Today I am writing for me as much as you. It has been a difficult day but that is not what I want to discuss. I want to discuss the hopes that got me through today! I want to praise God for his providence and that he cares for me! Cling to these when you’re having trouble! (I also will give you a photo that makes me happy!)
#1 I can pray over anything
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,For You will answer me.
Jeremiah 33:3
‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
At 7:45 a.m., I held in my hands a piece of equipment that had been hit by lightening for a second time in a week. This equipment’s demise had brought down the Internet at our school! All my lessons today — supposed to be on the Internet! Everyone — needed the Internet and reminded me of that! I plugged it into the wall — not a light!
Everything I’ve been learning about prayer came over me like a wave. In agony and pain, (I had just been through 1 week of this) I held it out to God and prayed a prayer — not a long one but it was fervent. It was my soul crying out to my maker! I held it to God and said — “Lord, I beg you with all I am and all I have — help me make this thing work today!”
It’s not trite — in a convoluted way God ordered my steps one moment at a time from parking in the wrong place in town to other strange occurrences. The man I need to see is always gone by 9:30 — he came to his store then because of a plumbing problem at his house — the unfindable man was right there in front of me. One thing at a time, God handled my day! (Miraculously by 1:20 the Internet was working — only I knew it was put practically put together with duct tape and bailing wire — but the lights were one. Any computer person knows that is a miracle!)
Family health crises have also ruled the day and amidst all the crises I prayed earnestly for two of my family members who have had terrible pain and difficulty today. I was overwhelmed — God was not!
#2 God is in control!
For every beast of the forest is Mine,And the cattle on a thousand hills.
1 Peter 5:6-8 (New King James Version)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because[a] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
I love the song: I cast all my cares upon you! I lay all of my burdens down at your feet. And any time that I don’t know what to do, I will cast all my cares upon you!
#3 Jesus Christ is the son of the living God, he is everpresent and deserving of all praise.
“ You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
I will bring him the sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice costs you something. It cost me my desire to worry, fret and cry. It cost me my selfish desire to have a pity party and tell everyone. It cost me my right to bellyache. I gained joy in the storm.
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
I received His glory, His blessing, His gift as He has walked me through my day. It hasn’t been easy but He’s never left me.
#4 I may feel like I’m sinking but I will not go under!
He will never leave me!
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,[a] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
So as I look at my pansies in the photo above– God says to me!
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-34
Prayer Point
Today as I’ve struggled with self doubt and anxiety, the people of India have a much bigger problem. THis is taken from Compass Direct and Persecution.com
INDIA (Compass Direct)
A number of key Christian leaders recently called on the Indian government to ban or strictly supervise a massive Hindu “reawakening” event to be held in the tribal district of Dangs, Gujarat state, February 11th -13th. At least 500,000 Hindus are expected to attend. The Christian leaders fear the event may unleash a wave of violence against tribal Christians and animists. Hindu extremist groups have organized the event and expect it to generate enough momentum to trigger thousands of Christians to turn “back to the Hindu fold.” They have also published materials calling for the destruction of the Christian faith in the same way the Hindu god Ram destroyed the demon Ravana in the Hindu scriptures.
Pray the Holy Spirit will move in power to prevent this demonstration from becoming violent. Pray Christians in the area will live in courageous faith and love toward their Hindu neighbors. Pray God will lead many Hindus to forsake the hundreds of gods they fear and turn to the One who loves them.
Today was a tough day. But I’m not a Christian in India who is fearing what will happen when my friends and neighbors attempt to force me to reconvert next month. As I cry over my struggles, I am not crying as I look at my children and wonder if they will be taken from me or even worse, if they will grow up orphans. I do not have to ponder the possibility of torture. I do not have to worry about being attacked on my way to church. I have struggles. All Christians have struggles. Why does it seem that the people in difficult circumstances are passionate about sharing Christ and we don’t even take time out of our busy day?
Lord, I cast my cares upon you. I lay all of my burdens at your feet. I do not know what to do. I do not know where to start. I praise you that you are always with me and that you never forsake me! I praise you that I am more than a conquerer and that you take care of me. Lord, I am sad that I am so weak. Thank you for not letting me go under. Help me keep my eyes on you! Please be with the Christians in India over the next months. Please be with them! Please help them! Lord, please also be with our SBC. Lord, I love you! In Jesus Christ name I pray. Amen.