I remember when Josh was in the hospital and how I used to pray. I would cry out to God, “Father, if it is Your will, please heal my son.” Little did I know, because I had never read the bible, that it was His will, and I needed to claim it!
Matthew 17:14-20
17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
I realize that there is a point where you set down your feet and you become that stubborn child. You don’t move from where you are, you don’t eat or drink, you stop everything until you hear from God. Until you know that God truly listens, and it is amazing when you rend your heart in such a manner that you stop your life so God can become a priority.
Joel 2:12-13
12 “ Now, therefore,” says the LORD,
“ Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
The Lord wants so much to reign in us and to be the meaning of our life. The best part though, is when we do that, we are met with amazing peace and comfort. When Joshua passed away, I felt lost for the first week or two. I just wandered aimlessly through the house, with no thought of what I should be doing. Then I made God leader of my life, my King and Ruler. Since doing that, I was met with peace and courage to go forth. I still pray for His boldness when He places it on my heart to speak with strangers, but I know that too will come. I have amazing faith in my Lord and I know He will take care of not only me, but those around me who do not believe as I do. Because I know the Lord answers prayers.
“Father I love you! I love your people! I love your ways! I love the works of your hands!” – from a song written (to the best of my knowledge) by Joe Smartz at Harvest Chapel, Abbottstown, PA.
