God's People Packages

Recently during my quiet time, I visualized an angel handing me a shofar.  From what I understand, in the Old Testament a shofar was made from a ram's horn and was used for special occasions, for confusing the enemy, and for declaring God's goodness.  After I was handed a shofar I heard the words, "Declare the works of the Lord".   It is always a good idea to do what God instructs! so I am sharing a recent story of God's goodness today.

A couple of weeks ago at our group Bible Study a woman stated she wanted to pray for me.  She asked everyone to lay hands on me and they did.  She said the enemy was trying hard to stop me from doing the ministry God has for me.  She commanded weakness to leave, the devil to get lost, and asked Jesus for healing.  She then prayed for Joel telling him "it has been a trying time for you.  God has something new for you. He knows you need a purpose.  It is coming."  She new about the Vit. D toxicity but did not know about Joel's desire for a new purpose.  I did not see much change at that time but we were grateful for the prayers.  There is nothing like prayer to bring comfort to a situation.

The next week I shared I was going to Mayo for help with the Vit. D toxicity.  Later when most people were gone, she and a couple others lay hands on me again and prayed over my body, sharing words of knowledge from God.  She said to me, "Something is happening tomorrow, and you will know it.  You will know!"  I went home that night ready for a change.  The next day I felt better than I had in a long long time. As the days went on my energy returned and strength came back into my body.  I began walking again, 20 minutes at a time.  I feel the best now that I have felt since February when this whole D drama began.  So today I am declaring God's healing work in me and I am so grateful.  Thank you Jesus!

This woman who prayed for me is quite a character.  She comes from the deep south, and after decades in Iowa she still has quite an accent.  She was not always the easiest person for me to be around......until God opened my eyes.  And after she started sharing words from God with others and they were "spot on" I gained a high respect for her.  And when she prayed and my energy returned, I became more than grateful for her gifts she willingly shares.  She is a unique vessel blessed to be a blessing.

This is not the first time that God has used someone that I have "struggled with" to change my life.  There was a man a few years ago whom we met at church here in town.  I talked to God about him because he liked Joel so much,  and truthfully, he scared me.  Then one night after services he tells me he needs to come over to our house because God gave him a dream about us.  He also spoke about a ministry God had for me and he had many others words to share.  It was quite powerful.  Later after he left I asked God why he chose a burly biker guy like R. to share His plan for us.  God said, "You need to see my people the way I seem them."    Needless to say, I was humbled by this.

How often do we brush off what God is saying to us because we are not comfortable with the person who is sharing?  Or maybe we are not comfortable with what is being shared?

Do you ever ponder if God can use you?  Too often we see ourselves through our own eyes, and not God's.  He sees us as we are called to be, and as His kids, He loves us so deeply, seeing us at our best....expecting the best.....knowing what we can be even when we can't imagine it. He sees all His children through His Fatherly eyes.

God comes to us in so many different ways.  We get this idea of how He speaks to us or of who He uses to speak to us and if we get stuck there, we can miss so many blessings God has instore.  It is so important that we keep our hearts open to all that God has for us

I remember hearing a story about Bethel, when God began to bring big changes to that church.  One of the elders came to Pastor Bill Johnson and said, "I have to leave this church.  I know God is moving here.  I know that what is happening is from God, but it makes me uncomfortable and scared, and I just can't deal with it so I am leaving."  This man knew God was moving in the lives of Bethel members, but he walked away from it because it came in people packages he was not familiar or comfortable with.

I wonder how much we miss out on when we judge people by how they look or how they come across.  I just wonder how many of us would embrace Jesus if He came into our world today as a radical man speaking in parables, performing miracles of healing and multiplying food, and raising the dead.  Or casting out demons?  You can go online and see how such men and women are spoken of.  They are often "crucified" as false prophets or liars.  We look at them with a skeptical, critical mind, so would we do the same with Jesus?

I began this post writing about declaring God's goodness.  Sharing our testimonies, our stories with God, brings Him glory.  He likes that.  Today I am more than grateful for the healing that continues to come and I am grateful that God sees fit to let me see Him working through others like myself,  people who come in different packages.