Around the Mountain Again

I don't know about you, but sometimes I am a slow learner. I can go through something and God shows me how he was faithful through it all and then, a similar crisis arises and I am panicing all over again. Circumstances can really cause me to take a step back and even start doubting what I know god clearly told me. Life often throws us curve balls and I, for one, feel ill prepared regularly.

Today I was reading in Matt 14 and 15. I find these chaptesr a great comfort when I feel like I am hopelessly missing God's leading. The disciples were out with Jesus and he was being followed by 4,000 men, plus women and children. They were desperate for a miracle. They stayed close to Him for quite some time watching, listening and trying to get close enough to touch Him. If I were desperately ill or crippled, I would be right there with them as long as I had the help I needed to get there.

This story follows shortly after the disciples had their eyes open to Jesus' ability to provide from abundantly from next to nothing. Before He multiplied the food Himself, Jesus told the disciples to give them something to eat. He was testing them and letting them know that they had the ability to do what He was about to do as long as they walked in fellowship with them. They did not understand what He was doing so they just questioned. Jesus, full of compassion for the hungry people had the people sit down and then He fed them all.

Right after this story, He sent the disciples out in a boat while He wrapped up with the crowd and then went to pray for a while. He came walking to them on the water and they were frightened. When they recognized it was Him, peter asked if he too could walk on the water. He did for a few seconds. In my mind, he got just out of reach ofthe boat and then he turned his eyes from Jesus to the circumstances. Jesus reached out and saved Him but then He chastised them all for their lack of faith. Peter was the most obvious failure but all of them were afraid as Jesus came walking up to them.

I do not think that you can separate these 2 stories. They were both faith building exercises for the disciples. Both of them revealed their weaknesses and lack of faith. At the same time, they were designed to destroy the disciples faith but to strengthen it. Jesus just walked them through 2 amazing faith building exercises.

 Unfortunately, I think we miss the message of these two stories just like the disciples did. Jesus was trying to create an opportunity for them to see Him move through them. Once again, Jesus did what we assume only He could do. Really, He was saying to them that they could have done this themselves. Becasue He was with them, they had the ability to multiply the food and bring glory to the Father. We have been given that same challenge. Jesus calls us to do things for His glory that we assume only He can do. What He wants us to see is that He will use us if we are willing to allow Him to work through us. He is not limited by our limitations. The unlimited power of God resides in us and wants the world to see Him through our obedience as we walk in faith.

I have now been unemployed for 3 weeks. In September, I felt like God was telling me that 2022 was a new season for me and I needed to cut ties to old things, work and leadership positions specifically so I could focus on the new season. In September, it was an easy thing to say I would do it but when the end of December came, I started questioning if I had made a mistake. Actually, there were moments that I was panicking. I thought through my bills and what things I felt led to do and I could not see how it was all going to come together. Life is expensive and I had just walked away from my only source of income.

God has been faithful to me for years. He has provided countless times. He used many people over the years to meet my financial needs and also to encourage me to continue pursuing what He called me to.  Sometimes experience does not teach us trust. If we don't recognize the hand of God in all we walk through, we will still try to do it in our own strength. We have to choose to continually walk in obedience and also acknowledge the past works of God in our lives so we can live from a place of expectancy and not fear. Worship is essential to build confidence that God is moving on our behalf because we have seen He already has.

I want to just introduce you to what I am moving into now. My heart has been to help missionaries succeed and to encourage them for about 4 years now. Much of that time I have been praying and asking God what that would look like. I have had countless ideas rolling around in my head. Some of them are going to eventually happen but for now, I will be working with Churches to help them prepare for sending missionaries and to walk with those missionaries through the transition to their new country. Then I will continue to work with the missionary and the Churches that sent them so that they can be ready for long term success. Missions is not just about the missionary going to serve Jesus but it is also about the Churches back home that are holding their arms up while they proclaim the victory of Jesus to the people they serve.

I am not looking to compete with missions organozations. They are an important part of the big picture for the missionary. They help guide them through things that the home Church has no experience in. They provide resources and encouragement beyond what the Church can offer. That being said, both of these are legs of the stool a missionary rests on. The 3rd leg is the leading of the Holy Spirit. I want to help make sure the home Church, the commissioning and sending Churches are not the week leg of the stool.

If this is your heart, please reach out to me. You can contact me at thegeokr@yahoo.com  I would love to hear from you/ Also please subscribe to this blog and share it with all your friends and your Church.