Readings for today: Psalms 131, 138-139, 143-145
“Why do you go to Africa?” It’s a question I am frequently asked. Especially in light of the fact that this is my fifteenth or sixteenth time over here. Most people could understand coming over here once or twice on a mission trip. But the commitment I’ve made to give my life to this particular Kingdom cause intrigues them. They want to know more. They want to know what motivates me to sacrifice the time and the money to make these trips happen. They want to know what it is about this particular mission that keeps me coming back for more.
In Psalm 145:4, David writes, “One generation shall commend your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts.” Every time I come over here, I get to hear of the mighty works of God. Every time I sit down to interview a church planter, I hear them speak of “the might of God’s awesome deeds.” Over and over again, they declare His greatness and goodness. Many of them put their lives on the line to make His name famous in regions of the world where the name of Jesus Christ has never been spoken. They sing of His glorious splendor. They sing of His righteousness and holiness. They sing of His wondrous works. They tell tales of miraculous healings from disease. Deliverance from addiction. Raising the dead. These signs and wonders draw people to Christ like a moth to flame. Hundreds of new churches are being planted. Tens of thousands are coming to know Christ. It’s simply incredible.
These stories never get old. Not for me. I live for them. I need them like I need the air I breathe. They inspire me. They encourage me. They strengthen me. They lift me up. They fill my heart and soul to overflowing. They remind me God is still very much on His throne. He still very much is on the move in our world. He is still very much building His church and the gates of hell shall not stand against it.
Another thing these stories do is humble me. The men and women I meet have nothing. They come from the deepest poverty. They often lack a good education. They are the poor in spirit and yet to them belongs the kingdom of heaven. They are the meek who shall inherit the earth. Their devotion is pure which is why they see God. It is clear to me as I listen to them share that “the Lord upholds those who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.” They look to the Lord and He “gives them their food in due season.” They look to the Lord and He “opens His hand to satisfy the desire of every living thing.” They look to the Lord and He “draws near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.” This is why I come. I need to see the works of the Lord firsthand. I need to bear witness to His goodness in the land of the living. I need to see the wondrous works of God for myself so that “my mouth will speak of the praise of the Lord.”
Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 27-29, Psalms 68