The Joy of the Lord is my Strength

Monday was Mother's Day here in Costa Rica. Last Saturday, Calvary Chapel hosted a Mother's Day tea. There were many ways in which the Lord spoke to me that day, but one way was during the teaching. Rebecca taught on hearing the voice of God. One thing stood out to me - sometimes we see what appear to be closed doors in our lives...that are really wide open.

Take the example of Sarah, who at more than 90 years old had her first child. She herself felt the Lord had not kept his promise to her and took matters into her own hands, believing that the door to having children had long been closed. Yet, God in his perfect timing, opened Sarah's closed womb and blessed her with a child- in doing so fulfilled his promise to her and to Abraham.

Sarah's ability to bear children seems like a an impossibility. End of story. Until the Lord shows us that His ways are not our own and His timing is perfect.

The Lord reminded me to continue seeking Him and praying to him for the desires of our hearts, for the burdens of the fallen world around me, and for the visions he has given us to be fulfilled.

That was Saturday...

Then came Monday...and the week began and the world pulled and life happened and stress mounted...and I forgot this ever-important Truth of our Great God.

That He is faithful. He never leaves us. He never forgets his promises or His people.

As spiritual attacks mounted this week, I felt I had hit a wall- a door so closed that nothing could open it.

And Wednesday came and I became Chicken Little and thought the sky all around me was falling down...

What the enemy meant to be devasting, the Lord meant to be rejuvenating.

Our God is So good. Our God is So Great!

The Lord used special people in our lives to encourage us this week, but mostly He used His Word and His Spirit to lift us up, to carry us, to sustain us, and to change our hearts back to beign focused on Him.

Often in ministry, I am making the assumption here that this is true for others as well as it is for us, the weight of the burdens, struggles, and bondage of others weigh heavy. It can become a habit to try and carry that weight ourselves instead of giving it over completely to the One who came to take away all our burdens- Jesus Christ.

Also common, are times of discourgement. Times when it seems that doors are closing all around you. Maybe the church doesn't seem to be growing. Maybe the church is full but the people inside are merely filling the pews, failing to daily make a difference for Christ in the world. Maybe day after day, you see those you've come to love around you continue in their sin. Maybe the abuse, neglect, injustice done to children becomes more than you can bear.

Those, too, are times when the one and only single thing that can carry us through is remember where our hope, strength, joy, and peace come from- God himself in the form of the Holy Spirit living in side of us.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13

God is so good and His Word is a precious gift. It is the ointment for our wounds. The living water for our thirsty souls. It is the light for our path.

And His great gift to us is His Spirit living inside of each of us who believe in Him. His very Spirit counsels us, carries us, empowers us, fills us with hope, peace, joy and a supernatural strength.

Yesterday, several women leaders in calvary Chapel met with the specific purpose of praying for the church and for each other's needs. A good friend shared from the Word. She read from Philippians and the Lord reminded us as He had her that we are not to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, we are to present our petitions to God. And then, the God of hope will give a sweet peace that passes all understanding- we will no longer feel the anxiety that previously existed in our hearts...instead in it's place will be a peace so sweet our hearts and minds will rest in it. Our thoughts will then be focused right where they need to be - on Him.

Why do we forget? Why are we such a stiff-necked people?

The Lord was with us yesterday in that tiny prayer circle. The rains came down hard, we could barely here each other despite being merely inches apart. Lightening struck close and thunder crashed loudly. But the power of the Holy Spirit remained stronger than anything, filling each of us with hope, joy, peace, and His strength.

It seems that our tiny family were not the only ones to face attacks this week, as we've since heard of many others in this area experiencing more of the same. We have friends in Guatemala experiencing deep trials at this time.

The Lord is making it clear in these days of uncertain economy, disease, death, disaster...The days are evil. The days a re short.

He is coming back soon.

We could choose to become anxious. We could choose to worry.

But we need to be a people preparing ourselves for Him. We need to be preparing for the return of our King. We need to be as a bride, preparing for her groom.

Because isn't that what we are awaiting? The Banquet of all banquets...the Wedding between the bride  (Jesus's church) and the Bridegroom- Christ himself...

We are people of hope, we are a chosen people, yet often we appear no different than the world, the fallen, the pagans.

My pray today is that my life be one of hope, peace, joy, strength and one of grace. That all who see me may know of the Redeemer, may see His Spirit living in me.

When Matt and I moved here from the city two years ago, the Lord clearly gave us the vision of His church growing and mutliplying and this place being known for His glory. He clearly spoke to us about certain specific people in this community, as well as others growing to be like the cedars, firmly planted for His glory.

This week, I heard testimony of these same visions in the lives of others. The Lord clearly speaking to others in this same exact way.

We beleived this promise from the Lord before we even movevd here. We still belive it.

This week, however, our faith wavered.

We minister to children every day who some would call 'at-risk.' Truth be told, they are at risk. Every day they grow closer and closer to being sucked into a life filled with drugs, prostitution, alchoholism, and worse.

Studying the culture, you'll begin to learn that it is of utmost importance to make thigns look good- especially the appearance of faith- but it really doesn't matter what you really think, feel, or how you live your life when no one sees.

These kids live at risk, that is for sure. But maybe the greatest danger these kids face is growing up luke-warm to the person of God, to Christ in their lives, and being oblivious to the Power of the Holy Spirit and God's Word in their lives.

Every day is a challenge in this ministry.

After much time studying God's Word with friends, they still live in obvious sin- and it wears on our hearts. We ache for them to change their hearts and surrender their whole lives to God.

After a year of ministry with the kids of PFK and Bible Club, we see fruit. In our flesh, we desire more. We forget God's promise to us and we begin to doubt and begin to let our thoughts wonder to why? Why don't we see more fruit yet...we begin to doubt God's perfect timeline.

Yet, this week, in His loving faithfulness, the Lord reminded us both of His goodness.

The Parable of the Sower teaches us about the differences in the soil in which we sow the seed of Truth. Only 1/4 of the seed took root in the parable. But the seed (the Word of God) was good each time. The seed was not the problem- it remains good, ripe, ready to grow...

I am so thankful for this reminder that the gospel seed is good all the time. I am so thankful for the reminder also from 1 Kings 18 of the power of persistent prayer. During a great drought, Elijah persisted in his faith that God would send rain. After sending his servant to look for rain seven times, his servant came back and reported of one small cloud in the sky the size of a man's hand. The servant saw a small little cloud and believed it to be nothing. Elijah having trusted and believed in the Lord's faithfulness even before he prayed, did pray, and believed God would answer. Elijah knew that God would bring the rain, even if only from a cloud the size of a man's hand.

And the rain came. As did the power of the Lord on Elijah.

God is so good. What we see, present day, is this small cloud...just like Elijah's servant saw...maybe ours is the size of a child's hand...heeheehee. But still a cloud, none-the-less. The answer to pray. We see small fruit. Small changes. In a handful of the kids we minister to.

Jesus picked twelve of the thousands upon thousands he ministered to. Twelve men. Ordinary...yet extraordinary in the purpose God had for them. We believe in their example. We believe.

Thankfully the Lord has prepared our hearts and strengthened us be His Spirit this week. We are now focused on preparing for rain, beliving in His promise and so very thankful for His work here in Villarreal.