Our life here has been pretty
slow so far. This past week we got to get out and do door to door evangelism. Our teams split
into groups of three and were partnered with a local from the church for the
day. My group went to three houses the first day. I really loved it. Two of the
people we met with were believers so we got to encourage and pray for them. The
third woman went to church, but didn’t have a relationship with Jesus. We got
to tell her who Jesus was to us, and encourage her in how much He loves her. I
went into door to door with kind of a skeptical attitude. I feared I’d feel
little like a salesman, pedaling Jesus, basing my success on how many people bought what I
was selling. I prefer relationships to the door to door approach. As we went
door to door though I got excited to see what Jesus was up to, to hear what He
meant to other people, to speak life and encouragement over them, to practice
listening to what He is saying to those around me, to get to speak of His
ridiculous love for us to those who don’t know about it.
Pastor Gideon reminded us
that it’s not up to us to save people. The Lord is at work, the Holy Spirit is
drawing people to the Father. All I can do is speak out who He is and live out
of that confidence and get the privilege of seeing what He is doing. It’s all
Him.
The second day of door to
door was legit. At our last stop we got to spend a while with a couple that had
just gotten married and were believers. They had so many legit questions and we
got to encourage them and pray for them, they were a blessing to us.
On a different note, the Lord is teaching me how
to fight.
He’s teaching me that His
peace is never ending, His joy is abundant. He is a fountain of Living Water
(Jer 2:13). The water He gives us becomes a well of water springing up to
eternal life (John 4:13-14). He is a God of abundance. His peace goes deeper
that circumstance and surrounding company, and He has an ocean of it.
Heard. Thank. You. Jesus.
A couple of days ago we heard
that a girl on our squad was sick. We switched off
praying for her in groups in the morning/afternoon. While I was outside praying
with a few others the Lord started speaking clearly to me. Saying His praises
change the atmosphere. Telling me to command my soul to praise Him in the
morning, to lift up His name. His praise is a habitation for His people. It is
a refuge and a hiding place.
Psalm 22:3 says “Yet You are
Holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.”
I think He literally can’t
stay away from His children’s hearts that are full of His praise. I think He
comes close when we praise Him. And that’s where we find His peace, where we abide in the shade of His presence.
Psalm 100:5 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His
courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.”Literally, enter into His courts when you praise Him.
our friend reminded us that in battle (the Israelites) the worshipers would go
out first to praise His name because He had already given them the battle. Go
out in praise. Come in the opposite spirit of what I’m battling. When I start my day a little irritated, speak of His joy, His kindness that never fails, His faithfulness that never runs dry. Everything about Him is good, and
everything He is will overcome every battle.
Romans 9:28 ” And we know
that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose.”
The Psalms have come alive to
me lately. They are soaked in His praise.
