienced exile, yet God preserved the nation and fulfilled His covenant.

The early Church was scattered by persecution, but instead of silencing the Gospel, their dispersion became the means through which the message of Christ spread to many lands.

These biblical examples remind us that while the enemy may scatter God’s people geographically, he cannot erase their identity or frustrate God’s eternal plan for their lives.

Displacement is never God’s final word

The central message of this sermon remains unmistakably clear: displacement must never be confused with replacement. When people are driven from their homes by violence, fear or persecution, their temporary absence does not amount to the permanent loss of their inheritance before God.

A deserted village does not cease to belong to its rightful community simply because its inhabitants fled for safety. An abandoned farm does not become the moral possession of those who created the insecurity that forced its owners away.

Likewise, the silence of a traumatised community does not erase its history, identity or God-given dignity.

Violence has never possessed the authority to create righteousness. A thief does not become the lawful owner of stolen property merely because he possesses it. Similarly, murder, intimidation and displacement cannot become legitimate title deeds to land or inheritance. God never authorises permanent replacement through violence.

This truth, however, must be balanced with another equally important biblical principle. We must never condemn entire ethnic groups because of the crimes committed by a few individuals. Nor should entire religions be judged because extremists misuse their beliefs to justify evil. Likewise, peaceful migrants must never be treated as criminals simply because others have abused the privilege of migration.

Scripture consistently teaches individual responsibility. As Ezekiel 18:4 declares: “The soul who sins, he shall die.”

Our struggle, therefore, is not against innocent communities but against terrorists, kidnappers, murderers, corrupt officials, financiers of violence and all those who deliberately organise the displacement of others. Justice must remain precise, fair and impartial. Truth must never become an excuse for collective hatred or indiscriminate condemnation.

Building peaceful societies also requires practical commitment from every sector. Governments must strengthen security, investigate attacks promptly, prosecute offenders without fear or favour, protect vulnerable communities and support the safe return of displaced persons.

Churches should become voices for the voiceless, provide trauma healing, support victims, encourage reconciliation and continue proclaiming biblical justice.

Traditional rulers should preserve truth, protect every resident within their domains and resolve conflicts before they become violent. Religious leaders must reject fanaticism, promote peaceful coexistence and work together across religious boundaries to defend the sanctity of human life.

Young people should embrace education, productive skills and innovation instead of allowing themselves to become instruments of violence. Communities must reject rumours, refuse to harbour criminals and cooperate with lawful authorities in promoting peace.

Even those who have suffered displacement should refuse to surrender to hopelessness. They must preserve their identity, pursue justice through lawful means, prepare for restoration and resist allowing victimhood to define their future permanently.

Throughout Africa, people understand that the land carries memory. It remembers the generations who cultivated it, the children born upon it, the ancestors buried within it and the places where communities worshipped, traded and built their lives. Above all these memories, however, stands the righteous judgment of God.

Genesis 4:10 reminds us of God’s words to Cain: “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”

The earth itself bears witness before its Creator. Innocent blood is never forgotten by God, even when human courts fail to act. Those who imagine that violence has permanently solved their problems should remember that while the dead may no longer speak to humanity, their blood continues to cry out before the throne of divine justice.

Ultimately, governments may redraw boundaries, political systems may change and empires may rise and fall, but none of these realities alter the eternal truth proclaimed in Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the LORD’S.”

Every aggressor should, therefore, tremble. Every government should govern with humility. Every community should act responsibly. Every religious leader should exercise wisdom, and every citizen should reject violence, remembering that one day all humanity will stand before the true Owner of the earth.

Conclusion: Hope beyond displacement

As this message draws to a close, its central truth deserves to be repeated with even greater conviction: a people may be displaced, but they are not thereby misplaced before God. They may be scattered by violence, but they are not erased from His eternal purposes. They may be driven from their ancestral homes, yet they have not been abandoned by the One who created them in His image.

Communities may be attacked, homes reduced to ashes and livelihoods destroyed, but bullets cannot erase history, nor can violence annul God’s covenant with humanity. A people may temporarily lose their houses and farmlands, yet they do not lose their dignity, identity or worth. The wicked may occupy land for a season, but occupation is never the same as divine ownership.

This truth speaks powerfully to Plateau State, to Nigeria and, indeed, to every nation where innocent people have suffered displacement. Every community has a history worth preserving, and every people possess a God-given right to live in peace and security. No religion should ever become an excuse for genocide. No political ambition should justify ethnic cleansing.

No economic interest should legitimise land grabbing, and no criminal organisation should be permitted to function as a government within a government.

The message also carries a solemn appeal to every segment of society.

To those who have embraced violence, the warning remains unmistakable. You may succeed in fleeing from human justice for a time, but no one escapes the judgment of God. Repent while His mercy is still extended to you.

Lay down your weapons, release those held captive, abandon every form of bloodshed and seek the path of righteousness. The God who judges is also the God who forgives those who genuinely turn from evil.

To those entrusted with political authority, remember that government exists not merely to express sympathy after tragedy but to prevent injustice before it occurs. Leaders are called to defend the innocent, uphold justice without partiality and ensure that every citizen, regardless of ethnicity, religion or political affiliation, enjoys equal protection under the law.

The Church, too, must remain faithful to its prophetic calling. It must proclaim the truth with courage, comfort those who mourn, strengthen the weak, defend the oppressed and become an instrument through which healing, reconciliation and hope are restored to wounded communities.

Traditional rulers and religious leaders should continue to use the influence entrusted to them to unite rather than divide their people. They must reject every attempt to manipulate faith or culture in the service of hatred and violence. Their words should inspire justice, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

Young people must also recognise that they are not instruments to be hired for destruction. They have been created to build rather than to destroy, to innovate rather than to intimidate and to serve rather than to oppress. Their gifts, intelligence and energy should become tools for national development instead of weapons in the hands of those who profit from conflict.

Finally, to every person living with the pain of displacement, hear once again the assurance of God’s Word. Your present circumstances do not define your ultimate destiny. Though you may have lost possessions, you have not lost your value before God. Though you may have been forced from your community, you have not been removed from His purpose. The same God who preserved Joseph in Egypt, sustained David during exile, restored Israel after captivity and strengthened the early Church through persecution is still at work today. He remains able to preserve His people, restore what has been lost and fulfil every promise He has spoken.

Therefore, let us commit ourselves to building a Plateau where no farmer fears going to the field, no child fears attending school, no woman fears travelling on the road and no community fears the coming of night. Let us labour for a Nigeria where justice is stronger than violence, where truth triumphs over deception and where every citizen can live without fear.

May Africa also become a continent where human life is valued above territory, where diversity is celebrated as God’s gift rather than exploited as a source of conflict, and where peace is built upon justice, truth and mutual respect.

Let these closing declarations remain firmly in our hearts:

Displaced, but not misplaced. Scattered, but not erased. Attacked, but not abandoned. Forced out, but not forgotten. Never replaced by the power of violence.

For the eternal truth remains unchanged: “The earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).

Closing prayer

Our gracious and everlasting Father, Creator of heaven and earth, we acknowledge that the earth belongs to You and that every nation, tribe and people exist by Your sovereign will. We thank You for creating all humanity from one blood and for appointing the times and boundaries of the nations.

Lord, we lift before You Plateau State, Nigeria and the nations of Africa. Stretch forth Your mighty hand to protect every innocent community from violence. Comfort those who have been displaced, heal the wounded, strengthen the bereaved and restore all who have lost their homes, livelihoods and hope.

We ask You to expose every sponsor of violence, every financier of terrorism and every individual who profits from bloodshed and injustice. Grant wisdom, integrity and courage to our political leaders, our traditional institutions and our security agencies, that they may discharge their responsibilities with fairness and righteousness.

Touch the hearts of bandits, kidnappers, murderers and every agent of violence. Bring them to genuine repentance. May those who have taken up weapons against innocent people lay them down and embrace the path of peace, restitution and reconciliation.

Teach Your Church to proclaim the truth without fear, to defend the oppressed with compassion and to minister healing to broken communities. Help religious and traditional leaders to become faithful ambassadors of peace, while raising a generation of young people committed to building rather than destroying.

Lord, let justice prevail where there has been oppression, let truth triumph where falsehood has flourished and let peace replace fear throughout our land. Preserve every community from ethnic hatred, religious extremism and every form of injustice.

May the God who established the boundaries of the nations defend the innocent, restore the displaced, judge the wicked and establish enduring peace in Plateau State, throughout Nigeria and across Africa.

We ask all these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Concluded. Rev. Prof. John Brown Okwii, the
Serving Pastor, Assemblies of God Church, Hwolshe, opposite Model Academy, along Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos, writes via johnbrownokwii@gmail.com