There’s a lot to catch up on.
First, I had a meeting with KT about mentoring. We had a great conversation, getting to know each other, and I shared the Reader’s Digest version of what’s been happening in our lives. She could relate—she and her husband had gone on a faith walk when they first moved out here. At the end of our discussion, she asked where I wanted to go in my walk with God. I told her I wanted to follow His lead. I feel called to start a house church, but I don’t feel ready yet—I want to be. She encouraged me to pray and ask the Lord about my next step and let her know when He reveals it. So, that’s where I am with that.
Meanwhile, Tom had a meeting with the pastor today about the Pure Desire ministry within Hope and Foursquare. The conversation took an unexpected turn. Tom thought they’d discuss our financial situation and how it looks to others, but he didn’t have time to explain everything. The pastor didn’t fully understand and told Tom he needed to find a job—any job—as soon as possible. He asked Tom to pray about it, talk with me, and let him know our decision. I really feel like we need to sit down with the pastor and his wife, lay out the whole story, and pray that the Lord shows them what He is showing us.
Tom came home emotionally drained, confused, and questioning if we had truly heard from God. He was in tears, praying that we hadn’t made a mistake. He didn’t want to ignore our pastor’s advice—he wanted to take it seriously and consider it. Exhausted, he laid down for a nap while I worked.
I hadn’t done my devotional yet, so I opened my Hope Journal. That day’s reading was Hebrews 9-11. When I got to Hebrews 10:35, it felt like God was speaking directly to us:
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, 'He who is coming will come and will not delay.' But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."
"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." (Hebrews 11:1)
Wow. I heard God loud and clear—don’t throw away your confidence! Don’t shrink back! Keep pressing forward. Persevere, and we will receive what He has promised. Thank you, Jesus!
Tom didn’t sleep well. While lying there, he was overwhelmed by a deep sense of despair and doom. He cried out to God to save him. In his distress, he could barely breathe. He pleaded with God to help him, and suddenly, peace washed over him—his breathing cleared, and he felt relief.
He got up and went to the bathroom, where his Bible was open to Lamentations 3. When he read verses 22-36, they spoke straight to his heart:
"Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’"
"The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."
"For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love."
He felt like he had received an answer, too.
We got down on our knees and repented of our sins, praying that the Lord would remove anything in us that was not of Him. We asked Him to fill us with His Spirit and truth. We prayed that if the pastor’s advice was from Him, we would receive it, but that He would also direct our path and keep us from going astray.
Afterward, we felt peace. We spent the rest of the evening reading Houses That Changed the World—feeling renewed in our faith, knowing God was guiding us.
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