Daily Devotion from Terry at Across all Borders:
May 10 - Don't Panic!
Matthew 28:20 "....And surely I am with you always, to the very
end of the age."
In 2007, after traveling to Guatemala twice and spending time with our son
in a luxury hotel for a couple of weeks, I left my husband and went alone to
Guatemala for the first time at what we thought was the end of our adoption
process. I went believing that the Lord was with me and thinking that I would be
home, with our new son, in a week or less. But within hours of landing I found
out that something in our case had gone wrong and I would be there for much
longer than we anticipated. I was thrown into culture shock when I left the
comforts of a hotel and went to what I thought was the real Guatemala
(Antigua...that isn't what the majority of Guatemala is like...now I know). I
was in a home with people I did not know, with a baby that did know I was his
mother and in a country where I did not know the language and, at the time,
feared for my life and the life of our son as rumors of kidnappings swirled. I
panicked. For a while I thought that I had made a terrible mistake and in a
moment of weakness became convinced that perhaps I had been abandoned by the One
that promises never to abandon us. In reality, God was doing something much
bigger in my life than I could have imagined and it turned out that the two
months I was "stuck" in Guatemala was just the right amount of time needed for
Him to change my life. He pulled my attention away from ministry in Southeast
Asia for a moment and brought me to a place that I had never even considered for
ministry. Guatemala. He broke my heart and I fell in love with Guatemala. With
the people. With the country. With all that Guatemala is and could be.
Jesus once said, "Let's cross over to the other side." The disciples
obeyed, with Jesus along in the boat. Then the wind rocked the boat and the 12
men of strong faith and power panicked. They were filled with doubt over two
thoughts:
1. "Lord, don't you care?" - When God has the power to do something about
the difficult circumstances you are facing, will you trust Him? When He can make
it all better and the going is still tough, will you doubt His concern for you?
It's the core truth that Satan wants to undermine in your mind...the fact that
God loves you.
2. "We are going to die!" - When it begins to feel like your ship is going
to sink or you are not going to make it, it's easy to hit the panic
button.
The Lord was with me every moment that I was "stuck" in Guatemala. He
continues to be by my side every moment of every day, whether I am home doing
laundry and washing dishes or on the other side of the world training leaders
and feeding the hungry.
You are going on this trip with the King of the universe beside you, just
as He promised. He is not afraid of trouble along the way. While God has a
ministry purpose for you on this trip, He is also interested in conforming you
to His image along the way. He will continue to do so even when circumstances
threaten to strike fear in your emotions. If you find yourself encountering
conditions that seem like they are going to turn your trip into a disaster,
remember that God intends for you to have an awesome experience. Don't panic!
Trust Him. He is still in the boat. He cares about you and you are going to make
it.
Lord, I know that you desire to work through me, as well as in me,
during this trip. For every detail that has already been planned, there are
still unexpected experiences waiting, some that might seem to threaten harm. So
even now, when all is calm, I pray for the times on this trip when things are
not as calm. Thank you for your promise to be with me. Lead us past each
obstacle with our eyes open to your great power. Help us to not be overcome by
fear, but rather by faith and love.
With Gratitude,
Sondra
No comments:
Post a Comment