YAY for wifi, time to blog, and a little bit of a stable and awake mind. 🙂
I am so sorry it has taken me a while update.
CAMP. I have been at Camp Living Stones for exactly a month, yesterday. Camp Living Stones is in East Tennessee. It is a Christian adventure camp for students grades 6th through 12th. We have ten counselors and campers from all across the United States. This morning ended Week 3 for campers. What a journey it has been, y’all. 🙂 OH- and I graduated from COLLEGE last month!!! PRAISE! 🙂
So back to camp… 🙂 Honestly, God has been chipping away at my heart a lot. It’s been intensely torn down only to be completely and beautifully built up stronger.
In Hebrews 12 it talks about this a bit: “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed” (Hebrews 12:4-13).
Oh what love. Oh what love to be disciplined to bring God more glory, producing an abundant life within me.
Through this discipline, God has been teaching me about FIGHTING. I know that I am super scary and intimidating already, but God has been really teaching me about this topic and need. 😉
I have been reading through Joshua. The other day I got to chapter 10 and God spoke pretty powerfully through it to my heart.
YOU NEED TO FIGHT.
You see friends, I feel like I am a pretty strong person, but sometimes, I tend to be a runner. I do NOT like conflict or confrontation. I would so much rather be told I was in the wrong, apologize right there to you and forget about it. I don’t want to keep talking about it and try and fix it. Just let me apologize, because I really am sorry, but I don’t want to hear all about how I disappointed you and hurt you. :/
God has been hitting me hard with that. DISCIPLINE.
Joshua 10:8, “And the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”
Joshua 10:14, “…for the LORD fought for Israel.”
Joshua 10:19, “but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; attack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand.”
Joshua 10:25, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
Joshua 10:30, “And the LORD gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel…”
Joshua 10:42, “And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.”
Man- this hit hard. If you notice…the LORD is fighting FOR Israel. The LORD tells them not to fear or worry because it is in His hands. He tells them not to be dismayed because He will deliver them and they will win and be victorious over the battles.
I have faced many battles in my life- lots of big ones, lots of small ones, lots of average, every day ones. They are hard. I have faced battles here at camp- battles within camp, outside of camp, and within me. My natural tendency is to be a runner- but I am called to be a fighter.
You see friends, God has told us the outcome. We win. WE WIN. We win in Christ Jesus our Lord, by Him, from Him, through Him, because of Him, and for Him. We win. He tells US not to worry or be fearful or dismayed.
We know the outcome…but we still must fight the battle. Have you ever thought about that before? I hadn’t. These Israelites know they are going to win; God tells them that. I feel like my response would have been- “Okay God, if you want us to win and we are going to win- you are all powerful- why do we still have to go through all the gross and hard parts of the battle? Can’t we just be the winners and not have to go through the battle at all? I mean that would make sense and would be a lot easier…” hashtag runner.
But we have to go through the battles. We must fight. We must fight from the victory for the Victor who is worthy of it all.
“…but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Praise God for discipline. Praise God for the battles- for they make us rely more and more on Him. They make us more and more like Him. They are for His ultimate glory and our ultimate good.
This is just a small bit of the hugeness Jesus is teaching me and doing in my heart. Please keep me and my fellow counselors and staff in your prayers throughout the remainder of the summer as I am serving at camp. Please keep the campers in your prayers- that God would radically meet them and make them more like Him, setting mighty fires in their hearts, and sending them out to change the world for His name. Please keep fundraising in your prayers. Praise the Lord for all that has come in- God is SO SO faithful! I cannot THANK YOU all enough for your support and for your going with me on this journey and being such a huge part of this mission with me. It is hard to fundraise while serving at camp all week all summer- but He is faithful.
Thank you guys. Thank you for your prayers, your support, your encouragement, your dear love, and for caring so much.
Because of His mercy,
Megan Fridell
