Shock and Awe…

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

As my husband and I entered our stateroom for our “bucket list cruise”, we received a text that my little Kobi (our adopted Sheba Inu) escaped from my son’s backyard and could not be found. We are in San Francisco he is in Cedar Hill, Texas. We wouldn’t be back for eleven days.

SHOCK…

I definitely did not know how to pray! It was absolutely a time for groaning too deep for words.

Some of my brothers and sisters in Christ would say, “Take authority over the situation and declare the outcome.” Others would say, “Just trust God!” Still others might say, “This was punishment for daring to enjoy ourselves when others are suffering so.” My atheist friends would giggle and say, “Why pray? If God existed and if He cared, this wouldn’t have happened! Thus… Bad thing happens… must mean He doesn’t exist! I certainly couldn’t/wouldn’t believe in a god who doesn’t make all things perfect!”

But I believe… God is good, ALL THE TIME… and all the time, GOD IS GOOD.

So… when you are hit with an event that takes your breath away, when you are fully and finally aware that there is absolutely nothing left for you to do, when you know what YOU want but you DON”T KNOW if you can have what you want… what do yo do?

Luke 11:9-10 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

Is this a promise that all will turn out as you wish? No… but…

God is good, ALL THE TIME… and all the time, GOD IS GOOD. THIS is a promise that all will turn out as God wills it!

Romans 8:28-30 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 

As my heart dropped into the pit of fear, and my tears had to be hidden from those who were devastated by the false guilt “letting it happen”, I turned to God just as the mess I was, and opened my hands and arms to embrace His plan!

Believe me, it wasn’t easy!

Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 

Fear, discouragement and despair does not come from God. 1 Peter 5:8 Be on the alert. Our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

For a little while… Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers…

Ephesians 6:12 our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The struggle is real and it is powerful… we face it everyday at any moment of the day. But we never have to face it alone!

Romans 8:31-34 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

As I asked… sought… and knocked… throughout the 11 days I was away without access to information (no iPhone service in the Pacific Ocean – at least none I was willing to PAY for), I wore the armor of God and stood firm on what I know.

Like Paul… Because of the surpassing greatness of (these) revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself (my knowledge), there was given me (this) thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Bam!

I am not the type to boldly declare that I know what God will or won’t do. I am not the type to tell God what He has to do (except what He has spoken in Scripture). Sure, I have a tendency to bargain (if You will, then I will) but even with a fleece I do not blackmail God with my faith or love.

So… it is with undeniable joy and gratitude that I tell of God’s AMAZING GRACE in this Mary and Kobi saga.

Awe!… On the 11th day of this prayer journey… as we reached the gate for the first of two flights to return us to the scene of the crisis… we received the text that “Kobi was back in the yard this morning with an attitude of, “Hey what’s for breakfast?”.

The vet found 4 puncture wounds, scratches and evidence of soreness but nothing of significant worry. He was probably attacked by another dog &/or critter but he was able to return on his own so we assume he won or escaped from those battles. Antibiotics, a lot of rest, and a lot of love and Kobi should recover completely.

Mary on the other hand will remember for a very long time this bucket list vacation…

As I said in last Wednesday’s blog, “…this trip has given me view of our future, and it is not a future filled with fear. This trip has renewed the knowledge that…  it is God who is at work in (and outside of) you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13”

Shock and Awe… 

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB  version of the Bible