Follow Jesus Where?

August 27

After a powerful time with God in prayer with our team and with Josh teaching each day in the village, it is not too surprising that satan tries to bring a little discouragement our way. This week we are all weary, our kids have mild sicknesses, Grace has an ear infection, Josh’s motorcycle had a flat tire and our van, and our house help hasn’t come all week because she is sick. A few years ago when this kind of week would happen I would be a crabby mess. Thankfully I have grown in the Lord and know how to handle things better. My peace is in Him. Yes, home schooling was a bit hairy this week with Luka in the classroom and our house is a bit dirtier than normal, but the discouragement is not getting to us. God is our strength and we know we can pray for His help and healing. I pray the teaching Josh does this week rocks the village for God’s kingdom growth. Satan is defeated! Thanks for praying for us.

I am doing another Beth Moore Bible study. This one is on John called Beloved Disciple. It seems each day God speaks His truth to me in some way. This week I was touched by John 18:15 and 19:17-27 where John remained through the nightmare of Jesus arrest, trial, and death. He followed Jesus in His most glorious hour and His darkest hour. He knew the extremes of Jesus. John didn’t run away or cover his eyes. He beheld Jesus – in His torn, bloody body. It wasn’t what John wanted or expected. He didn’t understand. But he loved Jesus. We cannot behold what we are not willing to see.

We cannot claim to know someone until we have known them in the intensity of both suffering and celebration. Anyone truly willing to behold Jesus will at times be confused and shocked by what he sees. I we are willing to be taken to His extreme glory we will gain intimate knowledge, and be unable to explain the His work and ways. Will we stay with Jesus when human understanding can’t explain or when Jesus is looked at as defeated, weak or not there? When the world betrays Him – what will we do?

Will we remain with Jesus? Will we follow Him – anywhere? To places of danger and death? To the unjust? Into the darkness? To the sick and broken? Or only into the temple (church)? Jesus is in theses places or hurting and suffering. Will we be with Him? He is in the third world countries where children are abandon and dying of hunger and sicknesses. He is in the hospitals, the dumps, jails…the places of places of greatest suffering. Or do we only want to be with Him in our nice, orderly churches? Yes, Jesus is there too but He wants us to go deeper with Him and behold Him in His suffering. Our answer makes all the difference. Are we beloved disciples?

On that note, my sister told me about a ministry in Kampala to children in government rehabilitation homes there. The stories are nothing less than horrific! No child should ever know the evils done to them or live the inhumane way they have to. The children are kept in a home with bars to keep them in, they have no or little clothes, and are given no or very little food. Some of them are babies. When they arrive they are kept in a room for days with nothing. A lot of the kids are street kids put there to be “rehabilitated” some are just unwanted children. One child is blind and disabled because his grandma put acid in his eyes and broke his legs so he could get more money begging. Another child the parents gave him to the witch doctor to be sacrificed but while he was being killed he escaped and now is disabled and brain damaged. What is this?! Evil!!! I can hardly stand it. How can these be parents and grandparents? There is something very wrong with the family here. It is all too common for mothers and fathers to abandon their own children. That is not normal. They should want to protect and help them. I am wrestling with what to do with this. How can I help? I know about it now and cannot just turn away. I really feel the government needs to take responsibility for what they are doing. There is no need for a place like this. There are good homes for kids. So how do I get it to be addressed? Pray with me for these kids and for away to being them justice and freedom. Oh Lord, I can only imagine how many places like this there are around the world. God hear our prayers and comfort your children! (for more information visit sixtyfeet.org)