You may have seen last month’s post about my rather lousy mental-health year so far (“Emmanuel—God with us”), and my choice at the beginning of this year to make my focus word “Worship” and praise the Lord more. I have been clinging to the words of the Bible that say “God with us.”
Of late, I have doubted and struggled and wondered whether my head and heart and soul were really in this missions thing. I have been weary, and I’ve wondered what on earth I’m doing here. I wanted to know if God will redeem this calling, renew it, or give me a fresh one. I have a whole list of things on my phone that I’m asking God to work on, in my heart, my family, my outlook, my health, my desire to even worship. Each night before sleeping, because I have no other words, I pray something like this: “God, I recommit my mind, my heart, and my spirit to you.”
One morning a few weeks ago, not long after writing that last, grief-filled post, the Lord allowed me to wake up to the sound of my soul’s cry.
“For your love, O Lord, I praise you.”
I was singing.
It wasn’t lyrics or a melody I know, but…
That morning I woke up singing praises, or rather, singing praises woke me up. It felt like a confirmation of the Spirit’s presence in my life and my heart. Confirmation that indeed he who began a good work will bring it to completion. My joy is on the up. My health is on the up. I know I want to keep serving the Lord in mission. From the country, community, to the individual heart he has called, he is a God of redemption. Praise the Lord.
By an OMF missionary
Pray for missionaries you know, that God would make his presence known to them in ways that they can sense.
#OMFJapan #PrayforJapan
