November 15-22 Prayer Update

Dear Faithful Prayer Partners,

This has been quite a week.  God has really just blown me away with this whole situation with my passport.  I can’t wait to tell you what He has been teaching me.  But, before that, let me bring you up to speed on a couple things you can be praying for.  Unfortunately, I am on very limited internet this weekend, so I was having trouble loading the Mail Chimp website.  So, you will have to survive with a text email this week.

Prayer Requests:

1. Praise:  I received my official release from quarantine on Friday.  So, I am officially free to go out in public again! 
2. Praise:  the plane load of missionaries safely arrived in PNG last weekend, including our friend Angie!  Pray the Lord with us that they all made it safely.
3. We found out this morning that a long time supporter of ours, and a friend, lost his battle with Covid and passed away this morning.  Please be praying for Chuck’s family. 
4. Due to the uprise in Covid cases our home church has had to go back to online church via Zoom.  Continue to pray for wisdom for churches in how to handle these very trying times.  Pray also that our church would be able to reopen soon.

News

To celebrate my release from quarantine, we joined our kids and their spouses and went to visit Robin’s folks for the weekend.  One of the traditions we like to do as a family is to put the Christmas tree up and decorate it together.  We enjoyed putting up Grandma’s Christmas tree and decorating together as a family this weekend.  It was really nice to be out of quarantine and enjoy being together. 

Andrew and Emily are doing well.  Emily’s pregnancy is going well so far.  Continue to pray for a healthy pregnancy.  The baby is due at the end of January.  So, the plan is for us to return to PNG a few weeks after the baby is born.  Pray for those who will be covering for us until our return. 

Bible Study

This week I have been reading in Hebrews, particularly chapters 10 and 11.  After what God did with my passport, I have been thinking a lot about anxiety.  I was so worried about my passport.  I was frustrated, really feeling that God wasn’t listening.  In my email earlier this week I mentioned all the prayers that God did not answer.  I see now how much I was NOT living by faith. 

Hebrews 10:39 ends the chapter with these words, “But we are NOT of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”  This week I was definitely shrinking back, and struggling with what God was doing.  In reading the Psalms often we see David saying things that look like lack of faith.  Praying for God not to forget him.  Begging God to do something about his enemies.  But, often through his complaining, he would remember what he knew was true.  He would remember God’s character.  Psalm 86 is an example of this.  He begins with “Incline your ear O God, answer me… preserve my life.. be gracious to me…”  But, he also remembers the truth about God.  “You O Lord are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.  There is none like you… there are no works like your works.” 

I echoed David’s words this week.  There is no God like our God.  There are no greater works than his!  We should not be among those who shrink back, because we KNOW that God is always in control!  In Hebrews 10 the author describes how Jesus sacrifice is better than the Old Testament sacrifices.  When we see the great salvation that we have, and God’s incredible love for us, the author tells us this should produce great confidence and full assurance.  We should have a hope that doesn’t waver (Heb 10:22-23) because we are absolutely confident of our salvation!

Just like David, when he got his focus off his circumstances and back on the Lord, the circumstances didn’t necessarily change, but his mindset did which produced peace and joy, and a desire for others to experience the peace and joy he does.  And we see that also in Hebrews 10.  When we hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering (v23) it should produce a desire to stir one another on to experience His love.  Which should then result in not neglecting to gather together so we can encourage one another.  (v24-25) 

After this week, God has given me a new perspective on not being anxious.  God is faithful.  He knows what is best, and he wants us to trust him, even when we can’t see what he is doing!  Rest in him… only then will we find peace.