Day 90
Matthew 10:27-28 Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the mountaintops. And do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
This morning, I truly feel the need to be extremely transparent about some things the Lord has been teaching me at this writing. At the reading of these words He has confirmed much. You see, last week I shared with you the story of my trip to Santa Cruz where my son-in-law Nick was hospitalized for an emergency appendectomy, yet I left a few things out. Sometime in the week prior to Nick's departure on the trip, the Lord spoke very clearly to me that Nick would not be coming home, that there would be a tragedy befall him. Of course, in my mind, I immediately began to think the worst was about to happen, that he was going home to be with the Lord. Rather than pray and listen, I just prayed and then let the scenarios run in my mind. What about my daughter (his wife) and their child? What do I do, or say? Is this my imagination or is God preparing my heart? In the passion and fear of these thoughts, I spoke nothing of it to anyone and simply tried to cover up and ignore the impending feelings of doom in my heart.
When the following Saturday came, my wife (at the time) and I had convinced our daughter (with no thought of my feelings) that this was the perfect time for our granddaughter to spend her first night away from home, so we packed the two of them up and brought them along. Our granddaughter Izabella, (Izzy for short) was of course much more excited about the adventure than her mother, but this would be a great trial run. After all, mom would be there, just in another room getting some much needed rest, or so we thought. I was working in the garden when the call came in that Nick was in the hospital, and immediately, I was reminded of what the Lord had spoken to me, and fear gripped my heart. In my mind, I knew that I must go on this trip. My daughter would need me; after all, Nick wasn't coming home, yet I remained alone in my knowledge and fear. The entire drive I was secretly praying and thinking of how and what I would need to do when and if we got word of Nick's departure. Alone in my thoughts, I painted a very grim picture. Yet through it all, I was blessed by the warning God had given and the preparations He had made. Needless to say, the call never came. Nick came through surgery without a hitch, and my daughter and her husband were reunited.
Yet in all of this, I still wondered why God had spoken those words to me. After all, they were true–he wasn't coming home the way he had gone, and I needed to be prepared. It all made sense, yet it didn't. So what is the answer? Did I hear wrong from God or did my hearing cause me to pray enough that the plans of the enemy were foiled? You see, I will never really know, but that isn't the fault of our God–it was my fault, because I jumped to conclusions and didn't wait. I heard the words of the Lord and launched in my mind the scenarios of dread rather than wait for, as Paul Harvey would say, "The Rest of the Story." Does it really matter what the answer is? No, it doesn't, because, you see, our God was faithful. He prepared my heart and prepared the way, and that truly is all that matters, and yes, next time I hope and pray I can be patient enough to wait upon Him.
What does that have to do with today's passage, you ask? Everything. First of all, I should have confided in my wife rather than wallow in this pit of fear alone, and she, too, could have had the blessing of seeing God's hand at work. Secondly, stories like this should be shouted from the mountaintops as they are a testimony to the faithfulness of our God, and He is worthy to be talked about, praised, glorified, and given testimony of. You see, it isn't that God wants us to stand upon the mountaintops and shout out our memorized verse of the week or to show our great abilities to understand who He is. No, He wants us to share His faithfulness, real-life adventures, and stories of how God is alive and well today. Those are what transform nations and excite people about their Savior, and then we lead them to the Word. Everyone is in need of help, and they want to know that God is there everyday to help them through the trials that they face with overwhelming odds. They want to see God overcome the scenarios they run through their mind. They want to see a God of power, and that He is. Don't keep your stories to yourself, shout them from the rooftops, and listen and learn from those stories of others, for He is worthy to be praised!
Daily Prayer: Father, teach me to watch and see what you are doing rather than assuming I know Your heart, and give me the ability to shout your praise from the mountaintops without fear. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
"Encourage others with the testimony of God rather than discouraging others with the trials of this age."
Pastor Gene Burroughs
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