Wednesday, August 4, 2010

We leave in just 4 days and the reality of that is still sinking in! Satan is working double time against us and God is working triple time FOR us. It has been a huge encouragement to see all the faces of those that have brought stuff by for us to take to the orphans at our kids orphanage. I am hoping we have room to take it all, but if we do not I will pass it on to another family who will be leaving soon.

I know that we have been covered in prayer this week as I am totally at peace and have not experience any anxiety attacks (that I can be prone to when things are stressful). I wanted to share with you what has been my source of strength these last few weeks.

A few weeks ago I had the awesome opportunity to have 2 staff members of our church and one of their wives pray over me. Prior to the prayer time I had been feeling VERY oppressed and finally realized it was because I was believing too many lies the enemy was telling me. As my sweet friend prayed over me the Lord gave her some verses to give to me. They are in Isaiah 54:11-17:

O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all our walls of precious stones. 13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace. 14 In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. 15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. 16 "See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. 17 And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.

Neither she nor I had ever experienced something like this as she was literally speechless in her prayer for a few moments and then felt as if a teleprompter went up in her mind with these verses on it. She had read these verses at some point, but they were not ones she knew well which made it all the more miraculous!

Many of you who know me know that I had my left foot completely reconstructed last year and that I am still recovering from that surgery. When we started the adoption process we thought that it would take a year or so and that I would be completely recovered by the time we got home with kids. God had other plans! Because of the issues I am still having I limp sometimes and still cannot run. The enemy was having a heyday reminding me that I could not parent 5 children and instilling fear in me.

In the first half of Isaiah 54, he compares the nation of Israel to a barren woman who at that time would have been distressed, shamed and humiliated. The Israelites had undergone great oppression during this time and Isaiah was telling them that God had not forgotten them and that He was going to rebuild them even better and stronger. WOW, oh WOW! My God gave me a personal message that said He was going to rebuild me even stronger! And, my children would be taught by him and great would be their peace (another fear I had had through this process). AND NO weapon forged against me would prevail. Why? Because I posses the weapon necessary, God's word, to fight the battle!

I don't know where you are in your walk with the Lord today, but please hear me: He LOVES you, He desires to know you and He desires to give you an abundant life. You need to understand that the abundant life is NOT about money and materialism, but about living with Him and in Him. Don't listen to the lies the enemy will tell you. Search scripture and see what God's word says about fear and worry (email me for references if you need to). Our God is so much bigger than all the problems we face.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms... Ephesians 1:18-19

If you have accepted Christ as your savior then you have the same spirit of strength and power living in you that raised Christ from the dead! My friends, we serve an amazing God and we all need to start living like it!

Have a great Wednesday and stayed tuned for updates from our trip (assuming we can update or have someone here do it for us). Our flight has changed slightly from our last post. We are now arriving at 5:11 on Saturday, August 14th on Delta #6399. We would love to see you there!

2 comments:

  1. i'll be there and can't wait...praying for a great trip and a smooth transition, kristi

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  2. Amen my sister in Christ! Satan has nothing on you and don't ever let him think he does. God is all over this adoption and you have many people praying you through this! Can't wait for you to get your beautiful children and we get to meet them. I am so sorry we won't be at the airport!

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