Sunday Sentiments

 

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. (Maybe I really meant months?) 

We're starting to find our footing and hope to find even more of it as we look ahead to sharing the work responsibilities with our new teammates. 

I've gone through a season where I've gone through the motions of spending time in prayer and Bible study each day, but not much was truly clicking with me. I've had seasons like that before, so it didn't terrify me, but it had become annoying. My faith isn't about feeling, but now and then I like to feel something. 

This week I started a study by Darlene Schacht - digging into the passage about the Armor of God. With the first read, I noticed the return of the heart-thirst that had been missing far too long. 

I've been underlining in the study, marking passages in my new journaling Bible, and going back to the pages over and over again throughout the day to really immerse myself in what I'm learning.

One of the (many) lines Darlene wrote that stood out to me this week said this: "The battle belongs to the Lord. He uses the small, the flawed, and the few to further the gospel, so that through our weakness HIs grace abounds all the more."

This work we do is sometimes a battle. Not a battle with the tenants, but a battle against the enemy of this world that longs to claim those tenants. A battle against lies they've believed their whole lives. A battle against mindsets that have been prevalent for generation after generation. A battle against habits and hurts they've held onto - sometimes just to cope with everyday life. 

We talk so often about how to combat those things, and this week I needed to be reminded that the battle belongs to the Lord. The battle plan belongs to Him as well. He alone can fill our hearts and minds with ideas of how to reweave into something good what has so long been meant for evil in their lives and hearts.

And like her study said, God uses the small, flawed, and few for His purposes. Most days we feel 100% qualified as the small, flawed, and few. But it's because we are all those things that His grace and glory can be revealed. It's nothing about what we are doing. It's all about what He is doing. We just have the blessing of being part of it.

Last night Ryan went for a run and I went on a prayer walk all around our apartment. I prayed over every tenant and everything I could think of that they're up against right now. 

The battle is His. The battle plan is His. The outcome is His. We're just soldiers showing up for battle. 

In the armor of God.