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
