More on being obedient: I came across many devotionals that really spoke directly to what I was going through during this trial. One of my favorite ones I came across is written by Joyce Meyer. In this particular one that I read, she talks about being obedient and it directly addressed my doubts in wondering if God had really called me to this. My entry for May 20th gives the details…
“Dear Lord…You have really caught my attention today with one of Joyce Meyer’s devotionals that I came across. She said, ‘We can always find reasons not to obey God. In fact sometimes when we say yes to God, the enemy attacks with power to make us change our minds, to arouse doubt and confusion, and to make us wonder, Did God really call me?’ Bingo! Wow Lord, that is the exact question I have thought to myself so many times, especially when things start to get tough. Lord, I realize now that these doubts are most definitely from the enemy. Please help me not to succumb to them any longer. Thank You for placing this before me… One other thing Joyce said in her devotional was ‘When God says‘Now!’ that’s exactly what God means… It’s all in God’s timing. God never says to you or to me, ‘Here’s what I want. Do it when you’re ready.’ Part of listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is hearing the call to act when God wants you to act. The timing is everything, because it’s God’s timing that matters – not yours.’ Father this made me realize that You are asking me to intercede for Kirk now because for reasons I don’t know, this is the best time to do it. Lord, I ask that You would forgive me for the doubts I have [given into making me wonder if You have really called me to this.] The time [to intercede for Kirk] is now Lord and I don’t want to wait till it’s no longer the right time, until it’s too late. I realize Father that You have given me this chance to intercede and I do not want to turn it down. Father, I don’t want to miss Your Will by not saying yes at the right time which You have obviously said is NOW. Lord please show me how to do it correctly. Lead my prayers Lord. Thank You for Your revelation. –Amen.”
“1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. 4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5For we are each responsible for our own conduct. 6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. 7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”
-Galatians 6 NLT
It was neat to see how God used “The Harvest” as a theme throughout this trial:
· Galatians 6:9, which talks about a “Harvest of Blessing,” was the initial verse brought to my mind when I first asked for the burden to be removed from me.
· The song Some People Change that I heard come on the radio that one day, talks about changes occurring in people “against all odds” and “against the grain”
· One of my favorite devotionals, which I previously described, that I came across during this time used the picture of “seedtime and harvest.”
· Jill informed me about the significance of Pentecost which come to find out is also known as“The Season of Wheat Harvest”
· Kirk invited me to go join them to cut wheat during the weekend of Pentecost, so I got to spend Pentecost weekend “Harvesting”
I will never be able to look at wheat harvest the same way again; it will always remind me of Kirk and this amazing experience I was able to go through on behalf of him!
It was crazy to see how Galatians 6:9 would show up all the time. It would show up in devotionals I would read and it showed up this particular time while I was at Falls Creek. I was a sponsor one week for a church in my hometown and in our cabin we had “mailboxes” where we could write one another encouragement notes. Another one of the sponsors there that week, Suzanne, wrote me this one. Notice how she placed Galatians 6:9 at the bottom! I never once told her anything about my story, out of all verses, she just happened to place Galatians 6:9 down unknowingly! But again, I have no doubt this was not a coincidence, just God at work again!
A few ways God showed His hand in this situation:
As for God His way is perfect. -Psalms 18:31
All God's ways are perfect. His works are perfect and His words are perfect. Can there also be perfection in His use of numbers? The Jews and Jewish Christians of the Old and New Testament thought so. All wrote extensively of God's design and the significance in His plan of salvation in the use of numbers. In sacred Scripture numbers usually have more significance than their quantitative indicators. More often than not even when a number is used to indicate a certain quantity the individual number given may point beyond the numerical value to a symbolic significance. It is interesting to note that, on average, ONE in every FIVE verses in the Bible contains a number. Many of these numbers have significance — revealing the mind of God in the Scriptures and the divine design of His revelation to mankind.
THREE: In sacred Scripture the number 3 represents that which is solid, real, substantial, and something in its completeness. This number usually indicates something of importance or significance in God's plan of salvation by identifying an important event in Salvation History. This number operates as a "sign-post" in Scripture study for the reader to "pay attention" to the significance of the next event. The life of Christ was the perfect example of this very fact:
- Jesus went into hiding up to the age of 30 and then preached the gospel for 3 years
- He was denied 3 times
- Fell 3 times carrying the cross
- Three of them were crucified that day with 3 nails each
- Darkness fell over the earth at noon and lasted for 3 hours, at which Christ died at 3:00
- Three days later he arose and is now part of the blessed 3 part trinity
- He was denied 3 times
- Fell 3 times carrying the cross
- Three of them were crucified that day with 3 nails each
- Darkness fell over the earth at noon and lasted for 3 hours, at which Christ died at 3:00
- Three days later he arose and is now part of the blessed 3 part trinity
The number 3 showed up many times during the time Kirk came into my life which I mentioned earlier.
SIXTEEN (The number of days God extended Kirk's earthly life from the point in time where he originally passed away, December 17th, to the day he went home for good, January 2nd.)
The Biblical Meaning of the Number 16:
The number 16 symbolizes love. There are 16 names of God in the Old Testament that signify His steadfast love for the children of Israel.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 the apostle Paul says 16 things about the quality of love:
1. Love suffers long
2. Love is kind
3. Love does not envy
4. Love does not parade itself
5. Love is not puffed up
6. Love does not behave rudely
7. Love does not seek its own
8. Love is not provoked
9. Love thinks no evil
10. Love does not rejoice in iniquity
11. Love rejoices in the truth
12. Love bears all things
13. Love believes all things
14. Love hopes all things
15. Love endures all things
16. Love never fails
Putting these two numbers together, 3 and 16, brings to mind one of the most famous verses of all, John 3:16 where we see the most important and significant event in all of history, and we see the results of God's perfect love for us..........
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
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