Skip to main content

Overwhelming Conflict

Psalms 91:2
“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”” 
This past Sunday, team Uganda had the privilege to lead the two church services. From worship to the sermon, the Lord was present. Having never sung in front of really anyone to being on the worship team and having not one, but two solos, was rather frightening. In addition to having a spirit of fear, the morning of, I was faced with a myriad of conflict as a glob of toothpaste dropped slyly onto the shirt I was planning on wearing, I did not have a necklace to match the shirt I then had to put on, and I ran out of time for curling my hair and ironing my skirt. I knew the enemy was seeking to do whatever he could to focus my eyes on myself rather than on what the Lord was attempting to do in and through me for that day, but I was already defeated and left wondering how a day that had begun so terribly could have a positive outcome. I needed a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit for sure. Surely enough, that is what I received. Mike Slack, who recently arrived in Uganda with his wife, Judy, to serve under Potter’s Field, touched on the topic of being overwhelmed by conflict in the morning devotional. How fitting! The Lord knew I needed His comfort and strength but also reminded me that I needed to first trust Him to give me both. Mike also touched on being in the Lord’s will, stating that he does not always know that he is walking in the will of God for his life, but he is quick to know when he steps out. I know I was called to Uganda to serve under Potter’s Field for 180 days. Likewise, I knew I was called to perform on stage for Ignite Sunday to worship the Lord with the voice He had given me. Nothing. Else. Mattered. As I continued to listen to Mike preach his last encouraging words, I began to realize that by allowing the Holy Spirit to penetrate my heart, the enemy could no longer have victory. The day that I had wanted to be perfect in every way was surrendered to the Lord to do what He willed with it, even if that meant the conflict that I had been surrounded by that morning continued. But our God is compassionate, He is rich in love and full of mercy and His will for my life that day was not to endure more conflict but to realize that I needed to be completely dependent on Him, even in the petty aspects of my life. As I prepared to sing my first solo, “In Christ Alone,” I was able to share this verse, Psalms 91:2, with the congregation because in the midst of conflict, my hope was found in Christ alone.

Application
This week, I will set reminders in my phone for every hour to pray for each person that has positively effected my life during my time in Uganda. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Off Balance

1 Corinthians 12:14-15 “ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.” Simply spoken, even when we feel as though we do not belong, that does not mean we are allowed to quit. Each one of us has a vitally important role in the body of Christ, just as the foot plays a vitally important role to the body. Without the foot, the body would be off balance and we would not be able to walk. Without the ability to walk, how would the will of God be fulfilled? It wouldn’t. Similarly, we must be willing to submit to the calling the Lord has placed on our lives without being quick to reject it. His plan is perfect, and even if it is something we are not accustomed to, if it is in His will, it will pan out for our good and His glory. I despised the majority of my time as a nurses aide, and looking back, I realize now that I was relying on stre...

The Remedy

1 Timothy 4:8 “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” To be disciplined in exercising our physical bodies, we must push ourselves everyday to do more, to be better. We must endure the pain that follows if we want to remain fit but after a while, it becomes routine and though the pain might still be evident, it is no longer bothersome. It becomes so routine that it feels odd when we do not do it, as if we are breaking a law that we ourselves have put in place. In the same way, we must exercise our faith in the Lord on a daily basis to remain in His will for our lives. Our Father strives to have that personal relationship with us, but like any earthly relationship, it takes effort; it takes prayer, reading, and listening to what the Father is conveying to us. Though exercising our physical bodies may give us relief for a short while, spending quality time with the Lord is...

Vertical Identity

Psalms 139:13-14 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” It is so easy to get caught up in the lies of the enemy who whispers in my ear that I am not good enough. It is so easy to look to the left and to the right at my sisters in Christ and compare myself to their seeming flawlessness, forgetting that Jesus died for their sins, too. Sure, I am louder and more outspoken than most, but this by no means indicates that the Lord loves me any less because He created me to be that way. It is only when I come to accept these aspects about myself that I consider to be so detrimental that the Lord can use them for His glory and my good. Does this mean that I will assume perfection? Absolutely not, but it does mean that I no longer have to be a slave to self-hatred. It means that I no longer have to rely on horizontal approval when my identity...