Smash & Grab!

As you may already know, our church was broken into last Sunday night. The thief (or thieves) kicked in the office door and stole two guitars, two laptops, a bike, a camera and an iPod, and some other smaller items.

It has been quite frustrating trying to figure out how to do ministry without some of our basic equipment. We are working on getting replacements, loaners, new stuff, etc. And it's been an experience learning how law enforcement and insurance works in Germany.

We have decided this is a great time to obey God's Word. Jesus said,

“But I say to you who are listening, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are cruel to you. - Luke 6:27-28

We have been praying that God bless and help those that did this. As we were doing so the other day, Robin felt as if God was using this situation to reach the people involved. It was as if there was no one praying for them. And although God didn't cause this to happen, He will use it to bring about good for everyone involved... especially since we're actively praying and inviting Him into the situation.

Actually, the first Scripture to come to my heart when I first learned of the break-in was written by the Apostle Paul...

I want you brothers and sisters to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the Good News. - Philippians 1:12

We are excited to see the redemptive ending God will bring about as we continue to pray. God is good and is able to bring good out of bad things.

The Day The Manna Stopped

They had finally arrived! No more desert!!! The Israelites had finally entered the land God had promised to give them. Now they were "home."

And then someone interesting happened... This miraculous daily provision of manna stopped. It had been a part of their daily life for 40 yrs. And now it was over.

The exciting thing was that they were finally eating the food of their promised land. The hard part was that now they would have to work for whatever they ate.

I find this to be the case in my life as well. On my journey to something God promised me I see His provision...often it's even miraculous. But once I reach my "destination", it seems I need to start doing more for myself.

For instance, the first year we were on the mission field it seemed we didn't even need to pray about finances. After that, things got tough and we really needed to trust God to just survive financially. Of course He took care of us... it's just that our faith and trust in Him needed to grow in this area.

It's like parents putting their children down so they can learn to walk. It's not that they don't love their kids enough to hold them. The parents are actually doing their kids a favor in the long run. God does the same with us... it's a normal part of the growth process. Short-term struggles can produce long-term growth.