The fresh air of Faith!
“Immediately the boy’s father cried out and began saying, ‘I do believe help my unbelief.’” –Mark 9:24
In 1992 I called on the name of Jesus Christ to save me, and like the good shepherd that He is He reached down into my ditch; and He lifted me up. I became a Christian at the end of my second year in college through the ministry of the Baptist Student Union. I got saved in April of that year, and when summer break came I went home, and I found a church to attend.
When college started back that fall one of the first places I went to was the BSU. My friends there told me about the upcoming fall convention, and they said I had to go. Well, they convinced me, and I went to the convention just figuring I would have a good weekend with my friends. Little did I know that God would change my life that weekend. The convention, even though it was 17 years ago, I still remember was at Rock Eagle, GA. (When you encounter God every detail stays with you forever!) At the fall convention the students who had spent their previous summer on the mission field were being honored, and God spoke to me; and He said I want you to go on the mission field. I tried to argue with God, and say no you don’t. I used what I call my “Moses excuse”. I said, I’m handicapped God you don’t want me to go. To make a long story short; I’ll just say I ended up going and I had one of the best summers of my life.
Let me make a side-note here. When God calls you to a work, DO IT! If you don’t you will be miserable, but if you do He will shower you with blessings. I’m not a name it-claim it guy, but God has proven over and over again that if we will obey Him then He will bless us!
I want to talk for a minute about Gideon. The account of Gideon can be read in Judges Chapters 6-8. Gideon was an Israelite when they were oppressed by the Midianites. As an Israelite Gideon had heard the story of how God had saved His children through Moses, and the miracles that God had performed in Egypt and while the Israelites were in the wilderness.
Now that the Midianite army was oppressing Israel, Gideon and his counterparts were cowering like chickens. When the angel of God first appears to Gideon he is in a dark, damp area beating out wheat; a job that is better done in open air because it is very dirty work, but Gideon was trying to hide what he was doing from the Midianites. The angel called Gideon a valiant warrior, and told him God was on His side. I can see the confused look on Gideon’s face because the angel had pretty much just told him that God was going to rescue Israel through him. Gideon was not a valiant warrior; he was a yellow-bellied coward who was hiding in fear from the Midianites.
In spite of Gideon’s cowardice God did use him to rescue the Israelites because Gideon remembered the stories of how God had saved in the past, and he was able to put his faith above his cowardice. I imagine Gideon still had a lot of doubts and fears, but he did not let those stop him from doing what God had called him too.
Getting back to my story. There were and still are tons of people who doubt my ability to do mission work; sometimes I even doubt it myself, but God doesn’t hold our doubts against us. However, if we let those doubts keep us from His calling then that will be remembered!!! Just like Gideon; God has called you His valiant warrior, and He has said that He will never leave you!!!!
Father, I thank You for supplying the strength I need to do Your work, and I ask that You help me to keep my doubts behind me and my faith in front. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The image above can be found at:
http://www.storesonlinepro.com/files/2007183/uploaded/Fresh%20Air.jpg
Yes, You Can Ministry 
