The Burden

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.” Ps 96:1-4

Psalm 96 is my prayer. It was my prayer before I came this summer. And it remains as my prayer today.

God, you are great.
The works of your hands are majestic.
What man-made temple can compare to the heavens?
What idol factory can manufacture your splendor?
What golden idol can reach out his hand for healing?
For restoration? For reconciliation? For salvation?

The longer I am here the more thankful I am to be serving a living and resurrected God! But also, the longer I am here, the more my heart breaks for this people. So hungry for fulfillment. For love. For joy.

So many lies. Lies of the enemy. The lie that money, power, sex, alcohol, beauty, relationships, success, education all bring fulfillment and worth. That the more you have, the happier you will be. The same lie that tricked the first man and woman in the garden is devouring the world today. The lie that God's word cannot be trusted. That He alone is not enough. That we need more than communion with the God of the universe to be truly happy.

Today, my heart is burdened. Weighed down by so many thoughts. "Who will tell them?"
"How will they ever hear Jesus' name?"
"When will the church start 'go-ing' in obedience?"
"Why aren't we sending more missionaries?"
"Why aren't we all living like missionaries, right where we are?"
"Who will be faithful to abandon 'The American Dream' of having nice cars, a bigger home, and a successful career?"

These are all big questions that I might never get the answers to.
But, until Christ returns- I'll continue to praying. Praying for people to "go." For the gospel to be preached. For hearts to be opened. For salvation. For lives to be changed. For healing to take place. For restoration to happen. For disciples to be made. For God's kingdom to come.

Will you join me in prayer?