As I spent time in Fasting and Prayer this morning I had been reading Nehemiah 11 & 12 when God took me to Haggai 2 and I found myself reading these words of the LORD, and though they are written to Israel - I believe they can apply to the people of Haiti right now.
For hundreds of years satan has struggled to keep control of that tiny island of Haiti - yet right now God is taking over. Read these words carefully from the prophet Haggai.
Haggai 2
Ask them, 3'Who of you is left who saw this house [land] in its former glory?
How does it look to you now?
Does it not seem to you like nothing?
4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD.
'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
Be strong, all you people of the land,'
declares the LORD, 'and work.
For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty.
5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt.
And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'
6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says:
'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens
and the earth,
the sea and the dry land.
7 I will shake all nations,
and the desired of all nations will come,
and I will fill this house [land] with glory,' says the LORD Almighty.
[all emphasis added]
It is a somber time here in NJ as our family is in prayer
for the people of Haiti after a 7.0 earthquake rocked
their world late afternoon on January 12, 2010.
Is this a 'disastrous start' of the New Year,
or the call of God, once more, to seek Him while He may be found?
My son-in-law, Rob, was due to fly into Haiti this very day with
his dad, his uncle and other top members of his mission board.
Before the news of the earthquake came
teams were scheduled to go in today -
a Ladies' Missionary Retreat was scheduled - and my son-in-law
was preparing
to work on their new home in Cayes, Haiti.
He and my daughter, Becky, along with their
three young children, Drew, Tessa, and Braden have been
preparing to leave in Mid-March, selling most of the
earthly goods in order to "GO".
Their container was shipped in December and arrived
in Haiti just last week, where it has been sitting in the heart of
Port-au-Prince, or perhaps swallowed in a crack in the earth's surface.
Perhaps God will keep it safe from harm - perhaps not. Perhaps the sacrifice
is bigger than anticipated, yet the call to "GO" has not changed.
Perhaps this is a way to 'feel' what it's like to be a Haitian.
Perhaps it gives the heart more of a sense of loss without Christ.
Perhaps it's part of the preparation for that very 'call'.
Rob wrote a little of what they are feeling on his blog
if you'd like to take time to read it and share
their story about their love for Haiti and its people:
FATHER in Heaven---
Hear our prayer.
You are Sovereign and we are weak and sinful.
Cleanse our hearts this day and draw us to Yourself as we
lift up this tiny country of Haiti and its people to You.
Father, You are already doing a mighty work
in that country. You have taken away the curse of satan that had been set upon this tiny nation for such a long time. Now complete this work that You have begun. May this earthquake shake the hearts of those people
and the hearts of us here - to bring us to a place
of knowing You deeper.
YOU ARE FAITHFUL in all Your ways.
YOU ARE GOOD, You are LIGHT, in You there is no darkness.
In You there is no evil thing.
We trust You this day - even when we cannot understand Your ways - we know from Your Word that they are higher than any we have of our own.
So LORD, Forgive, [Daniel 9:4-19] Heal, Mend and Redeem our own hearts first and then the hearts of the people of Haiti. Restore, Rebuild and Renew [Psalm 40:4]
as only You can do!
And WE WILL give You all the Praise and all the Glory.
In JESUS' NAME, Amen and Amen!
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