"(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"--2 Corinthians 5:7

When I walk by sight, it is dismal at times. 

When I walk by faith, it is joyful!!!

"Our Father"--a fabulous faith-building raindrop!

This morning, I was praying, and I started praying the Lord's Prayer.  I didn't really get past "Our Father!"  (At least not for a while!!) 

I got to thinking about what that is saying, that God is OUR Father, and just who "our" is, so I prayed "Our Father" with faith believing that God is the Father of ALL of my family!!  Then the verse came to me that says, "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:  but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."  (Joshua 24:15)  Kevin and I have chosen for our home:  WE will serve the LORD, not any other god!

This verse, and the phrase, "Our Father," are statements of faith to me right now.  Not all are serving the Lord, but we WILL ALL serve the Lord!!  Bless His holy Name! 

The Past

My raindrops lately have been such a comfort to me, and an exercise in faith.  I have been thinking a lot about the past, the things that happened with my lost loved one, the things I did or did not do, feeling very accused and responsible (and we know where accusations come from!). 

However, God's Word has a couple of antidotes that keep "coming across my desk." 

The first one is Isaiah 43:18-19; it says, "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing;  now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."  I cannot tell you how many times this verse has popped up, so I memorized it, and God is helping me so much to quote this whenever I am feeling accused!

The second verse, which was sent to me in a scripture exchange, is Philippians 3:13-14; it says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:  but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."  I have come a long way in this journey for the salvation of my lost loved one, and God's Word is guiding me all along the way!! 

So, if satan is accusing you of causing the fall of your prodigal, do what Jesus did when He was being tempted by the devil:  quote the Word to him!   It works!!!

Today, Pastor McGlamery said he felt a rain coming!!   I have been feeling the salvation of my loved one is coming soon.

Last week, I felt I should apologize to the Lord for believing that He can and He will but not that He will today!  But His perfect will is for this person to be saved today!  His timing is TODAY!  It is not nor has it ever been His will for this person to be in sin one more day!!  Sometimes, I feel the devil tries to tell us we need to wait on the Lord's timing, and in some instances, this is true, but the salvation of our loved one is not one of those cases!!  Today is the day of salvation!!  2 Corinthians 6:2 says, "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee:  behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"           

So, I agree with Pastor McGlamery:  I hear the sound of abundance of rain!!!  I've been checking my phone for the call!!!

I came across Exodus 33:12-17 and thought it would encourage you like it has me.

 

Moses had come down from receiving the Ten Commandments at the hand of the LORD, only to find the children of Israel worshipping a golden calf in vulgar ways.  Moses went back to meet with the LORD, and we pick up the conversation there. 

 

It says, "12 Then Moses said to the Lord, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.' 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people." 14 And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 15 Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth." 17 So the Lord said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."          

 

It seems to me that the conversation was about Moses personally at first, and he confirmed that his relationship was intact with God.  Then he used that leverage to gain favor for his wayward people.  I love verse 17.  I am counting on this to see my prodigal saved, that because the Lord knows me by name, He will answer my prayers for the salvation of my prodigal! 

 

Happy New Year!

What a revelation this morning!!

My love for a person is flawed, at best!  But God's love is perfect love!  My love as a wife, as a parent, as a daughter, as a sister, as an aunt, as a sister-in-law, is flawed at best.  God's love is perfect.  My love for my lost loved one is flawed, and God's love is perfect!! 

For that I am so very grateful!!  I am thankful that God's love knows best.  God loves this person more than I do and better than I do, and I am thankful. 

This revelation made me cry!  I am in awe of Him!!!

Smile!  (This raindrop was a great reminder for me this morning!)

In the Old Testament, when Hannah could not conceive, she fasted and went to the temple to pray.  "And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore."  (1 Samuel 1:10)  The high priest, Eli, saw her praying and went over to talk to her.  She told him about her earnest desire of the Lord, and "Eli answered and said , Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him."  (Verse 17)  Verse 18 is what caught my attention.  The last part says, "So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad."  

Lately, I have noticed that people who have received a promise from the Lord still act and talk as if they are still sad and worried.  Now, I am not saying that I have perfected this faith thing by any means, but when the Lord says, "Let us go over unto the other side of the lake," *(Luke 8:22b), we should launch forth (Luke 8:22c), wash our face, straighten our shoulders, put a smile on our face, and live life as if it is done, because it is!!!!!  

We are still called to pray and fast for our lost loved ones, even after we have received a promise.  This is the way the Lord has ordained for His will to be done on earth, but we can live with the assurance that God Himself is working, pursuing our lost, and drawing them to Him.  He is!!!!