God has a sense of humor. He meets us in everyday tasks and speaks subtly. Sunday night I began to delete a lot of emails. I had over 600 I am ashamed to say. I went on to bed and had a dream. I was deleting emails in the dream and for me that was pretty good because I was accustomed to saving too many thinking I might need them. I came to a few emails with the same heading FAST and PRAY. Before I knew it I was just mindlessly proceeding: delete, delete, delete, better save one of these four to look at I thought. As I opened this email I realized it was a prompt to fast and pray from God! I had ignored the three previous attempts up to this point. Woops, I hate to fast and had deleted the idea as just a passing thought.
I didn’t ignore it this time and began immediately the next morning to drink my juice and start a three day fast from food. After all I needed clarity about a lot of things including the teaching I was writing and courage for my next two speaking engagements. I felt confused and not clear during the fast but God gave me grace to make it through.
I awoke one morning to a song in my head, “We sing Alleluia, the Lamb is on the throne”! This was a song I frequently heard in worship at church. I looked up Alleluia which can be interchanged with Hallelujah and means “Praise the Lord.” The meaning was not lost with me about God being on the throne when my appetites were suppressed. 🙂
When I completed my fast this morning I felt a nudge to read Joshua 1. Here are some promises I want to claim for all of us:
I will give you every place you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. I will never leave or forsake you.
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
Keep the Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
The Lord your God will give you rest and has granted you this land.
You are to help your brothers until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. (Joshua 1:3, 5, 6, 8,13-15)
While jogging in the park this morning, I spoke my new teaching with clarity and strength. Thanks God, I won’t delete the email next time!
Mind if I pray for you?
Lord, Help my sisters and I hear your voice and obey. Thank you that you always know what we need and work it all together for our good. Help us to feel refreshed and renewed by these promises. Give us courage to possess the land you are giving us and to help others come into your rest. Amen
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