Phnom Penh, Cambodia
I shared with you the last time I blogged about some struggles I've been having. (Go back and read "Challenging God" if you missed out.) Well, here's the first of two ways (so far) that God has met my challenge. That Thursday night, a matter of hours after my argument with God, Josh, Tina and I went to a small group Bible study with some local Christians in the Phnom Penh area. It was a great time of getting to know local Christians, but God had other pans for why He brought me there. (I was actually reluctant and didn't want to go at first.)
That night we studied Isaiah 42. (If you don't know what Isaiah 42 is about, or even if you do, take time RIGHT NOW and read it.) We discussed at great lengths and reflected on God's promises throughout and how this reflects on our lives. Now, of course, this chapter is a foreshadowing of the servant role that Christ would fulfill, but as we are also co-heirs with Christ and should imitate Him, this chapter is also about us as God's "Chosen Servants".
I was blown away at all the promises that God gives His servant:
"…My servant, whom I uphold,
…in whom My soul delights;
I have put My Spirit upon him;
…bring forth justice to the nations….
He will not grow faint or be discouraged….
'I Am the Lord…I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations.' "
Are you hearing this? Did you catch God's promises? Did you catch our role in all of this? When I read this it completely blew my mind. It was hard to believe that I had read this so many times before, yet this time was so different. Here I was questioning my role, questioning my usefulness to God, my team, questioning God for even bringing me on this journey. And yet, all of my questions were answered in these few verses.
There will be times when I will be tempted to quit. I will struggle at times. I will question at times God's purpose and plan. But, the words in this chapter are unmistakable. This chapter takes all the pressure off of me and places the ownership on God's shoulders:
My servant whom I uphold
My soul delights
I have put My Spirit on you
I have called you
I will take you by the hand and keep you
I will give you as a covenant
It is encouraging that throughout all of this God takes me by the hand and leads me. My Daddy takes care of His kids. My Daddy is the One who takes care of all things. But what is great is that I get to be a vessel; I get to be used by Him; I get to be a part of His plans. And if this revelation wasn't enough, if I was still questioning God, He threw me another bone the very next morning.
Check in soon to find out more!
Thank you so much for following along in our adventure. We are so close to being fully funded! At this point we need roughly $4,000. God has brought us so far in the realm of finances, and I'm excited to see how He will provide the rest. If you would like to partner with us in ministry, then we invite you to get in on what God is doing. Continue to pray for us and our team, continue to give, and continue to share with us these blessings and joys God is giving. We could not have made it this far without you, and we need your prayers and support to help sustain us to the end. We love you and thank you!
