Thursday, August 14, 2008

The Battle Is Not Yours!

2 Chronicles 20:15b & 17

"Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.....
"You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you...Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you."


Dealing with the aftermath of a house fire, arson, investigations and insurance is a battle.

But I hear the Lord, loud and clear, telling me to stand still and watch HIM be my shield.

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At times it has been crazy. We have had our moments of pure frustration and exhaustion. The house stands with nothing done to it. The basement looks like a warzone. The rest of the house is covered with soot and ash. One entrance in to the house and you come out with a terrible burnt smell all over you.

Dave and I have both been through one investigation with the Insurance woman handling our case and our claim. WE have to jump through the first hoop involving a complete interrogation of ourselves first. It's arson so they assume we did it.

That step alone might take quite a long time. We have to release everything from bank statements to phone records. So much for innocent until proven guilty.

We are told the next step now is to be questioned by their lawyer. My goodness...

When we do get to the actual claim, I am not sure what they will do. We know that the house in pretty much smoked out and unlivable. Whether we will gut it out, tear it down, or try to clean it, that alone will take an enormous amount of time and effort.

With Dave and Williams' sinus problems, cleaning it up does NOT seem to be an option. We will fight that issue.

Overall, I have sensed the Lord's grace, strength and faithfulness through this ordeal.

That's the good amidst the bad. The testimony amidst the test. The miracles amidst the mess.

God is so awesome! Everyday I feel like He gives me a "present". It may be as small as a sunset or as big as Dave landing two huge jobs.

I keep being lead back to 2 Chronicles. Yesterday as I was waiting for the Insurance woman to call me to continue with my investigation part (we ran out of time Monday), I felt the Lord reminding me again of this chapter in 2 Chronicles.

What stood out were those two verses above. In the quietness of the motel room, the LORD spoke to my heart telling me not to fear, worry, or even try to fight this battle. (By the way the insurance lady called and said she was done questioning me that I would not have to be questioned for another hour!)

In verse 17, the Lord gave me my game plan. I needed to:

STAY IN POSITION (v. 17) - which means to remain obedient to God, stand in His grace, trust Him and continue in faith with the work he has put before me with marketplace ministry (http://ministry-marketing-strategies.com).

STAND STILL - which means to me not to rush into anything, whether that involves waiting for the right house (which we have finally found),not to panic, don't be anxious, and to be at peace in Christ.

AND TO SEE THE LORD'S SALVATION (RESCUE) - To speak faith, fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith.

And amidst those actions, the Lord is telling me to keep my praise, don't lose the worship, and activate His Spirit to walk confidently through this time of trauma and testing.

Good game plan for this mom.

The kids are back in school so the schedule of that is bringing some continuity to them as we continue living in a motel.

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We do have our sights on a great home to stay for the next 6 months to a year that is actually a home owned by one of our drywall customers. Dave completed the drywall in this house! It won't be available until the end of August. I would love to call that house home...and praying for the details to work out.

Finally, I have to thank so many of you who have prayed and supported us. God has provided clothes for my kids, gift cards for things we need, and basically an amazing outpouring of love from friends and family.

Thank you. I cannot thank you enough. May God bless you for your generosity to us.

I'll be in touch. I hope you'll do the same.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi, Crofts! I'm a rich atheist. I'll gladly pay your fire-related expenses, including legal & housing, under one condition: everyone in your household, immediate family, & at least one friend per each must renounce Jesus, God, & every other form of belief. You must post it in both written & video form here on your blog for all to see. Well?

Ministry Marketing Strategies said...

Sad. Real sad. Amidst our situation you post this.

I'll pray for you.

Who says we are poor?

We are rich in more ways than one.

We would never even think of denying our Lord and Savior Jesus.

Jesus. He is our hope. He is our rock.

Jesus. He never will leave us.

You could offer me the world...all the money, fame, power or whatever...

I will still choose Jesus.