A PREACHER'S STRUGGLE

Milton, here:

I struggled over the new sermon series I was preparing to preach during February entitled Nothing Is Too Hard For God from Jeremiah 32. The enemy of our souls kept whispering in my ear, "How do you dare preach such a word when your own wife is suffering so badly. If nothing is too hard for God, then why is she suffering? God isn't with you."

The ultimate goal of Satan is to steal, kill, and destroy. He desires to kill our faith, trust, and commitment to serve God. That is what the Devil was attempting to do to me. He was further attempting to keep the Word of God from those who desperately need it.

But he loses.

Something unique happened Friday at noon on February 1 that helped me. Our doorbell rang and a neighbor down the street was standing on the porch. She stopped to check on Kristy and tell us she was praying for her. She said, "Every day when I walked past your house I pray for Kristy and you, Milton." She said that earlier this morning when she walked by that she prayed and prayed for both of us.

Actually, I was working in our office at my desk which faces a window with a view of our front yard. I saw her as she passed our house. I noticed that she turned her head toward our house as she walked by and it seemed that something was happening to her. I didn't know what but I thought, "Something has just happened to that lady."

As she stood at my door at noon, she said, "I've got to tell you the presence of the Lord is pouring out of your house. I feel God's peace and I feel His presence so strong. There is a strong presence of God pouring out of your house."

Then she said, "Before I leave, I must tell you something else. As I was walking by your house earlier this morning something miraculous happened. I was praying for Kristy. All of a sudden I couldn't pray in English anymore and I started praying for her in the Holy Spirit and in a language I didn't know. I know I was praying for Kristy but it wasn't in my language. It was the language of the Holy Spirit. This has never happened to me before today."

Get this right. One of our neighbors was walking in the front of our house and feeling God's power radiating out of our house. She received a supernatural prayer language standing in the street.

I told her I saw her out there as she walked by our house earlier, and I thought, "Something just happened to her."

Now some may wonder how this could happen and that's ok. If you could have seen this precious lady share what God had done, there wouldn't be any doubts of God's marvelous love and work.

God was speaking to me through this experience. He was letting me know that He was with us regardless of the lying whispers of Satan. Right out there in the front of our house and in the street she received a glorious empowering of the Holy Spirit. Can you believe it? Yes, God is good.

Before she left, she said again, "You must know that the presence of God is flowing out of your house. His presence is touching your neighbors and He is touching me."

To be honest I don't understand all the "why's" of what we are going through, but I know One who holds the keys to every issue of life. This unusual, supernatural experience affirmed again that God is at work and is with us. Through our deepest struggles He is there to comfort and help us.

I was able to go to church two days later and begin preaching the series Nothing Is Too Hard for God with a holy boldness and confidence that He is Lord over all.

God wins again!

***

Dear Lord,

Please let your presence pour out of our lives and out of our house to others. Thank you for being close and real. Thank you for moving in you holy ways and in your holy will.

Amen.

***

How Is Kristy?

She has had two great days with no pain, fever, nausea. She is getting stronger and better. Her brightness is returning as God gives her healing and health. Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!