This week's word of encouragement is a replay of an email/blog that we originally released in the summer of 2008. Seven years later, we find this word to be incredibly appropriate for us today:
"Carol and I have found ourselves unable to sleep the past few days and we know that it’s connected to spiritual warfare against the people of God in this hour. We feel that true shepherds, all over the country, are engaging in this same kind of intercession for the sheep. Our prayer is not for God to answer all your petitions and requests, but it is for God to answer the true cry of your heart. Deep in the heart of God’s people, there is a cry for God Himself.
As I’m writing, prophetically I see children who are lost in a toy store. Have you ever been in a store when a child suddenly realized that their mom or dad is not standing next to them any longer? They ignored the gentle command, “It’s time to stop now. Let’s go.” They were caught up in the moment because they were surrounded by so many toys. They’ve been playing with the stuff for a while, so they didn’t notice that daddy is not in the same aisle. The child’s first call is a casual, “Daddy?” They don’t hear a response so they ask again, “Daddy?”
That’s when they drop the toys and start looking around. They see strangers all around them and the panic sets in. Where is my daddy? The world is huge and nothing is familiar. The toys are forgotten as the temporary distraction disappears. The all-consuming thought is, ‘Where is my daddy?’
That’s when the cry comes up out of the child’s heart and they don’t care who sees or hears them. The only thing that matters is finding daddy. So they scream with all of their might and at the top of their lungs, “DADDY, WHERE ARE YOU?” They search aisle after aisle and they don’t see the video games, the bicycles, or the coloring books. Even though all of these things are still at their finger tips, they begin to run past all that stuff and cry, “DADDY!”
There is a cry in the heart of God’s people in this hour. No, God has not abandoned us, but He’s had to allow us to experience what it’s like to find ourselves caught up with our toys. I realize more than ever, that I’d rather have my Daddy, than having all of the stuff He can give me. The toys, games and gifts are okay, but nothing replaces Him.
It's difficult to express how important it is to fight against the distractions that are increasing all around us. I once heard a preacher say that the biggest hindrance to a believer can sometimes be the last victory or the last success they just had. They get settled with that moment and don’t want to keep moving with God.
I was just thinking, this week, that there is always a strong wave that comes against God’s people after they cross over into the land of promise or receive an answer to prayer.
The distractions, after a major victory, can range from our little toys and fleeting pleasure, to nagging thoughts of regret because of those things that could have been. There can also be fear of things that are yet to come.
Through the years, one of the things that always intrigued me was the wave of depressing thoughts that I would have to fight against, immediately after God had given me a victory. Has anyone experienced what I’m talking about? There seemed to be a let down after the initial rejoicing. Sometimes I was thankful for the triumph, but I was also disappointed that the results were not all that I had expected. The present wasn’t exactly what I had pictured. So even though I was grateful for the outcome, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it either.
In many ways, it came down to trusting God. I wasn’t trusting God that these results were according to His plan and His timing in my life. I feel like we (the Church) are up against some kind of mental and emotional stronghold. Carol and I cannot stress enough, how important it is to abandon the ungodly image that is set up in your mind about the future. God will not have another god before Him. When we hold on to our expectations and imaginations, even after God clearly displays His power and will, we are guilty of nothing short of idolatry.
This letdown or disappointment could possibly mean that idolatry is so strong in our lives that even when God does what He said He would do, we are not really glad about it. O’ God! Deliver us, Your people, from this secret and hidden bondage!
We call it a secret, hidden bondage because we are able to lift our hands outwardly, but inwardly we’re angry with God. We’re able to smile outwardly, but inwardly we’re disappointed.
We know we’re writing to many different people, in many different stages of life. From teenagers to senior citizens, many of us have so many regrets and unsettled issues in our memories that it makes it difficult to believe God in our present circumstance. That’s because we can recall the prayers we have lifted before the Lord and the requests for Him to change our situations.
Yet, everything seems to remain the same or it’s not changing the way we envisioned. However, Carol and I boldly declare to you that the ultimate prayer of sincerity and trust is not a request for God to do something for us, but it is the prayer for God to do something within us."
We are Overcomers, Under orders,
Chris and Carol Green
