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Thursday, January 08, 2009

Themes for 2009, part 2

2 Chronicles chapter 20 has been on my heart and mind the whole year
(all 8 days of it so far). It is a dramatic story, enemies amassing,
impossible odds. Jehoshaphat as king must lead and respond, and he
does so by seeking the LORD. After fasting and praying, he reminds
the people of their identity, and of who GOD is. He concludes by
praying to God: "Our eyes are upon You." God responds by telling
them they will not fight in this battle, but they must move into
position and then believe, stand still and see the salvation He will
bring. So the entire assembly moves out in choir formation, singing
rather than attacking, and when they reach the battlefield they find
their enemies have all killed one another in disarray, and the only
work left is to organize the spoils of victory.

I sense God telling us that He is ready to do some dramatic things in
2009, but in unexpected ways. That we must move fearlessly and
worshipfully towards the battle, but the victory will be so clearly
out of our hands that all will see it his His alone. Please join us
in praying this for the new year. Pray that our eyes would be on God,
and that we would experience His powerful intervention in impossible
battles. Though the real fight belongs to God, we are called to
witness, to move into the fray and see what He will do.

The story ends with the wilderness of the battlefield being re-named
The Valley of Berachah, the valley of blessing. Yet again a place of
struggle, dryness, and death is transformed into an oasis of beauty.
Please pray that God would give our team the privilege of watching
Bundibugyo, the valley of the shadow of death, become the valley of
blessing, for the nations which surround us.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I was emailed a link to your blog more than a year ago, when the Ebola outbreak happened (through a friend of the Pierces, Ron, who is the leader of the college ministry I was a part of years ago while at the Naval Academy) and I was asked to pray.

I've been praying and following your family's story since, but have never left a comment. Your lives have been a blessing to me, and I find it to be a good reminder of perspective of the work God is doing all over the world.

I was blessed by a hymn included in an email devotion I get through Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, and I thought I should share (and come out of the lurking mode...). Praying for you and your team in 2009:

At the commencement of the year 1874, Frances Havergal composed the following hymn as a New Year’s greeting card. Might it also be our greeting for the year ahead of us:

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.
Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.
Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in heaven, another year for Thee.