I am so glad you asked! We met twice in January and once in February so far, and I am loving each of these girls more with each passing day. I loved them all before we started, but there is something about praying for certain girls with specific needs day after day that binds your heart with theirs. We are sharing what we are learning and answering some accountability questions together. They are helping me stay consistent and press in to hear from God!
My journaling is going well, too. We are using the H.E.A.R. method that Robby Gallaty shares in his book GROWING UP. H-Highlight, E-Explain, A-Application, & R-Respond. The amazing thing that I have been reminded of is the faithfulness of God. I know He is faithful and it is one of my most favorite qualities of God, but as I have read all of Genesis and now am into Exodus, I am reminded anew of how faithful God is. He was with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph in innumberable ways. He also spoke to them clearly. There were no muddy waters or guessing at what they should do. He spoke, and they could understand Him. This was comforting to me; I can expect to hear from God and understand what it is He wants me to do.
This past week I was in the beginning of Exodus with Moses. God was obviously watching over Moses from before he even took his first breath—making sure Moses was kept alive and brought up in Pharaoh’s house. God was with Moses when he escaped to Midian and met Jethro and his daughters. God was with Moses as he pastured the flock of Jethro. God appeared to Moses there in the midst of a burning bush and spoke clearly to him. The mission for Moses was a big one, but in Exodus 3:12, God gave Moses this assurance, “Certainly, I will be with you….”
After obeying, albeit reluctantly and with the help of Aaron, Moses was met with discouragement. First of all, Pharaoh wasn’t going for the whole “let my people go” thing. As a matter of fact, he made the Israelites’ work much more difficult and when they didn’t complete their jobs, they were beaten. Needless to say, the Israelites were wishing Moses and Aaron had just stayed out in the fields with the sheep instead of causing more trouble for them.
And Moses felt horrible about it as well. The verse I highlighted that morning was Exodus 5:22 when Moses asked the Lord, “Why did You even send me?”
I have wondered that same thing around here. “Lord, why did You even call me to be a homeschool mama?” is one of the many questions I have asked the Lord. There are some others that come to mind as well…..
In the margin of my Bible was a quote by G. Campbell Morgan. “God commands, but there is difficulty”=PARALYSIS. Or I could choose to say, “There are difficulties, but God commands” = POWER. In other words, don’t let the difficulties override what God commanded of you. Let the fact that God spoke and commanded you to do something override any of your difficulties.
Persevere. Evidently it’s my word for 2016.
The Israelites that were listening to Moses tell them what God told him to say needed perseverance as well. After telling them all that The Lord had promised them in Exodus 6:1-8, and it was beautiful and full of lovely promises from God, verse 9 says that “they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency…” That word means “shortness of spirit.” There have been times I have responded to life out of my “shortness of spirit.” But when I lean in and listen to the promises of God and claim them as my own, my spirit grows tall and confident in the face of whatever difficulties are before me.
Those promises in Exodus 6 I mentioned? They have two awesome bookends surrounding them, holding them up strongly. What are those bookends, you ask?
“I AM THE LORD”
And that is enough for my spirit to soar! He is faithful, trustworthy, and true. He never changes. I can count on Him, every day, moment by moment.
