Another Great Devotional

There's not really any news. We are just trying to get our dossier in order. Our facilitator found some mistakes, but they shouldn't be too difficult to have corrected. I'm getting really excited about our trip next Friday! We still have concerns that our dossier will be approved with the current home study, but we followed the path we felt directed to take by God. So I do have peace in that and I know we were obedient to the Lord's direction, so whatever the outcome, it is His will. We are putting our faith and trust in Him. We are praying hard for an approval without having to pay for another home study.

Basically, God led me to give the extra money, that we would have spent on the home study, to help the orphans when I go next week. God told me He would take care of us, if I obeyed. Maybe we will get approved and maybe not, but we have to follow the voice of the Lord. This may sound crazy to some of you. This isn't the first time that I have had a strong leading about "giving". When Chloe was sick and in the hospital we met a couple of ladies from a local church. They came to visit us and we laid hands on Chloe together. We didn't know anything about them prior to this. The Lord spoke to me and told me to give one of them $300. And no, we weren't paying them for healing miracle powers, like you see on TV!! The Holy Spirit led me to do this. I tried to ignore it because I thought maybe it was my imagination, but the Lord kept convicting my heart to do it. So Rick went to the ATM in the hospital cafeteria and got the money. The ladies didn't know what we were doing. Anyway, I made her take the money, even though she protested. She got out to the car and realized how much we had given her and called the room crying. I'm not telling this to say, "Aren't we wonderful people?" I'm ashamed to share it honestly, except that what God did for us in return was so amazing!! Later that same day, one of Rick's co-workers visited Chloe in the hospital. She gave us a check (being completely unaware of the day's earlier event) in Chloe's name for $300!! That money has since been used to benefit the orphans. My point; God looks after all His children!!! We are all the body of Christ and have a responsibility to help one another, to be loving, and giving. What may have seemed like a miracle to the lady from the church was an even bigger miracle to us! It showed us that when we follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to give, that the Lord will give back to us! The blessing that I received from that was far greater than any of the money exchanged! You can't buy blessings like that! That was a miracle straight from the Lord!

So as I heard the voice of the Lord speak to me again; He promised that if we obey Him and give the home study money to help the orphans, then He will take care of us. I don't know if that means our home study will be approved or not. But I do know that I have a God that is bigger than the SDA, bigger than our governments, bigger than the ocean that separates us from our children, and He is watching over us, all of us!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.’ (Jeremiah 29:11-13, NIV)


So here's the devotional...

A Victorious Christian

The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. ROMANS 8:26

We need to rely constantly on the Holy Spirit. We need to remember that Christ dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are the dwelling place of the Third Person of the Trinity.
Why don't we rely on Him as we should? We don't realize how weak we are. We don't realize how strong our enemy is. We may even doubt if God is really going to help us. Or we may think we can do it all ourselves------or that we must.
But we should ask Him to do it all and to take over in our lives. We should tell Him how weak, helpless, unstable, and unreliable we are. It is important that we stand aside and let Him take over in all our choices and decisions. We know that the Holy Spirit prays for us (Romans 8:26) , and what a comfort that should be to the weakest of us.
A victorious Christian is one who, in spite of worries, inner conflicts, and tensions, is confident that God is in control and will be victorious in the end. Whatever our difficulties, whatever our circumstances, we must remember, as Corrie ten Boom used to say,"Jesus is victor!" -Author unknown

My prayer for today... Lord, help me to remember that you are in control and that I can relax and have peace in knowing that the one who has gone before me is my guide! There is nothing that is going to happen to me today that you cannot handle, as long as I submit it to you. Help me to recognize worries and anxiety as soon as they come into my mind, so I can give them straight over to you and not allow them to steal my peace and joy! Thank you for loving me just as I am and dying for me when I was yet a sinner.
In Jesus Name, Amen!