Are you listening, LORD?

¹⁹ However, God has listened;
He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer.
²⁰ May God be praised!
He has not turned away my prayer
or turned His faithful love from me

Psalm 66:19-20  (HCSB)

     I write another blog, http://fierydarts.com, which encompasses a primary weapon Satan uses against us in spiritual warfare. So, today, my hope is to blend some of the concepts of that blog with what we as missionary’s parents are facing in this pandemic.

     Our missionary children are scattered all over the world. Prior to this pandemic, our problems and their problems were uniquely tied to location. However, now we find ourselves facing the common threat of the coronavirus. A worldwide threat that is redefining life as we know it. Should our missionary children come home, or shelter in place right where they are? Oh, it’s a complicated scenario and every family’s response can only be determined by the details of their particular situation. No one plan works for everyone. We are concerned about them and they are concerned about us!

What are we to do?

     My fiery darts blog exposes the foremost weapon Satan uses against us in times like this which is referenced in Ephesians 6:16,

 ^“above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” NKJV

     Here is how it applies to our present dilemma.

     Fear spawned by this Coronavirus threat is a very present reality.   Unchecked fear breeds panic, panic breeds irrational thinking, irrational thinking breeds wrong choices. It goes on and on.

     How we contend with our fears and all its relatives are the fiery darts of Eph. 6:16.  Satan’s intent in this pandemic is to steal, kill, and destroy anything God infuses us with to carry us through this crisis. 

     God, on the other hand, intends to take the fear and use it to direct us to Himself. In that response, we will be helped and God will be glorified. By responding according to God’s plan as we counsel and pray over our children, we will be instruments of God’s will in how to tackle this crisis. 

Keep in mind the following as we pray for our children, wherever they are.

1. Recognize the fear (fiery dart)

2. Reject the fear

3. Replace the fear with God’s Truth thoughts

     As I pray over my children and their families in this crisis, one of the first Truth thoughts God gave me was 2 Timothy 1:7. Every time fear approaches, I call forth this Truth.

 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind

     God’s word ASSURES us that He is watching over us and our precious ones. We can wholeheartedly trust that God is definitely paying attention to our prayers. Likewise, may we receive and become the instruments of peace of Philippines 4:6-7:

     Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

(Especially, when the fiery dart of doubt begins its assault)

Advertisement

For I know the plans I have for you!

   I think one of the most difficult things missionary families have to deal with is separation anxiety and the fact that our day to day lives are lived separately. Not only do we miss out on special event celebrations, but we miss out on those spontaneous moments that make up the bulk of our memories as a family. This is a burden we’ve been called to bear but one God faithfully and lovingly equipped us to bear. 

   But recently it has been brought abruptly home to me that sometimes we must endure times of sickness or heartache, as well, without the comfort of having our long distance family nearby. Recently a precious missionary mom I know was smacked with the dreaded diagnosis of cancer. It has knocked all of us who love this family off our feet. We don’t know what the future holds and that’s troubling. (But we must always remember, this comforting Truth thought: We know God holds our future!)

   Yet, my first thoughts when I heard the news was of her missionary daughter, her son in law, and her two grandsons and of the struggle they would be going through not being able to wrap their physical arms around her in love and comfort. I can only imagine what this news is doing to them. But we must remember, that there is a spiritual battle waging that is just as severe as the diagnosis of cancer.

   While my friend is struggling to find her bearings in the midst of this ruthless storm (and she needs to be allotted that time) there is some warfare for which her family and friends must prepare. Satan’s plan will be to tempt her to loose her focus and forget all the weapons God has prepared for her with which to overcome her enemy. Physical and emotional pain will likely become so intense that she might be tempted to give up under the weight of it all. 

   That’s where we come alongside of her physically and prayerfully standing ready and equipped to do whatever the Holy Spirit prompts us to do. Bringing to her attention those Truth thoughts abundant in Scripture that will lift her above her turmoil. And as we pray, we must consider her missionary kids and what we can do to stand in for them as we also consider their emotional pain.

My friend, posted this verse this morning, the day after she found out she had stage 4 cancer.

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:20