a precious word from God

I guess summer always messes with my self confidence. Especially July, when it seems like 45% of my people are on vacation any given week. During those times, I watch the numbers and the feeling of being organized sag a bit.

And it messes with my confidence.

But this morning as I sat in church at Christian Life Assembly in Camp Hill, Pastor Wade spoke about being ready for battle. As he did, I felt the Holy Spirit seem to prod me, and tell me that this was for me, and He had some things He wanted to say.

Wade reminded us about Eph 2:6 God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms. Wade talked about a famous Ronald Reagan gaff, when Reagan, new to the most powerful office in the world, walked up to a microphone and, realizing that sound checks were not done, goofed with the reporters by saying "5-4-3-2-1, we just bombed Moscow", almost causing an international incident. President Reagan was not yet accustomed to being seated in a high place, a place of incredible power, where every word was scrutinized way too much because of the powerful office he was seated in!

Then the Holy Spirit reminded me that this word was for me- that He was raising up Freedom Valley, and even me along with it! He said that though we were yet unaccustomed to living in a place of influence that He placed us in, that He was training us to use it, handle it, and humbly live it out.

The Holy spirit reminded me that our success would not come through brilliant ideas that we came up with, or amazing strategies, or any of that stuff, valuable as it is. This would come through something easier and more brilliant- obeying His voice. The reading, the learning and growing, and all of that stuff, was just to grow our capacity to think the big thoughts He would give us if there was room in our heads to receive it.

This may not mean much to anyone else. But to one frightened leader who was in the midst of his usual self-questioning and wondering if he could come back from vacation and put the yoke back on, it was like a cold, fresh glass of water of a sweltering hot day.

He "saved" my soul July 16, 1972. But this is just one more time that He saved me yet again.