The Battlefield

Our staff prayer and fasting time yesterday at lunch hour was very heartfelt. I read some words on determining to stick to your call, and then the passage including the following verse:

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
(2 Chronicles 7:14)

We were priviledged to have Shirley Bodie, missionary to the Bahamas for 40 years join us in prayer and fasting. Both she and Ken shared from Scripture and experience that we are to stand firm in our faith and calling.

Ken shared about the spiritual battle, reminding us that it is very real and that we are in the midst of it.

He had read in his devotions that morning from the book of Job: God asked satan twice, "Where have you been?" And satan's reply both times was this: "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job 1:7 & 2:2)

Ken closed admonishing us:

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour"
(1 Peter 5:8)

Shirley had three thoughts for us:

1) Make sure your relationship with God is in high gear. If you cannot align yourself vertically with Him, your horizontal, earthly relationships will be to no avail. Satan will use this to divide and conquer.

2) Make sure you and your spouse are on the same page. Many missionaries give up because they are not compatable with their spouse in their calling.

3) Satan will use molehills to make mountains. Love covers a multitude of sins so cover over one anothers petty offenses, such as forgetting to communicate or other innocent mistakes and wrongs. If the enemy can divide us horizontally, he will. We must be aware of his devices.

We closed in prayer and praying Scripture to one another. The Lord is in our midst and His Spirit is providing renewal, restoration, and refreshment.

I said to Shirley, "How did you know that was exactly what we needed?" She smiled and said, "But I do." It was a gift of exhortation in the greatest sense because not only did we need to heed her words, but just knowing she had been through it and has fought the same battle many times on the mission field was greatly encouraging.