honestly, i didnt expect what happened to happen. i came in to the weekend knowing these kids, with a feeling that they were comfortable around me and that the Lord would use His word in mighty ways. now you may ask, "Daniel, why is that a bad thing?" well, it's not. but the response that occurred was astronomical compared to what my mind had perceived.
the whole weekend, i just knew that the Lord was going to move. He always does. but i was telling someone that this was all the more sweeter because it dealt with people that i know and love. not in the sense that i love them more than anyone else, it just simply has to do with the fact that i have a relationship, a friendship, with these kids.
so i arrived there in picayune, tired as ever, yet soon to be encountered with no sleep, middle school funk, and eager appetites. most of the guys that were there last year came back once again. it was good to see how much they had grown, but also to see how much the had matured (or lack there of). middle school is a hard age. but that age is where the Lord has placed my heart. so, we begin the night just having fun and hanging out. our bible study this weekend was on the book of Daniel and the Lord really worked on my life as i studied that book the week prior. i learned so much about a story that i had read over and over again, and it was refreshing to get a new perspective on God's word. so we dug into that book, and the gist of it all is that Daniel and the gang (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) did everything as reflection of the love that they had for the Lord. even in the midst of their terrible circumstances. they made the choice to follow the living God, and not the rulers of the earth. God defined who they were, not the world.
as we progressed throughout the weekend, i challenged them to think and meditate about certain things. things they were dealing with. things they may not have thought about before. and you could see in some of their faces that the wheels were turning. we roll into worship on saturday night, and God came in like a wrecking ball. our speaker, Greg Joiner, led us through some acts of worship that i dont think these kids had ever experienced before. we raised our hands, got on our knees and prayed, and even laid prostrate on the floor (if you have never seen 150 kids on there face before the Lord, let me tell you that is an amazing sight to see). and it kind of hit me then, that in my own life, i dont do those things nearly enough. i want to get on my knees and face more. speak to Him more. let Him hear my heart. that's what He desires anyway. in Daniel 6:10, after Daniel refused to worship any other god than the living God, and was accused of this "criminal act" and sentenced to be throne in the lion's den, scripture says, "Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." he got down on his THREE TIMES/DAY. and it says that he had done it before. i think this is a practice worth following. i am learning to embrace it myself. and it is so humbling.
sorry about the side note there. back to the weekend.
we got back to our host home ready to dive in to our last session. now i knew that some were ready for the night (we were to play capture the flag after our session) and they were so distracted. so i felt the Lord just needed me to lay it all out there. i wont go in to any detail, but we were all broken by His word, myself included. we all stepped away from the session and got on our knees and faces and just prayed. some prayed for 5 minutes, others prayed for 45 minutes. then i had the opportunity to pray for each of them individually. some knew what needed to change in their lives and they werent satisfied with anything less than what God had for them. i spent the next hour or so praying for each of them, ending with a shoulder that was covered in the tears of change.
the final challenge of the weekend was to respond daily to the calling placed on all of our lives. to live up to what the gospel has called us to. and i believe God is going to wreck some peoples hearts in the weeks and months to come. i cant wait to see what He is going to do.
so all in all it was a good weekend. a God filled weekend. and i pray for them, and myself, that our hearts will continue to change.
I will leave you with this:
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19
No comments:
Post a Comment