Answered Prayers

What a light heart I have today!

The prayers you prayed for me and Brent have been answered more than I could have ever imagined!

I'll explain. I went to bed last night with an ice pack (terrible headache from crying and extremely swollen eyes) and a HEAVY heart. All the "bad" things came to mind the minute I closed my eyes and the overwhelming job of packing loomed in my future. I begged God to take away the negatives and only allow the positives to be on my mind. I asked for sleep. And God granted both. I slept like a rock and awoke to encouraging messages from FB friends and no headache.

Brent talked to our landlord again today, and she was planning on going up on the price in November.... God already knew that. My friend Amanda and I had planned to workout and to have a Bible study (before any of this moving mess happened). She had already studied for what we were going to be looking at. I cried when she first got here and  I explained the whys of what we were doing and the more I talked about it, the more sense it made.

Afterwards, we came upstairs and opened our Bibles to 2 Chronicles 20. Stop whatever you are doing now and read the chapter.

WOW!!!! Thank you, God for knowing what I needed to hear and see today.

King Jehoshaphat was about to have to face his enemies in a battle. King J was immediately fearful, yet he set himself to seek the Lord vs 3. In other words, he made up his mind.

King J prayed by stating facts about God and about God's past actions. vs 6-9

In this story, God told King J to not be afraid, that this battle he was in was not his, the battle was the Lord's. All King J needed to do was to listen to God and to do what His will was. vs 15

He gave exact directions and King J followed those directions. The entire way to the battle, the King and his people sang praises to God. They were no longer fearful or mad at God for sending them to this place. vs 16-17

As they traveled to the place of battle, the King appointed singers unto the Lord that were to praise the beauty of holiness, praise the Lord whose mercies endure forever. vs 21-22

Upon arriving at the battle, the vast amount of armies were already dead, the armies had killed ONE ANOTHER! vs 23-24

King J and his people went among the dead armies to get what was left and they found in abundance both riches and precious jewels which took THREE days to gather and even then, it was more than they could carry. vs 25

After the battle, King J and his people blessed the Lord for bring them there. vs 26

Then, the entire way back to their camp they sang praises to God again and everyone who heard them and saw them, knew that GOD was the One True God and they had fear--- healthy fear--- of God. vs 27-30

What I took from this story is:

My enemy is a circumstance. A financial circumstance. And a fear. The fear of the unknown and of possibilities. God has told me EXACTLY where to go and when to go. I didn't want to hear it. I was fearful. After the fear set in, I set to seek the Lord. I cried out to him. Very verbally. Sobbing. Begging. Pleading. Asking God for answers. It was at that exact moment the Lord changed my heart. He so vividly showed me the circumstances. He gave me peace and courage to announce what we are doing. We can no longer afford to live here. I know this is the Lord's plan. He knows my love for this place, the animals, the experience, etc. He knows I will only leave with some force behind it. So, he did that. He took away all forms of income and did not replace those jobs. Then, He presented an opportunity. He didn't leave me alone to question where to go. He showed me exactly where I was to go.

This story should serve as an example to me. I sat and cried and praised God through our Bible Study today. He KNEW I needed this. I needed a clear sign on how to handle this move.

This battle is not mine. It's the Lord's. He is telling us to move. The financial issues. The fear of possibilities, the unknown, the leaving my family and friends and church behind. All of that--- the Lord is going to take care of all of it for me. The Battle is HIS. NOT MINE. All I have to do is listen, obey, and continue to praise Him during this emotionally and realistically scary time. I don't have to do anything except that. He already has the rest figured out. He is going to kill my enemies-- the financial stronghold and the fears I have--- He will take care of those.

When I listen to God, He will provide more abundantly than I could ever imagine or begin to wrap my mind around. Not necessarily in a financial way, but through blessings, people, places, etc. I have no idea what this move has in store for us. I do know it is in the Lord's will though. He has told us to move. The Lord's will will not take me out of His protection or harm me in any way. He has my good in mind. He is taking me here to make me a better person, a better wife, a better mother, a better friend. I trust He will place us in a church where Brent, me, and the kids grow spiritually. I TRUST Him for that. I KNOW He is going to do it. He is going to use this entire situation to make us more like HE wants us to be. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the blessings He is waiting to pour down on us, will happen as we listen to HIS voice and move. Like He is telling us to.

In a year, we will look back and sing songs and praise the Lord for sending us into this battle and my prayer is this will be a testimony to others. When they look at what the Lord has done in our life, they will know He is REAL. He is POWERFUL. He is MIGHTY. He is EL. They too, like the people  in 2 Chronicles, will have a healthy fear of the Lord.