Sunday, April 29, 2018

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!



FINDING THE HIDING PLACE FOR OUR BATTLE STRATEGIES!  And, let me ask, are you even searching for it?  Which audience is THIS title targeted for, you might ask?  Well, none other than Moms, since Mother’s Day is just around the corner … but in all actuality, this message can apply to everyone!  We all have wars to win, you know.  But life moves in like a flood and the hands on the clocks of our lives seem to spin with an ever-increasing speed that just about takes our breath away!  Just how do we pursue the fleeting hours and days of our lives – and capture what is most precious and treasured and of utmost importance? 

Moms have a calling from God that can literally shape our very world … one life at a time … if we take that calling seriously!  But choosing to obey that calling necessitates laying a foundation from which to influence the hearts of the children God has gifted us with.  Once we mark that place, no matter what age or season of life we find ourselves in, it is never an easy thing to go there faithfully.  What IS easy is to hear the screaming voices of our little ones, or the incessant call of never-ending responsibilities and tasks, or the strong pull of a sea of not-so-important distractions.  Some days it feels like we are having to climb a mountain to get to our quiet retreat.  Other days we cry out for rescue from the quick-sand of the noise of life that is nearly pulling us under, making us feel like it is nearly impossible to reach our hiding place.  And on the days that we can actually think straight, we realize that unless we purposely rise above the challenges that come to us, we will never get to the place where our greatest work is done!  So, where is that place?  Well, it can be anywhere you choose it to be – or the only place in your world that you think will work!!

From the day that I first heard this real-life story about a mom named Susanna Wesley, I have never forgotten the powerful choice she made to go to her secret place.  Take a peek with me into this woman’s life, and you, too, will be shocked – and amazed and inspired!  Born in 1669, she was the youngest of 25 children – and when grown she married a preacher.  Though they had 19 children, nine of them died as infants … and the struggling marriage often left Susanna to care for the children, their schooling, the house, the garden and yard, and the milk cow.  On top of all that, she was desperately sick most of her life.  Her husband was not gifted with money matters, so often there was no money for food, clothes, or anything else – and debt was a constant cloud over them.  Twice fires burned down the house they were living in, her husband was thrown in jail for the debt they could not pay, and they endured persecution from their church members.  But … early in Susanna’s life she had made a promise to God that for every hour she spent enjoying entertainment, she would equally spend an hour in prayer and in His Word.  But her life now seemed to make that vow almost impossibile to keep.  So, get this:  Susanna decided instead to spend two hours a day in prayer!!  Where on earth, with ten children around her, would she find a place that was hers alone to spend in the presence of God?  It is said that what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger … so I am sure Susannah found strength she didn’t have before – and she most likely learned how to make her wishes known!  So she told her ten children in no uncertain terms that when they saw her with her apron over her head, that meant she was praying and she could not be disturbed!!  Through the years, she prayed countless hours in those two hours daily, waging war in the heavenlies as she prayed for her children and for understanding of God’s Word to help her live the life that God had called her to.  And you know what?  She didn’t lose one of those ten children during her hours in prayer – every one of them survived!  In fact, you’ve most likely heard the names of two of her sons:  John and Charles Wesley.  They were called of God to share the Gospel, and in those days, John preached to almost a million people with revival breaking out every place he went.  Charles became the songwriter of over 9,000 hymns, including many that we still love singing today, because his anointed words are timeless and still touch hearts!  Out of the revivals and hymns, together these brothers founded the Methodist Church whose Kingdom work still goes on around the world today!

We will never know today what all will someday be known through our time spent “under the prayer apron” in OUR  secret place.  There is nothing magical about Susannah’s apron over her head … but there is everything miraculous about her time spent in the presence of her God, devoting uninterrupted hours in conversation with her Lord, seeking His face, battling the enemy through the power of the blood of Jesus, drinking in the words of wisdom and laying claim to the promises of God that she found within the pages of her Bible.  Prayed-over children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren are empowered children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren … to each generation to come!  God’s answers to our prayers live on in each succeeding generation of our family – and beyond!  I have a sense that Susannah had no clue while she prayed with covered head in the midst of ten noisy children and such dire circumstances … that such spiritual wonders would take place through her offspring for centuries to come … even into eternity! 

Dear ones:  Moms and everyone else – THIS is what we hold in our hands today!  The opportunity to choose between “distractions of this world” ~ and ~ “finding the hiding place for our battle strategies”.  Do you want to win spiritual battles for your family in every generation?  Then I challenge you today, right now, to promise God to meet with Him daily in your private sanctuary, wherever it might be, whatever it might look like!  All that matters is that you and God are in that place together!  You will be changing the future of our world, for the glory of God!  We CAN make a difference … just take a look at Susannah and God’s faithfulness to answer her prayers!

REMEMBER . . .

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations
 of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” ~ Deuteronomy 7:9  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie


0 comments: