“Wait!” and “Walk!”

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Hubert Harriman, President
October-December 2015

Have you ever taken little children to something that has piqued their excitement? In their desire to get to their promised goal, they can get out of control at the speed of light. Once you’ve lost control, everything goes crazy. They start running here and there, way ahead of you and your voice, totally oblivious to the two most important words to ever come out of your mouth: “Wait!” and “Walk!” Children can be a danger to themselves and to everything around them when they do not listen to someone in charge.

Probably one of the most popular promises in God’s Word today is Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): “For I know the plans I have for you…to prosper you…to give you a future.…” That piques our excitement, and we go after it with wild determination. Sadly, all too many people have already determined what this verse means for their lives. Rather than waiting on the Lord and walking with Him, they circumvent the Master plan. No wonder God wraps His promises with the restraint of “wait” and the discipline of “walk.” Do you know how difficult this is to anyone driven by their own agenda? But unless we know the work of God’s “wait” in our hearts and the wonder of God’s “walk” in our lives, we will forever be driven by our own agenda. We are a danger to ourselves and the work of God.

The amazing beauty of waiting and walking in harmony with God’s heart is the sudden moment of manifestation of God’s plan that always comes. It will take your breath away every time, and it’s always the best thing that ever happened.

A word in the stories of Scripture that has always given me hope in the long waits of life is the word “suddenly.” Walk with this word through the Bible and you’ll quickly learn that God has never removed Himself from time and space. There are occasions when He pounces on it like a lion—suddenly—and out of nowhere His plan is in full view and full play. As much as this is true in the political and cosmic sense, this is also true in the personal sense. He is alert, active, and on the move for us. How I thank God for the “suddenlys” that gave new, much-needed direction to my life. I have always been glad that He put the “wait” and the “walk” in my relationship with Him, allowing His ways to be known. These times became the best thing that ever happened to me.

In this issue, we challenge you to know the plans God has for you, but to first seek His kingdom and submit to His righteousness. Read the stories and let God speak to you as to His place and purpose in your life. Wait! Walk! Who knows where it will take you? Suffice it to say, the best thing that can ever happen to any of us is to die to ourselves—to our own agenda. When it’s finally and truly about seeking His kingdom and His righteousness—wherever that may take us—the fruit is good, and the joys are eternal.

ACT: Do you know someone who is in a “wait” and “walk” period in their life and may need some encouragement? Share this issue with them for free at www.wgm.org/call.

Let God Drive

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Ethan Batschelet, Missionary, Honduras
October-December 2015

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV)

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter on the road? Well, like most missionaries in their long travels, I have. I am from Iowa and, for part of my homeland ministry assignment in the United States, I spent time with supporters in Oregon. At the end of my time there, my uncle flew to Portland and we drove home to Iowa together. We were in a bit of a rush due to other commitments back home, so we had to drive throughout the night. I was convinced that I was going to make it all night driving us home (yeah, right). About an hour into Wyoming, my uncle started nudging me and telling me that I had been swerving. He had noticed that despite all of the sugary candy and pop we had consumed, I was tired. But I didn’t want to quit driving; I just wanted to keep going. However, out of what was most likely fear for our lives, he convinced me to pull over and he took over driving through Wyoming and South Dakota. It wasn’t until I trusted my uncle to handle it and give me a rest did the situation become less dangerous.

It’s the same with the Lord sometimes. We aren’t always willing to pull over and let Him handle it when we most need to.

Five years ago, I began my God-led journey with WGM by serving as a volunteer in the island nation of Grenada. But as happens many times in our lives, God had other plans. I found out that what had been planned as three months of service in Grenada was actually going to be six weeks of service in Grenada and six weeks in Honduras. I learned that I was going to have to leave Grenada, a country with almost no violent crime, to go to what is known as the most violent country on earth instead. I began doubting the Lord and His plans for me in missions.

That was the first time I came across Deuteronomy 31:8 as a source of encouragement. I’m a planner. I like everything planned out in advance so as to have at least some idea of what is coming. I like to take care of things myself. Needless to say, that isn’t so easy on the mission field. I needed to learn flexibility.

The Lord brought me from one country I loved to another country that I wasn’t very open to accepting initially. Little did I know that He would take that country I didn’t want to accept and turn it into my home. Sometimes we have to let go of the wheel and let God drive.

In this Deuteronomy passage, the Lord was reassuring and strengthening Joshua before he took charge of the Israelites as they were about to head into the Promised Land. He is always there to reassure and strengthen us as we are about to take a leap of faith. Despite all of the difficulties or nervous reactions provoked by big change, He will take care of us no matter what.

ACT: Do you know someone who is struggling with letting God take the “wheel” in their life? Share this story with them and take time to read and study Deuteronomy 31 together.

Prayer Calendar: October 4-10, 2015

For those of you who serve in children's ministries you know that it takes planning, creativity, and quite a bit of patience to speak truth into the lives of those who still have small attention spans. This prayer point is for Honduras, but you can expand it to pray for others you know who are also in  children's ministry. 

PRAY for Ethan Batschelet to have an easy transition as he begins his ministry to children in Honduras.

An excerpt from...

God’s Ways Are Not Our Ways

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Stephanie Abrams, Missionary, Kenya
October-December 2015

I am a planner by nature. I feel most calm and secure when I have a detailed outline of what is going to happen. How does that fit into being a missionary? Well, it doesn’t, but I think that can be said for anyone, not just a missionary. As soon as I completely surrendered my life to Christ, I gave Him full permission to plan my future.

Our family’s journey has had many ups and downs, and it has given me a greater understanding of just how faithful God really is. Here is just one example:

We are finally funded and released from our homeland ministry assignment and should be heading to Kenya, but we’re not. Because of changes in the Kenyan government, we cannot leave for the field until my husband’s work permit comes. We just naturally assumed that once we were funded, we would leave. But God had different plans. I have to admit, I have not handled this well at times. This delay put me into panic mode. My planning nature kicked in. I’ll be honest, it hasn’t always been pretty.

But God in His amazing grace pursued me. He kept whispering to my soul to just let go and trust Him with every little detail. Finally, after much praying, searching the Bible, and crying, I have come to a point of complete surrender, again. He gave me Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

These verses remind me that I’m never alone and that the Lord is always near, always. I have much to be thankful for, even on my worst days. I serve a risen Savior, and I have the privilege of sharing His good news to a lost and dying world.

God’s ways are not our ways, and His ways are much higher than ours. I may never know exactly why we have been delayed, but I do know that He is good and faithful. I can put my plans at His feet and trust that His way is best, even when it hurts and messes up “my plans.”

ACT: Worry is a normal reaction when “our plans” get messed up. What does the Bible say about worry? Dig deeper and study Matthew 6:25-34.

Prayer Calendar: October 1-3, 2015

Today's missions prayer point is more about you then the global cause of missions. Have you ever had one of those mornings where your ready for work and as you head out the door you spill your morning coffee all over you? Or maybe some are waiting on the Lord to guide you with a major decision? Whatever you may be facing sometime delays cause us to take pause. They can be frustrating and right down aggravating, especially for you planners, but here is a prayer point to breathe in those times.

ASK God to give you patience as you face unexpected delays in your life.


God is good! All the time (even when we are delayed)!