Elijah’s Cave, a poem.

We’ve been talking to our students about the things that helped them through their studies this year. Essex Business School student Martin Shittu shared this personal reflection.

Walls cave in, pressures create cracks, but none of that matters because the right support can make you a better person. Sometimes life can be so uncertain, but it’ll never ever worsen because you’re reinforced by his gracious love.

University feels like one big board game, one moment you’re at the top of your game and then you can slide down the ladder and feel an abundance of shame.

Where did it go wrong, making a move without God?

All in all, I’m saved right I’m a Christian, my eternity is saved but is that all I wanted.

I wanted to reach my destiny, I needed to reach my purpose in life.

See I continued on this deadly trail thinking that the enemy wouldn’t prevail because of the nails in his hands. But what the enemy didn’t know is that three days later he’d rise as the sacrificial lamb.

I got the new GPS, the God positioning system, it rerouted all my mistakes so that I could reclaim everything God had for me.

Walls cave in, pressures create cracks, but none of that matters because the right support can make you a better person. Sometimes life can be so uncertain, but it’ll never ever worsen because you’re reinforced by his gracious love.

It’s very hard to know if people are being genuine, because of how the year has been.

It has really tempted people to put their faith in other things but at the end of the day, that leads to a remission of sin.

I felt the hairs going on my chin and I felt uncomfortable, uncomfortable that I was looking like the devil's twin feeling that I cannot win.

I am irreplaceable though and no lie of the enemies can ever fool me,

I have a purpose, the fact that a king lives inside of me keeps me breathing.

Walls cave in, pressures create cracks, but none of that matters because the right support can make you a better person. Sometimes life can be so uncertain, but it’ll never ever worsen because you’re reinforced by his gracious love.

His love is like an overflowing fountain, with him I know I can conquer mountains. I have no worries because I know I can count on him, I’m only a vessel, and he's the captain of my ship.

Coming together in fellowship lets me know that all fear can be skipped because of his ownership.

I know I’m fully equipped and there’s no conflict because I’ve been convicted by you.

The blood you shed on Calvary dripped and you said it is finished. And because of you, fear now has a limit. Being in the spirit lets me benefit in your name, aligning myself in your word is all by your grace. My life is not my own, so father please take your stage.

Walls cave in, pressures create cracks, but none of that matters because the right support can make you a better person. Sometimes life can be so uncertain, but it’ll never ever worsen because you’re reinforced by his gracious love.

About the author

My name is Martin Shittu and I recently completed my undergraduate degree in BSc Management and Marketing (2021).

I wrote this poem to escape from the pressures of university life, particularly, my university experience and struggles during the pandemic year and the module structure disruptions that massively affected students like me.

The poem makes reference to 1st Kings 19, specifically, the Prophet Elijah ran to escape from life’s pressures to a cave but he was delivered by God’s power. The message that this poem alludes is that even in tough circumstances God is still in your situation and his omnipresent power never ceases to fail.

I studied Management and Marketing at Essex Business School and I really enjoyed the course. The academic year of 2020/2021 had its challenges, nevertheless, there were some advantages too, such as the increased flexibility of availability of my lecturers and the very nature of online lectures meant that students were able to access their lectures in any location which meant we didn’t miss out on our final year.

The pandemic year was hard work mentally and emotionally. I found the structure of learning difficult as there were some real teething problems with online learning and many students felt that we were being expected to do additional work that was not on our timetable while simultaneously working on our mounting coursework.

I feel that I made it through this challenging academic year with God’s power by my side, and for that I am grateful.