Abide

What has God been doing in Guatemala? To try and explain everything that the Lord had done in these past ten weeks would take up way too much room. And yes while it is easy to talk about the “big” things that are happening like the bus ministry that brings 200 kids to Potter’s Field Kid’s Club each week or the many outreaches that we have done. I would actually like to talk about the “small” things.

You see, while I am here in Guatemala learning the school system God has blessed me with the opportunity to be an RA to IGNITE class 10. And honestly nothing here has been a greater learning experience than being an RA.  There are 21 Interns on this property right now which makes this the biggest class that IGNITE has had in its history. These 21 people are different ages, come from different areas and come from different backgrounds. And they have all made the commitment to give God a year of their lives and to let God have His way in their lives. And oh the things God has done in these past 10 weeks!

I have seen the self-seeking become servants, the guarded become trusting, the shy become bold in Christ, the anxious find peace, and the broken be restored. And what is the secret to all these transformations? Jesus, Jesus is answer. I know it is cliché but I think that is the key. So many times we try and get all these books on how to be a better Christian when the answer is given in Psalms 23:1, “A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

And as the Psalm goes on you see that the Lord is the one that leads, the Lord is the one who restores, the Lord is the one who brings rest, the Lord is the one who comforts, the Lord is always with us. Guys, it is all Him. He is the one that does all these things. Never once does it say that the sheep helped the Shepherd find a good pasture. It says that, “He leads.”  In John 15 it talks about abiding in Christ and it says in one of the verses that because apart from Him we can do NOTHING. Our job is to abide in Christ and let him do the work. We are simply called to abide with our God and to let Him have His way with us.

 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

The Interns are learning to abide and through this God is making a masterpiece.