Episode Transcript
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
CONSIDER THIS
Today, we have a Holy Spirit Story. I know we are off-kilter in our regular rhythm. You will remember, in order to get through all forty chapters of Exodus, we had to take in Saturdays for Exodus entries. This left us in the dilemma of not being able to offer Holy Spirit Stories on Saturdays. In the process, we have learned you really miss those stories. I do, too. We do Psalms on Sundays, so as a remedy, we will try to offer Holy Spirit stories on Sundays during October and then see where we are.
Today's Holy Spirit Story comes to us from Nancy Smith. She sent this in just this week. It is short, to the point, and, as you will see, super timely, which is why I moved it to the top of the hopper. I do have a growing collection of Holy Spirit stories we have not yet run. If you have sent one, thanks for your patience as we discern which ones to run and when. And, as always, we love getting more of them, so please keep sending them. Below, you will read the story in her words, and if you listen, you will hear it in her own voice.
God is so good! A year ago yesterday (last year, Sept 30 was a Saturday), your devotional was a testimony about the verse Exodus 14:14. (If you want to read that entry, you can see it at this link.)
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
After I read that devotional, I saw the phrase “The Lord will fight for you” and “Be still” in every scripture I read that day and the next. Even the sermon that Sunday was on it. It is fitting that I saw it again in the Wake-Up Call on the one-year anniversary of seeing it before.
A year ago, my husband had left me, filed for divorce, and things seemed hopeless. I knew God wanted us to reconcile, but I felt helpless to fix us. He was determined and wouldn’t talk with me. I prayed and fasted. I even started a prayer closet (war room).
Long story short—a month later, he started talking with me, and by mid-November, he had moved back home. We are working through the issues, and God is healing us both.
Yes, the Lord will fight for you! Be still!
THE PRAYER
Father, thank you for this witness to faith and your faithfulness. Thank you for the way you spoke to Nancy by this word of deliverance from Exodus, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." And thank you for the way she stood still, not in passivity and not in activity, but in receptivity—with fasting and prayer. Thank you for the healing and deliverance you delivered and continue to release in her life, and her marriage, and for her future. We needed to see this story today as it encourages our faith to follow suit. Come, Holy Spirit, and bring Jesus into the midst of our messes with deliverance, healing, and love. We pray in his name, amen.
