Day 135: Good things

Deuteronomy 28: 2
All these good things will come upon you if you will obey the Lord your God.

In one leadership model I am in the D2 phase as a disciple. I am a learner that is overwhelmed, afraid, feeling incompetent. I don't know how we will accomplish what is before us. I don't know how we will even get there. We have made the sharp turn from blissful, excited ignorance...also called unconscious incompetence...into conscious incompetence. Painful.

In Deuteronomy Moses is preparing the people to enter the promised land. They will have to fight, and fight hard to overtake it. How must they have felt? Excited? Over whelmed? Nieve? My list could go on.

In some ways we are beginning a journey into our promised land. As I read the words of Moses to God's people I found comfort. Good will come to you  ~

• in the city (Pretoria) and the country (SA)
• to your children...praise you Lord!
• the fruit of your ground and the young of your animals...in our work
• in your basket and your bread pan ... you will provide our income
• when you come in, and when you go out.....as we go and when we come back to the states. I don't have to worry about coming back and where we will live or where we will work to survive.
• the Lord will send good upon you in your storehouses ... our savings and future needs
• He will bring good to you in the Land the Lord your God gives you

and here is the condition....but you must keep the laws of the Lord your God and walk in his ways.  (v.9)

Abba,
Help us to walk in your way...to not be afraid...trapped by uncertainty, doubt, fear.  If we don't go we are disobeying you. I know this.  I also know that you make all things work together for our good and I praise you for that promise. When I am discouraged help me to refocus on you. Help me to tune out the lies and hear your truth. I thank you for your promises given in you words and to my heart.
Amen

Day 134: Seeds, Hearts, and Their Eyes

Last week we received the formal letter of invitation from Eastside asking us to come and be missionaries! Wooo Who!  And we know that when God works...so does the evil one that comes to rob and steal.
It's been a tough  week.  So much going on ministry wise, personally, and with LU teaching.  In the midst of all that...being weary ... I fully believe the attacks began from Satan. Two really strange nightmares. Lonnie receiving news his job is once again on the chopping block for city budget cuts.



Reading Luke 8: 4-15 the parables of the man who planted seeds. I was sensing God say to me...keep your focus Debbie. Some impressions:

• "Some seed feel between the rocks.  As soon as it started to grow, it dried up because it had no water."   You need to be the giver of living water to them...my word...continue to give to them.
• "Some seed feel among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seed room to grow."  The evil surrounding the children can choke out what I want to do...the pagan worship, crime, sin.  You will be my hands and feet to them...their anchor to me.
• "Then the devil comes and takes the Word from their hearts"   Debbie this is what can happen to the children that hear about me during holiday club. They need to continually hear how much I love them.  
• "And the fun of this life lets the thorns grow.  Their grain never becomes full-grown."    Debbie, even if one child becomes "full grown" in me this is what I'm asking.

I sensed once again the Lord asking me to visualize their eyes...their hearts.  My heart broke...

Lord,

This is worth it...the battle here. Continue to speak into my weary heart and help me fight. You are good! You are love! You love us and intend good for us. You love the boys and intend good for the boys. Be with Lonnie and I as we move towards your future for us.  Thank you that your word is alive and real today...thank you Jesus for speaking into my today through your words of yesterday.

Amen

Day 133: Warrior God

The nation of Israel had to fight their way into the Land of Promise. God promised it to them...yet they had to fight.  But our Warrior God was with them and they won. Scripture tells us they won but that win had to of come with the cost of life on their part also. Where there is war, their are causalities. Just because God is saying to move forward, fight the battle, this doesn't mean it will be without hurt and pain.

I was struck by these thoughts again as I read in Deuteronomy 2.  God tells his people go in a way but the king would not let them through. How often do I believe that if God says, "Go this way" that there is a clause giving a "free pass" to pain and hurt.

God said go and he is a loving God so surely it is the easiest way, right?

Wrong

"But Sihon king of Hesbon was not willing to let us pass through his land.  For the Lord your God made his spirit and heart hard, so He mihgt give him into your hand, as he is today.  Then the Lord said to me, 'See I have begun to give Sihon and his land to you.  Begin to take it for your won, so you may live in it....We won the fight against him, his sons and all his people."  Deuteronomy 2:30-33

Remembering that God is a Warrior God keeps me focused that this is war...God will walk with us and fight with us...what a blessing that He is The Warrior God...we will win the fight against what we can't see.

My God, thank you for the reminders this morning. When challenges come this is not a sign that you are not there...it is an opportunity to show your mighty power. Amen