Intense Warfare

I really don’t know how to explain to you the intensity of the battle here in Thailand. We just went through one of the hardest experiences we have ever had to go though. It is easy to questions yourself when things like this happen. Were we wrong? Could we have done something differently? Can God still use us?Through it all, we have felt the closeness of God, and we realize more than ever that if we live the truth, we are not going to be popular in a culture that is so secular. Satan has his net wrapped snuggly around the people here, and getting them untangled is impossible for weak, erring man. Only as we cooperate with God can we do anything. We are totally dependent on Him for wisdom and guidance.Today I learned that some of my kids have been doing things that we would never approve of. I was so discouraged. We put our whole lives into kids who don’t seem to want God in their lives at all. The only gospel that seems to be accepted here is one that does not touch a person’s heart or lifestyle.Then, this afternoon I got an email from a friend in America, and she included a quote from Ellen White that really touched my heart and showed me once again that the battle that we are fighting is against principalities and powers of darkness. We are not responsible for the outcome of the warfare. It is our job to keep doing each moment of every day the things that God tells us to do. If we stay within His will, then the battle is His and not ours at all. We have to shine for Jesus in a dark land and leave the results with God.Our prayer partners in America tell us that this intense battle is being played out in lives all over the globe right now. It is easy to feel that we are all alone, and nobody else has any problems to deal with, but that is not the case. We really need to all press together and support and encourage each other. Jesus is coming soon, and even harder times are right before us. Tough times show us our need of surrendering everything to Jesus. He is more than able to see us through.So, instead of waiting, and wondering what is going to happen next, we decided to shine right here and now. We started a new schedule where we are filling the children’s time with good things all day long. We don’t yet know where we will be or what we will do tomorrow, but for today, we will do everything we can to lead these little ones to Jesus.