Category: Sister Judy (Page 70 of 277)

  We don’t always know when or how the Lord will answer our prayers, but we do know that He hears, and we can tell Him all that is on our hearts. Then we wait for His answer as He sees the end from the beginning and knows what is best. There are times we may feel he is deaf as the enemy tells us He must not have heard, but that is not so.  We have so many scriptures that prove otherwise. John says in John 5:14, “And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness which we have in Him: (we are sure) that if we ask anything (make any request), according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to us and hears us.”  Some things we know are His will as they are backed up by scripture but often when we pray, we are not sure…so we pray “Thy will be done!” There are also times when our faith may wane, and it is helpful to pray with others as the power seems to be multiplied. I am sometimes surprised at the answers as they aren’t necessarily anything like I had imagined in my mind or even how I specifically asked. But there is freedom in praying and leaving it with the Lord for however He sees and answers according to His perfect will.  

  This has caused a mental-health crisis, especially for college students and there is a 50% increase since 2013 of those who have mental-health problems. But instead of attacking the problem and strengthening the students to deal with problems, the administration shuts down any anything they think is offensive and cave in to the narcissistic demands of students What do we do?

I am busy cleaning the apartment and doing food prep.

  Recently I got an e-mail from Cup of Cold Water Ministries, which we are familiar with as one of our elders in a previous church went out under them as a missionary to Bolivia. This e-mail was from David Hiller, who had also been a missionary in Caranavi, Bolivia, for over 30 years. He writes the struggle they have been going through as it is a time of drought and they have had a lack of adequate water. At most they had access to water for 2 hours a day but some days none. They were getting desperate, and this is what he writes:

  “This morning, we have great news from Caranavi! “Yesterday the mayor summoned the Caranavi area Pastors to his office to ask what could be done spiritually to alleviate the dire situation of drought and uncontrolled forest fires in Caranavi. We read from II Chron. 7:13-14 what God told Solomon when God ‘closes the sky and it doesn’t rain.’ We said to the mayor, ‘We need to humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways. We should hold nightly meetings of prayer and public crying out to God, and end a day of prayer and fasting.’

  Yesterday morning, the mayor emitted a decree, canceling in-person classes and all outdoor activity, due to heavy smoke in the air. The only public activity allowed was the public outcry to God in the main square. Last night was the first night of public prayer and crying out to God in the public square.” 

  Then there were pictures of a couple pastors on their knees praying and the mayor and 2 city councilmen standing behind them, as well as, pictures of a great number of people praying in the plaza etc.

  And then comes the good news. At 5 a.m.the very next morning, the rains came, just as they had prayed. There was no rain in the forecast, but God answered their prayers, and you can imagine the celebrating. What a faith builder and we can ask ourselves how desperate we are when situations arise, to call off all other activities and simply pray and seek the Lord.

  Isn’t that what we should do to handle all of our fears and anxieties? We don’t need to hesitate to tell God exactly what concerns us…how we see the situation without denying our feelings but rather asking Him to listen and to help. As we wait and listen and hope in Him, we can watch for what He will do instead of trying to figure it all out; The Psalmist says we are to be like watchmen that wait for the morning. Those on the wall just waited and watched and knew that morning would come eventually but at times must have seemed like a long wait. Our grandson works security at the Viking Practice Facility and has to be alert to what is going on around him during his shift. I’m sure at times the hours seem long but he has to be alert and watchful.

   My thoughts went to the clutter we may have in our lives and how it just seems to keep growing and branching out and one day we realize we can’t see clearly. Our vision is blocked, and we are missing the good things the Lord puts before us because we are blinded by worldly things. Our clutter can be possessions that seem to grow in importance, or pursuits that get to be more important than Him, or overextending ourselves with no time left for Him. Something doesn’t feel right for we are missing most importantly our close relationship with Him. When we come to the realization and let go of whatever is blocking our vision, we begin to see again what was there all along, only we missed out.

  It is good for all of us to ask ourselves what hinders our walk with the Lord. What seems to creep up as more important? I love to read many of Al’s books, and I find that when I have been drifting from that closeness with the Lord, that if I go to the Word or read about the Saints or books by authors who have a passion for the Lord, my sight returns. Everything seems right and in order again and I experience joy Why didn’t I realize it sooner?

Happy weekend! Hope you take time to relax and get refreshed. Today I plan to clean and also do food prep and try out a new recipe. Al is happy to be my food critic and willing to try new things!  

  At the close of our Bible Study on Thursday, a friend shared something that happened to her last Sunday in church, and I was left with the feeling that God was directing the whole scenario. It was just after the pastor had finished the sermon that my friend began feeling weak and faint, and quickly sat down in the pew. The next thing she knew she was lying down and someone was holding her hand and another man examining her and taking her vital signs. It wasn’t long before an ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital where it was discovered that the infection she had been treating with an antibiotic, was still active in her body. She was given a hearty dose of another antibiotic and later sent home to recover. She was so grateful for the ones who had shown care to her and wished to thank them. After asking a few questions she discovered that the one who was taking her vital signs was indeed a retired doctor who just happened to be at the early service. Then there was the EMT who was seated across the aisle from her who rushed to help and held her hand and recorded her vital signs; it was his first-time visiting the church. Plus, there was a retired nurse sitting right behind her ready to help. The pastor told her that when she had heard a commotion she looked back and saw so many people praying for my friend. All were used of the Lord to care for her and willing to step up to the plate and help. My friend said she was never nervous or afraid as she felt so much love.

We never know when the Lord will put His hand on us and tell us He has work for us to do in the situation at hand. We can tell him we are not qualified to do whatever is needed, but He would not ask us if He wasn’t going to enable us. We might also protest that we have a schedule to keep and if we were to stop and help, we will miss out on an appointment. But since our time is in His hands, again He wouldn’t have prompted us in the first place.

It is quite exciting when we put our lives in the Lord’s hands and are willing to do whatever He tells us, Let us all respond to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead by stepping up to the plate, Like it says in Gal 5:25, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”