Knowing His Voice

Some canoes at a village riverbank.

 S o we’ve been in Discipleship Training School with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) for 2 months now.  We are kept busy from very early in the morning until late in the evening.  This has definitely been a new time of training and preparation for us.  God has really been preparing all of us for our ministry to come.  And I think I’ve almost been blessed more just by seeing what God is doing within our co-workers and our dear friends with whom we live and work every day.

I don’t have a captivating story to tell, but I do feel that I need to share something that God has been revealing to me more and more.  We as Christians have entered into new life with Christ.  His spirit lives within us as we usher in His kingdom and play a role in the restoration and healing of all creation.  But what does that look like in our daily lives and how are we led by His spirit?  How are we to bring His kingdom to the everyday grind of life, with all of the responsibilities and worries and demands that people put on us and that we put on ourselves?

I believe it’s as simple as being obedient to the Spirit when He nudges us.  How often do we think about a friend or family member and feel the need to call them or send them an e-mail just to tell them we’re thinking about them?  Or when we get that idea to lend a helping hand to someone we know or don’t know?  What about that feeling of giving something away, even something we treasure so that someone else can be blessed who needs it more?  Then there’s talking to someone you don’t normally talk to, showing them that you’re genuinely interested in knowing who they are?  Inviting a specific person over for dinner?  Praying with or for someone?

This is often the Spirit at work in you and these are the ways in which He is showing us that we are active players in the fulfillment of His kingdom here on earth.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt these things in my heart and never acted on them.  This is exactly what God has been teaching me and what He put on my heart to share with all of you.  There’s a million excuses for why we don’t do these things and it’s amazing how much easier it can be for us to act out of anger, greed, jealousy, and selfishness.

A recent baptism in the ocean of a fellow YWAM member.

 Y et the nudging of the Spirit still tugs at us.   Paul says in Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth.  Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy.  Whatever you learned and received and heard and saw in me – do it – and the God of peace will walk with you.”  And as we think on these things and act on them, we in turn bring them to others.

So I encourage you today that when you feel the Spirit nudging you to do something,  just do it and do it as soon as you can or set a time in your schedule when you can fit it in.  Let’s be the bearers of all that’s good and all that’s right and lovely into the world!  And in our obedience, the Kingdom of God is revealed as it spreads from one person to another and as His mercy and restoration begins to cover the earth.

 I n other news, we will be going out to live in a rural village, called Antenina, in just one week.  It’s a 4 hour public taxi ride, then a 4-6 hour walk (depending on rain and mud).  That’s also how far we’ll be from the nearest road, so please pray for our safety and in particular for strong health for Matimu.  We’ll be there for the next three weeks and we won’t have access to cell phones or internet or electricity or anything else like that.  Pray that we will listen to the Spirit and serve the people as we feel led, despite the challenges we may face.  We love you all and greatly appreciate the support and prayers that we receive from back home.  We definitely need it!

Blessings,
Lora, Adam and Matimu

Some kids sitting in a canoe in a rural village.