Does Jesus Care?

How many times over the course of this journey have simple truths I've been taught over and over in my life been made so vividly real? A lot!!! And this week yet another aspect of God's character was so plainly displayed.
     This week didn't start out so well for me. It also didn't start out so well for two other of my prayer partners. I won't recount this specifics, but Monday night and Tuesday were just heart-breaking days of reaching the limit of what I could take. From talking with my sister, I know Satan was winning more victories with her than she desired and poor Stephanie felt that God no longer cared for her. I poured my heart out to God and pleaded with Him for their to be an end in sight because the battle was overwhelming. And do you know what God did? He sent us another prayer warrior. Someone new to the battle, someone with fresh stamina to take up where we were faltering in the battle. I can not tell you how many times I have pleaded with God to not allow Satan to have the victory in this journey and He made sure that didn't happen. God looked down and saw how much His children needed help, needed someone to step in and help carry the load and sent us that person, and in such an unexpected way. I always post on Face Book "There was one"  when God puts a Tebow article on MSN. I do this to be an encouragement to my kids that God hasn't forgotten and to encourage them to stay faithful to their prayers. I posted one Tuesday. A friend of my sister either read the blogs about my sign from God, or she questioned my sister about the posts. However she found out what the posts mean, she did and commented that since she now knew what those posts meant, she was rooting for us and was joining our prayer team.
     Isn't God amazing?! He sent a fresh warrior into the battle at a time when three of His warriors were hurting and struggling to gain a victory. What a compassionate, loving, knowledgeable God we serve.
     Steph, you said you were going to post the lyrics to "Does Jesus Care" when I texted you, here's your answer:

"Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,

His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,

I know my Saviour cares"

Public and Private

"I'll praise you in this storm, and I will lift my hands, for Your are who You are, no matter where I am, every tear I've cried, You hold in your hand, You've never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm."

Twice this week I have given a devotion with my teen-agers from Psalm 26:12. In this verse David said he would bless the Lord in the congregation. My study Bible made the point that so often we complain publicly and praise God privately and yet David did just the opposite, he took his complaints to God in private and blessed Him in public. I talked with the kids about how we need to really focus on changing our habits too, to keep our praise public and our complaints to ourself or at least talk to God about them.
     God convicted me with this today over the fact that in the last two posts I rather loudly complained about some recent tough times. So tonight, I want to publicly praise Him for what He's done in just the last twenty-four hours. First, someone in my church offered to take care of my flat tire for me...my poor car's broken foot is now fixed. My downstairs' neighbor agreed to meet the Internet tech and let him do what needed to be done while I was at volleyball practice and today, one of my students who works with computers offered his lunch time to get rid of the virus attacking my computer. Both my Internet and computer problems have been solved. God takes care of what Satan breaks. And last, as much as I wanted to feel alone in this onslaught from Satan, I found out in talking with my sister and Stephanie, that they too have noticed increased attacks from Satan lately. Now that may seem a strange praise to you, but at least I know I'm not alone, it's not in my head and God really is moving and working if Satan is going after other people who are praying for this.
     I told God last night that with His help, I could handle whatever Satan brought my way, just so long as the battle ended with us meeting Tebow and that I would handle them better. The lyrics quoted above are a good reminder that no matter how fierce the storm, there is always a reason to praise God and from David I am reminded that my praise needs to be public, it will help pull my attention off my troubles and focus them on the One Who will see me through the storm.

God vs Satan

This is kinda' crazy and kinda' exciting all in one. It seems like God and Satan are going one for one right now...unfortunately, the one for one on Satan's part seems to a concerted effort to ruin everything I own or as in today's case, affect my body.
     If you read the last post, then you know how frustrating things are for me right now. It seems like God allows a Tebow article and something goes wrong, like a flat tire. Then God allows another post and something else goes wrong, like a demon-possessed cell phone. God allows another article and another tire goes flat and today, God allows another article to be posted and I have had a horrific muscle spasm in my side all day.
     Today was an overwhelming day. It ended in tears, many of them. In the midst of them God brought comfort first through His Spirit and then a friend. I sat sat in my classroom, overwhelmed and tearful, His Spirit just kept saying, 'You know why this is happening, stay faithful, I'm here, don't quit.' and then as a friend gave me a ride home, she just let me cry and offered to do anything she could. I love friends who will just let you cry, not tell you to suck it up, and then offer what help they can. God has truly blessed me with the best friends.
     Logic would say to quit praying and all the things going wrong would stop, but that would mean Satan wins. We've been at this too long to let him win. I know I have to trust that God knows what He's doing, He knows how much I can take (which is waaaaay more than I think) and He won't let Satan do anything to me that He doesn't want to happen. Today, seeing yet another Tebow article has given me encouragement to do just that. Isn't God gracious?

Even in Australia...

First a tire goes flat this past summer, and it took two months to get it fixed. Then, the new tire went flat. Flash mobbing ants have taken up permanent residence in my house, random pools of water show up in the middle of my kitchen floor, I am struggling to time-manage my new teaching schedule and volleyball practice and well, life. I have had major spiritual battles with a critical spirit that won't stop. My phone is possessed by a legion of demons, I'm convinced. My laptop may have a virus attacking the Internet. Oh, there are problems with the Internet and they'll be out on Tuesday between 3:30-8:00 pm...I coach from 3-5 pm.  And if all that isn't enough, my other new tire is now going flat.
     When this journey began way back in January, God told me there would be battles up ahead. He told me that this wasn't going to be an easy journey, and I thought I was ready for it. There have been some hard fought battles in this journey and some very valuable lessons learned along the way, but they were nothing compared to the relentlessness of Satan's current onslaught. There have been times in this journey where I have wanted to quit for selfish reasons, namely I wasn't getting my way. However, when that third tire went flat yesterday, I told God I was done, I couldn't take this anymore. Every time I turn around it seems something is going wrong that desperately needs to be taken care of and I have no idea how. The battle with my critical spirit is completely frustrating because I cannot seem to gain any victory over it no matter how much I pray about it. Time management is non-existent and things are going undone that truly need to be done. I do not recall any time in this journey that the battle to maintain my relationship with God and keep this prayer in front of Him has been so difficult.
     When I was telling God for the fifth or sixth time yesterday that I was through, He reminded me of just how far we have come in this journey. He also reminded me of something He had taught me early on...wouldn't it be a shame to make it within a day, an hour, a minute of His answering this and quit. With the frequency of Tebow articles showing up on MSN and Satan's attacks seeming to directly correlate with them, I believe we may be very close to an answer and it would indeed be a  heart-breaking shame to quit with the answer so near. 
    Now, as I read back over the first paragraph, it's actually kind of humorous to read all the things going wrong, kind of reminds me of the children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and yes, some days are like this, even in Australia, but at least I know without a doubt, that God is hearing our prayers and moving to answer them and this has Satan very concerned, thus the attacks. Let's just hope the answer comes in time to spare my apartment, laptop, car and phone. :)

Just Making Sure

Yesterday there was a headline banner about Tebow on my MSN, of course I was excited. However, when I clicked on the banner, it took me to a score page of all the current games being played, the Jets being one of them. I wasn't sure what to make of this. Tebow was in the headline, but it wasn't an article, what was God trying to say?
     I posed the question to my sister, "was this God giving me a token sign?" and her response was, "I think so...maybe?" She was very helpful. I then posed the question to Stephanie who mentioned Gideon asking God for a second sign just to be sure it was really God. She was much more helpful. So I asked God that if this 'article' was from Him, would He please allow another article to be posted before I went to bed that night. Half an hour later, a real article with words and everything about Tebow was on MSN. Right away, Satan said, 'of course there's an article, the game just finished.' There weren't articles about any other game that had finished, Satan was just trying to keep me from believing.
     Almost as if God heard Satan posing the doubt in my mind, much later that day, a third article was posted about Tebow, long after all the games had finished. None of those players made the headline. God was making extra sure I knew He had done something on behalf of this request.
     I must say, God is pretty amazing. He makes sure and doubly sure we hear Him when we ask.

This Is Crazy...But GREAT!!!

Let me first say my sophomores are no longer 'my' sophomores (sigh), they're someone else's juniors and I have to share my time with them in class with other students, it's no longer just 'us.' It's a good thing I like all those others kids as much as I do or I might resent having to share my kids with them!!! On the upside of them not being 'mine', I do get to teach them for three classes this year instead of one and I spend my lunch hour with them as well. When God answers this request, it will be even better because we are spending more time together this year.
     Speaking of God answering this request...if you have read my previous blogs, then you know about my 'token for good' from God. If you haven't, I'll share the token with you here but encourage you to go read my previous blogs to understand, otherwise you may roll your eyes at this and say it's all coincidence. I've asked God to indicate with an article on my MSN page about Tebow anytime He feels it would be appropriate that He is doing something specific to bring about the fulfillment of this request. I made that request just about a month or so ago. Occasionally, an article would appear and it was exciting. Right before the Olympics there were four days in a row with articles about Him and then not any. As we went back to work last week, several days had articles and then school began this past Tuesday and there was an article...then there was one on Wednesday...then there was one on Thursday...and yes, Natalie, if you see this before Monday, there was one today on Friday!!!! Do you see it? The frequency of these articles appearing is increasing. More and more God is indicating that either He has not forgotten or that He's doing something specific to arrange circumstance as they need to be for Him to answer.
     It is SO hard not to speculate. You see, one of my sophomores was gone all summer, God couldn't answer with him away. He came back this past Monday, the day before school started and every day since then, God has given me my token. Something else that makes it difficult, for the first time we can remember, the school where Stephanie's boys attend is starting school after Labor Day...that gives us a 2 week window that God could answer, since one of my consistent requests has been that God allow her and her family to be with us when we meet Tebow.
     This is crazy...and exciting...and GREAT!!!! God is doing something here, He is picking up the pace of whatever He is doing and it could be that very soon we will be praising Him for a long awaited answer to prayer....I'm ready!!!

A Praise for Today

A few weeks ago God really spoke to my heart about my need of a sign as proof of His promises to me. He taught me that, with where I am at in this prayer, I shouldn't still need signs as proof that He would answer this request, His Word should be enough. From that lesson came an understanding that while I shouldn't need a 'token of good' for proof, one for encouragement and knowledge would be okay. Sometimes, we just need those to keep on in seemingly impossible circumstances. This is where my request that whenever He felt it right, He would indicate, through an article on my MSN page about Tebow, that He hadn't forgotten or that He was doing something specific to bring about an answer. I know God doesn't have to give those indications, but He is gracious enough and understanding of our human nature enough that He grants them anyway.
     That really is all this post is about, magnifying God for His kindness. I so often focus on the lessons learned and getting through a difficult time that I forget to praise Him for what He does do. Since I have relinquished my need of proof, God has been more gracious and kind than I deserve in letting me know He is indeed working on this request. It is such a joy each time I see an article about Tebow, because it tells me God wants me to keep praying, He's doing something. The most special blessings come like today's did. I was online, on my MSN page and there was an article about Tebow. Of course I was thrilled because I KNEW God doing something specific today, but the better part of the story is that when I went back to that web page half an hour later, the article was gone...it was like God put it there just for me, to let me know.
     As I've said, God owes me nothing. His Word is enough to stand on and believe in, however, what a loving God He is that He would encourage me to stay faithful by granting a silly request like a Tebow article...and to do it on more than one occasion. What a great and gracious God we serve!!!!

It's Not Nice When God Does That!!!!

God really shouldn't use your prayers for someone else to convict you about your own life...it's not nice.
     I cannot believe the number of times in this journey a truth I have been taught my entire life has come to life so vividly. How many sermons, lessons, devotions have I heard about double standards in my life? Thousands it seems and yet here I found myself last week praying something for Tebow that God used to convict me.
     It's easy to think that Tebow needs to walk a tighter line than most of us because he is such a public figure. It's easy to feel that if he ruins his testimony, he ruins God's also and does damage to the thousands of youth who look up to him; therefore, it is very important he maintain his walk with God very carefully. There is some, if not a lot of truth in those statements. I pray often for him to have God's strength each and every day to walk with Him and to maintain his testimony.
      A few days ago as I was praying this for him, I told God it was so important for Tebow to remain faithful and live righteously because kids were watching him and following his example and wouldn't it be a shame if hundreds of kids fell away from Him because of Tebow's poor example. That's when God got me!!! He pointed out I was setting a double standard for Tebow. I was praying he maintain his testimony because hundreds, if not thousands, of kids were watching him. I was setting Tebow to a very high standard because of his fame. God pointed out to me I stand in front of a classroom of teen-agers every day. I am teaching just over 50 kids this year. I may not be on national television living out my faith, but I am living it out in front of 50 seventh-twelfth graders this year. I am every bit as responsible for the way I conduct my life, my walk and my love for God as Tebow is. I have no business expecting and praying Tebow be circumspect and wise in his actions because of the number of youths he influences if I'm not expecting and praying the same thing for myself.
     As I said, it's not nice when God takes your prayers for someone else and uses them to convict you. If you want to be an effective prayer warrior though, it is sometimes necessary for God to take you off the high horse you put yourself on and get you back to a place where you can be that righteous person whose prayers are effectual and fervent and avail much with God.
   

Trees, Forests and a Yardstick

It's funny, how over a period of time in your devotions, God can bring up the same lesson, principle, truth, etc... over and over again and you see that, you recognize it as God teaching it to you in that moment and still miss the point entirely. Does that make sense? Let me try to explain.
     Last Saturday, I was being a little whiny with God (okay, actually it was a lot whiny) over the path He has led this journey through this summer. It seemed to me that God was slowing down, not teaching as much, not talking as much. I came to this conclusion based on the decrease in blog posts over the summer. If I had nothing to write about, it must be because God wasn't doing His part anymore, right? God didn't think so. Right away He made it very clear to me that these blog posts were never meant to be a spiritual measuring stick; they were meant to be a remembrance of the journey and as a testament of God's working through our prayers for my sophomores.
     He then brought to my attention my daily devotions. When I looked back at my devotional journal over the summer, the majority of my devotions have been on God's faithfulness to His promises. Time and again I read verses that point blank said God has not forgotten His promises, that He will do as He promised. You can't read the stories of the patriarchs and Moses and not learn that while God's timing and ours rarely coincide, God always comes through on His word. These stories are where I spent most of July reading.
     God had spent the summer telling me He hadn't forgotten His promise to me concerning Tebow; He was even gracious enough to let me know He was working. As God brought each verse to me this summer about His faithfulness, I recognized what God was  telling me...He hadn't forgotten. As I read the stories of Abraham I very clearly saw that we needed to be faithful to trust God even when the answer is long in coming. I saw the importance of not taking matters into my own hands as I witnessed Rebekah, then Leah and Rachel push their will on their husbands. As Moses led the children of Israel from Egypt, I understood God's delays often bring spectacular results so wait for them.
     I got these truths as God was teaching them to me, what I didn't see was the whole summer that He spent telling me to hold on, the answer is coming, just stay faithful. It really took me by surprise when I realized, that for all my whining and complaining this summer about God being silent, He wasn't, not at all. God was saying plenty, I was just using the wrong measuring stick to judge by...my words verses His promises.
    "Don't miss the forest for the trees" comes to mind here. The forest, God's repeated admonishments to remain faithful, was there, but I wasn't seeing it because I was focusing too closely on how I thought God should show His teaching, the blogs, and then using that as a wrong yardstick to measure His teaching by.
     It's tempting to hold God to our own standards and our ways of thinking. Really though, God thinks so much better than we do, it's best for us to let Him do it...and ever so slowly, I am learning to do just that.
 
    
   

I Need a Sign, Or Do I?

Today I read about Moses' call to deliver Israel from Egypt, a story I've read and heard most of my life. Moses struggled with insecurity and inadequacy, even after God gave him visible assurance He would be with him. Moses' refusal to believe and need for more assurance angered God. I've not ever really thought about that before, I've always just thought God had grown tired of Moses' excuses. My study Bible offered up this thought on Moses' need for physical signs...signs are God's way of giving hope and assurance to a weak or new faith. As our faith grows and we learn more and more of God's character, we shouldn't need the temporary signs as proof of God's work, His word should be enough. Perhaps God got angry with Moses because, despite everything He'd just shown him, Moses still didn't trust God enough to take Him at His word and asked for Aaron.
     Here lately I have been depending too much on God giving me a sign. I look very carefully every day for an article on Tebow, and most days they aren't there. It's very easy to think on the days there is no article that God did not do anything specific that day, but that isn't true. Every time I pray, I ask God to do something specific in the next 24 hours that brings us closer to an answer. I believe He does, whether or not He chooses to let me know. Why? Because God promises to answers our prayers when they are in accordance with His will. This prayer is in accordance with His will, it's what He wants, why wouldn't He work to bring it about. I need to trust the promise He's given me in His Word on that more than I trust an article.
     Signs are nice, they can be very encouraging and exciting to see and I do think God knows our weakness, He knows we need encouragment from time to time and is gracious enough to grant us those signs. As our faith grows however, we should need them less and less as proof of God's promises; His Word and unchanging character should become enough for that.
     God has told me several times I don't need a sign, I need to trust Him and the power my prayers have with Him. Today He just re-emphasized that my faith isn't growing if I'm still looking for a sign as proof from Him. Isn't it neat how God tells you something in your conversations with Him and then shows you that very principle in His Word?!