After reading Renee’s blog request for the women to share what word the Lord had given them and after having a quick two-year old wing ding, I left my comment. Making sure to tell her that I hadn’t gone forward for a scripture, I went on to thank her for such a wonderful teaching on Gideon and the doubts that can steal all that God has for us. After receiving the green light to send in my book proposals to publishers that very day, the doubts were already creeping in. Instead of seeing my self as blessed, loved and called, I felt unable, uneducated and inadequate. My doubts were proclaiming me the biggest fraud of all. Her teaching on doubt couldn’t have come at a better time.
The very next morning I was sweetly surprised to see that Renee had commented on my blog. She asked me for my home address and told me that she knew that God had a word just for me, that she would pray and hand pick mine from the stack she still had and drop it in the mail.
That next week I was like a child awaiting grandma’s birthday card. I savored opening that prayed-over note from her. It wasn’t just that it was from Renee, though that was a lovely bonus, I was truly expecting God to speak to me.
And speak to me He did.
Before I move on, I have to take you back to the last day I was at She Speaks. While at a blogger’s reception I spoke with Luanne Prater from P31. She asked me where I was from. When I told her California, I went on to tell her how I knew God’s hand brought me there, but quite frankly I had no idea why He needed to tell me something in North Carolina that He couldn’t tell me in California. And so far He hadn’t told me a thing. I wanted so badly to share with her how the Lord had allowed me to win a contest from the site “Laced with Grace” and a scholarship to She Speaks, how there just happened to be a hotel room available in this sold out conference…oh and how about that my email address has been Proverbs31@comcast.net long before I’d ever heard of Proverbs 31 Ministries. But I didn’t share any of that with her. She smiled, gave me a great big hug and said, “It’s not an accident that you’re here. We’ve been praying for all of you women by name for quite some time. You must go over to our prayer room and see just what it is the Lord has you here for.”
So before my first publishers meeting ever, that’s just where I headed.
The room was dim with soft music and candles. Some ladies were praying with a prayer partner, others were on their knees in prayer and there were even some who were just sitting by themselves speaking silently to their creator. Around the back of the room were tables in the shape of a U. As I crept closer, I saw that on these tables were the names of almost six hundred women. First and last names of so many women, these names had been typed, printed, lovingly cut out and softly scattered over the tops of these tables. From time to time there would be a much larger paper beneath, printed out with one of the many names of God. Names such as Jehovah Jireh, Adonai, Yahweh. Most names had fallen in between the laid out pages proclaiming a name of God, but on occasion some would fall on the colored paper.
Mine had fallen on the name of God, Adonai-God is my strength. Upon that page were a couple of scriptures. I fought the urge to take my name and the paper it rested upon and run right out of there. But I didn’t think God would be too pleased with my stealing from His prayer room. Instead I quickly wrote the scriptures down. To tell you the truth I was almost disappointed, they really didn’t speak to my heart.
Later, only one could I even remember, Habukkuk 3:19 “The Sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” But even this scripture I’d forgotten when I returned home from my trip.
That is, until I held this note postmarked Charolotte, North Carolina in my hands.
As I now sat in my car, my engine idling, opening up the note from Renee , written in her own precious hand were these words.
“Joanne, I laid my hands over the verses (probably 50-75) and prayed that God would give me His message for you. Here is what He said…
You are ABLE.”
As I’d opened up the card, fluttering into my lap was my word from God. Printed in a soft cursive font were the words to Habukkuk 3:19, the very same verse the Lord had given me in the prayer room moments before my first publishers meeting.
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”
Behind this beautiful verse, shadowed in grey was the word ABLE.
***
Friends, what is it that the Lord has done for you? What has He told you? What has He called you to do that you are keeping silent about? Don’t wait another moment longer, step out in faith and obedience today. It is in His strength that you will soar on to new heights. Where we are weak, He is strong. He wants to bless you so that you can tell everyone of His glorious works. Don’t let the shadows of doubt keep you from the light of His breathtaking plan for your life. You can’t dream dreams big enough for what God has for your lives.
…and remember you are ABLE because He is ABLE.
“Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.” Psalm 96:3
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