So yesterday I wrote a blog about the earthquake and how I was strangely at peace as the world around me was literally falling apart. I mentioned in Acts where Paul and Silas were in prison when there was an earthquake. Well, today I was reading in Acts 18. It says this,
“Then the LORD said to Paul in a night vision, ‘Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.’” Acts 18:9-10
I don’t really know how I would be feeling if I had just been thrown in prison for doing what the LORD called me to do, but I hope and pray I react the same way Paul and Silas did. They worshiped and didn’t even care who was listening…I mean they were already in prison, all thats left would be to kill them. I guess they didn’t care what they would do to them. The LORD frees them from prison and that leads us to this verse. The LORD tells Paul not to be afraid. Let’s be honest. I WOULD BE AFRAID!! They just got out of prison and now Jesus wants them to do the same thing they were put into prison for! Nah man, I’m good. Thats my first thought at least and then I sit back and think about it.
God sent Jesus, His only Son to die for my sins…I will do anything for Him. He loves me despite my constant failures…I will ALWAYS praise His GREAT NAME! I will not be silent, even if it means I stand alone.
I was afraid of the World Race. I was afraid of not being comfortable, I was afraid of living in a community of people I didn’t know AT ALL, I was afraid of being kidnapped in the streets of a foreign country, I was afraid of not being a teacher right away or of not getting a job when I got back. I was afraid of the World Race. It was an interruption in MY life plan. My plan…not His perfect plan. I’m not going to lie to you the World Race isn’t all joyful adventures and healing people in the street. Sometimes it is crying, sometimes it is seeing hurt people and not being able to heal them even though you want it and pray for it SO HARD, sometimes it is scary…but it is ALWAYS worth it.
Jesus promises in the verse above that we should not be afraid, that we should not stop talking about Him, and that there are other people in this city who love Jesus, too. I don’t know why I never think about there being other Christians in these other countries…I just think about the people who are not Christians, but The LORD knows what I need and I needed some more people to help me out here. Today, in ministry, I meet some INCREDIBLE women of God who are doing such great things for the Kingdom here in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. They are not here to harm me, they are here to support me and bring Jesus here full time. They are the people in this city that the LORD was talking about in that verse.
I have ALWAYS had a hard time reading my Bible because I never feel smart enough or good enough for it. I just don’t understand what it is saying. Recently my quiet time has always started with praying that the LORD will teach me something new and I will leave my quiet time wiser than before and a little more intimate with the LORD than ever before. Well, I’m here to tell you that the LORD listens to our prayers and answers them in His own perfect timing. I was beginning to feel like I would never hear the LORD’s voice but now I finally feel like we are in a relationship. I am hearing from Him more and more every single day. Today, it was that I should not be afraid, that I should not stop, and that there will always people to help me.
THANK YOU JESUS FOR ABUNDANTLY BLESSING ME EVERY SINGLE DAY. THANK YOU FOR SENDING PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU TO TEACH ME MORE AND MORE ABOUT YOU. THANK YOU FOR A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO PUSH ME. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME PEACE AND YOUR HOLY LIVING WORD TO LEARN FROM. THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER DAY TO WORSHIP AND PRAISE JESUS. AMEN.
Blessing,
Niki
