It is crazy to think that in 12 days I will be boarding a plane to leave for 12-14 months. Generally that brings a lot of excitement to my mind and heart, but somedays it is a little overwhelming. This morning, it was a little frightening until I got into His Word. L3 had me in Ruth and in Romans 10 this morning. I will just start off saying that the Father has perfect timing.
Romans 10 and Ruth really connected well this morning, and they both spoke to my present situation. Ruth begins with a family that has lost everything. All the men die, and Naomi, the mother-in-law, is left with her two daughters-in-law in a foreign land. She determines to return to her own people, and she asks the two daughters to return to their own families. One of them does so, but Ruth steps up and says, "Where you go, I will go. Where You stay I will stay. Your God will be my God, and your people will be my people." In Romans 10:10 Paul says, "For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." Ruth believed that He was the God, and that staying with Naomi was what He would have her do. She confesses this to Naomi and walks it out in righteousness. This decision ultimately works out for her salvation. In Naomi's hometown there is a kinsman named Boaz. Ruth goes to pick up scraps form his fields to provide for herself and Naomi, as was the custom for widows and the poor. Boaz notices this new woman, and takes a liking to her. He promises her enough food to glean and water to drink. Eventually, Boaz becomes her kinsman redeemer and marries her. They have a child named Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse, and Jesse is the father of David. Crazy. God used a woman who was willing to leave her own people behind - the place she grew up, the gods she grew up with, and her own family - to go with a woman who had lost everything. Why? Because she believed God was the God. There is no way she could have known before she left that God would provide, especially with so much. It required faith to step out and go anyways.
This spoke to me this morning. When I felt He was leading me to return to BW for a time, I struggled for a while about how I could provide for such a journey... I knew that I could not. I finally released that weight and trusted that when He calls, He provides. Since then, He has gone above and beyond to show His faithfulness. For a while I struggled through who to go to to ask for support, and eventually He had me settle on a very short list. I sent out letters and made some calls, and let go of the control of the situation. And He answered big. He had prepared the hearts of these individuals and families to give, but He had also prepared others to give that I had not even asked. He has gone above and beyond to show me His faithfulness. Many of you reading this have been called by Him to support me. I cannot thank you enough. I want you to know that your faithfulness to His leading has helped confirm His calling on my life and has taught me to trust Him all the more.
And this is where Romans 10 comes back into the picture. Verses 14-15 summarize the heart He has given me pretty well. "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!'" They cannot believe unless someone goes, and I cannot go unless I am sent. The Father has called me, but you are sending me. Your support makes the way possible, and your pryrs go before me preparing a way.
So I want to thank you, and ask you to continue to pry for Him to go before me. In 12 days I will be flying to the Horn of Africa to see friends and their work. Please pry for wisdom and discernment while I am there. I think this might be a region He calls me to in the future, and I want to listen to His voice while I am there. I will spend 10 days with them before flying down to BW. Once I get to BW, I will have a fast few days getting ready for short-term teams coming in to assist our ministry. Pry for the hearts of the teams coming - that they will be prepared to be flexible, to serve, and to love like He loves. Pry for us as we seek His will for their time there - how best to use them and invest in them.
It may be a few weeks before I get to update this again, but I will try to as often as I can. You are as much a part of this ministry as I am; therefore, I want you to know how He is moving and how you can continue to be a part of it!
Thank you again.
In Him.
Romans 10 and Ruth really connected well this morning, and they both spoke to my present situation. Ruth begins with a family that has lost everything. All the men die, and Naomi, the mother-in-law, is left with her two daughters-in-law in a foreign land. She determines to return to her own people, and she asks the two daughters to return to their own families. One of them does so, but Ruth steps up and says, "Where you go, I will go. Where You stay I will stay. Your God will be my God, and your people will be my people." In Romans 10:10 Paul says, "For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." Ruth believed that He was the God, and that staying with Naomi was what He would have her do. She confesses this to Naomi and walks it out in righteousness. This decision ultimately works out for her salvation. In Naomi's hometown there is a kinsman named Boaz. Ruth goes to pick up scraps form his fields to provide for herself and Naomi, as was the custom for widows and the poor. Boaz notices this new woman, and takes a liking to her. He promises her enough food to glean and water to drink. Eventually, Boaz becomes her kinsman redeemer and marries her. They have a child named Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse, and Jesse is the father of David. Crazy. God used a woman who was willing to leave her own people behind - the place she grew up, the gods she grew up with, and her own family - to go with a woman who had lost everything. Why? Because she believed God was the God. There is no way she could have known before she left that God would provide, especially with so much. It required faith to step out and go anyways.
This spoke to me this morning. When I felt He was leading me to return to BW for a time, I struggled for a while about how I could provide for such a journey... I knew that I could not. I finally released that weight and trusted that when He calls, He provides. Since then, He has gone above and beyond to show His faithfulness. For a while I struggled through who to go to to ask for support, and eventually He had me settle on a very short list. I sent out letters and made some calls, and let go of the control of the situation. And He answered big. He had prepared the hearts of these individuals and families to give, but He had also prepared others to give that I had not even asked. He has gone above and beyond to show me His faithfulness. Many of you reading this have been called by Him to support me. I cannot thank you enough. I want you to know that your faithfulness to His leading has helped confirm His calling on my life and has taught me to trust Him all the more.
And this is where Romans 10 comes back into the picture. Verses 14-15 summarize the heart He has given me pretty well. "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!'" They cannot believe unless someone goes, and I cannot go unless I am sent. The Father has called me, but you are sending me. Your support makes the way possible, and your pryrs go before me preparing a way.
So I want to thank you, and ask you to continue to pry for Him to go before me. In 12 days I will be flying to the Horn of Africa to see friends and their work. Please pry for wisdom and discernment while I am there. I think this might be a region He calls me to in the future, and I want to listen to His voice while I am there. I will spend 10 days with them before flying down to BW. Once I get to BW, I will have a fast few days getting ready for short-term teams coming in to assist our ministry. Pry for the hearts of the teams coming - that they will be prepared to be flexible, to serve, and to love like He loves. Pry for us as we seek His will for their time there - how best to use them and invest in them.
It may be a few weeks before I get to update this again, but I will try to as often as I can. You are as much a part of this ministry as I am; therefore, I want you to know how He is moving and how you can continue to be a part of it!
Thank you again.
In Him.
