We received this message for Pr. Patrick, who founded and is responsible for the Nalidi Grace primary school in east Uganda which also serves as a home to 60 orphans who have no families. The school is closed to the ~200 students that live with their families in nearby villages but the orphans remain at the school.
“The situation at orphanage is not favorable, it is beyond our control. Suffering and hunger is greatly causing a threat in the camp . No body to tell this since everyone is crying with his family. We cry to who!”
My response. “You are in our prayers. The whole world is facing the reality that we are not guaranteed how long we will live on this earth and it is not in our control. For those of us that are born again and live in Christ we must consider it joy that God can use us to bring them into the loving arms of the Father. If our worldly circumstances overshadow that, even earthly death, they have nothing and neither do we. Do not fear the one that can take your body, but fear the one that will take your body and soul. The latter fear means that we fear (reverently respect) that Jesus was sent by the Father to live, suffer, die and be raised from the dead so we can spend the rest of eternity with Him beginning at the moment we make that decision. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the wisdom, strength and courage to trust the shepherd, who is Jesus, that works in and through our lives to show the love of the Father when we face the trials of our earthly life. We love you. Please give the assurance that what God has put together can only be separated if we stop believing.”
Many believers have trusted and committed themselves to be followers of Jesus but are now hiding in their cave just like Elijah did.
“The Lord asked him, ‘What are you doing here?’ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, broken down Your altars and put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me to.’ The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then the Lord said to him, Go.” (1 Kings 19:9-15)
The Lord didn’t make Elijah leave the cave, that was his own decision. Many will continue to believe that the wind, earthquake and fire are still present even after they have passed and are not listening for the whisper. We are what we believe. Pray in the Spirit for only the Spirit knows. The price of disobedience is eternity in the cave of isolation.
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