It’s June 12. I’m right in the middle of my
summer break. In seven weeks, I’m done with my summer, and I move across the
world. Hello, reality.
It would be wonderful to say that the past six or so weeks
have been carefree, without worry, all fun. But that wouldn’t be true. These
past six weeks have been tough. Tougher than I anticipated. Tougher in more
than one way. Tougher than I have been able to handle on my own. But amidst the
toughness, I have found a wellspring of gratitude.
Romans 5:1-5 says “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
This passage has been a constant comfort and reminder of
where the root of my joy should stem from. Paul writes that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And also that we rejoice in suffering which produces
perseverance, which produces character, which produces hope. And that hope does not disappoint us.
The Hope of the Glory of God. What does that even mean? How does God
even get glory?
God has been teaching me that He gets glory from people turning
from the world, embracing His salvation, and living gospel-centered lives.
Lives that deny self. Lives that seek first His Kingdom.
2 Corinthians 3:18 describes this glory. “And we, who with
unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His
likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the
Spirit.”
To be completely transparent, I have been struggling a lot
with the financial aspect of moving to the Philippines. I have been granted
peace in knowing that God intends for me to go. He has displayed His
faithfulness in the little and big things over the past year in getting me to
where I am today. But it seems like once summer hit, the anxiety immediately
began to rise in my heart and no support has come in at all. Sometimes I feel
like there are a thousand and one things I should be doing to try to raise
support. Other times I am reminded that no matter what I do, I am helpless
without the favor and hand of the Lord. It is a back-and-forth tug on my heart,
and I know that Satan is at the root of my doubt.
God has been gracious to remind me over and over through my
study of Isaiah that HE will fulfill His promises, that HE is always with me.
“They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed
out.”
Isaiah 48:21
“Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from
righteousness. I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will
grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.”
Isaiah 46:12-13
A verse that the Lord has used over the past few years in my
life comes to mind.
“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of
the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:13-14
I am confident that on August 5 I will board a
plane to move my few possessions and myself over to the Philippines. I am STILL
confident that my God, who created the earth and everything in it, will stay
true to Himself, in what He has revealed in my heart, and that He will get His
glory—the glory in which we rest our hope!
I found this written in the back of my Bible from where I
heard it sometime this past semester:
“God is not going to call you to do
something you can do on your own.”
I am beginning to learn this full well.
Please pray!
*Pray for financial support to come in. (Matthew 7:7-8)
*Pray that Satan be bound from God’s work through Newlife.
May we who are entering in take up the shield of faith that we will be able to
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
(Ephesians 6:16)
*Pray and ask the Lord how He would have you be involved in
His plan of drawing all peoples to Himself. Whether it be in praying,
financially supporting, going, mobilizing, or other ways, ask God to use you
for the redemption of His people in the world.
*Pray for the people God has prepared for me and the other
girls to meet and minister to. May people come to know salvation in Christ
through the work we will be doing.
*Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth, words may
given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.
(Ephesians 6:19)
No comments:
Post a Comment