The sun was setting over the small town as Olu Martins sat alone in the empty church auditorium. The plastic chairs were stacked against the wall, and the old keyboard in front of him had several broken keys. He pressed a few notes, and the weak sound echoed through the hall.
Years earlier, Olu had believed God had called him into music ministry. He dreamed of leading thousands into worship, recording songs that would touch nations, and seeing lives transformed by the presence of God.
But reality looked very different.
At thirty-two, Olu was still struggling. His songs barely received a hundred views online. Invitations to minister were rare. When churches invited him, they often couldn’t afford to pay transportation costs. Some people told him he was gifted, while others questioned whether he had truly heard from God.
His friends from university had become successful businessmen, engineers, and politicians. Meanwhile, Olu was driving a motorcycle taxi during the week to support his wife and young daughter.
Many nights he lay awake asking God the same question:
“Lord, did You really call me?”
One rainy evening, after returning from a poorly attended worship meeting, Olu opened his phone and saw another rejection message from a record label.
“We appreciate your submission, but your music does not fit our current vision.”
He stared at the screen.
Something broke inside him.
Falling to his knees, he cried.
“Lord, I’m tired. I’ve prayed, fasted, written songs, and served faithfully. Why does it seem like nothing is happening?”
The room was silent.
No thunder.
No angel.
No dramatic vision.
Just silence!
For the first time in years, Olu considered giving up.
The next Sunday, his pastor preached from the story of David.
“Before David stood before Goliath, he spent years in obscurity. Before he wore a crown, he watched sheep. God develops His servants in hidden places.”
The words pierced Olu’s heart!.
That night, he opened his Bible and read Psalm 78:70-72.
“He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds… and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.”
Olu noticed something he had never seen before. God developed David’s character before revealing his platform.
The following months were difficult, but Olu made a decision:
He would worship whether anyone listened or not. He stopped chasing popularity and focused on serving faithfully.
Every morning before work, he spent an hour writing songs.
Every Friday night, he led worship at a small prayer gathering attended by fewer than twenty people.
Every Sunday, he served joyfully in his local church.
One evening, during a worship session at the prayer gathering, Olu sang a new song he had written called “In the Wilderness You Are Still God.”
Someone recorded a short video and posted it online.
Within days, the clip began spreading across social media.
Thousands watched.
Then hundreds of thousands.
Churches began singing the song.
Radio stations played it.
Worship leaders across the country contacted him.
Suddenly, the opportunities he had prayed for started appearing.
A journalist once asked Olu during an interview:
“What was the secret to your breakthrough?”
Olu smiled.
“There was no sudden breakthrough. God was working when nobody was watching. The years of obscurity were not wasted years. They were training years.”
The audience applauded but Olu knew the truth.
The greatest miracle wasn’t that his music reached the nations.
The greatest miracle was that God had preserved his faith during the years when nobody knew his name.
And every time he stood before thousands of worshippers, he remembered the broken keyboard, the empty auditorium, and the lonely nights when all he had was God’s promise.
Because the wilderness had taught him a lesson he would never forget:
“A true music minister does not sing because crowds are listening. He sings because God is worthy of worship”.
As a gospel music minister, remember this:
The hidden years are not wasted years. The songs written in tears often become the songs that heal nations.
God is usually more interested in building the messenger than promoting the message.
“If God gave you the song, He will also prepared the audience. Your assignment is faithfulness; God’s assignment is influence.”
The End.
