Over the last couple of weeks, I believe God has been using
various events and circumstances in my life to give me a foretaste of things
that I will be experiencing this coming year.
On Friday, April 2nd, I went to a pre-Easter
worship night with some friends. It was held outside our school library in an
open area under our library bridge. As I knelt on the cool bricks, I envisioned
worshipping with solid, passionate brothers and sisters in the Lord over the
coming year…and my heart was filled with joy!
Beginning Saturday, April 3rd, through Friday,
April 9th, a wave of fear began to sweep over me, which I believe
was a spiritual attack to deter me from the purposes and blessings of the Lord.
However, I fought back with the truth that the Lord will never leave me, will
strengthen and protect me, and His purposes and plans will prevail!
On Friday, April 9th, I was able to experience a
simulation of what ministry will be like over the coming year. A couple friends
of mine offered to donate a portion of the funds for a marathon and
half-marathon they were organizing towards my World Race funding. As a means of
expressing my appreciation, I volunteered to help them run the race (no pun
intended). It was fun at first, but having to fill up twelve coolers with water
after spending two hours in a car marking the race course…let’s just say I was
getting lessons on choosing to serve, or love, despite tiredness and how I
felt, which is a refining process and reinforces dependence on and devotion to
the Lord above all else.
On Saturday, April 10th, I was able to experience
some sweet communion with the Lord while waiting on the racers to come by. God
taught me through this that choosing the way of love – true, sacrificial, pure
love as the Lord intended and commanded – prepares a person’s heart and spirit
for unhindered fellowship with Him.
There is more that He has taught me, but I thought for now, I’d
share just a few of the lessons which I have been learning and ways I have been
growing recently. I encourage you to keep your eyes, heart, and spirit open to
and seeking to see the work of the Lord around you, because it’s always
happening…and it’s pretty cool to see and experience. Until next time, God
bless!
Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for
the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9
