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Today while praying, I just became overwhelmed with thankfulness – overwhelmed to the point of tears. The line that hit me in the middle of it was, “I could cry for thankfulness for God.”
I’ve been moving through an incredibly challenging period in terms of demands on my time, family responsibility, huge decisions to make in fresh direction re JOHN, and the pressures of planning a South Africa Crusade and meeting those resource needs while not “seeing it happening” in front of my eyes. There’s much more I can say, but you get the idea.
While I was in Africa in May the Lord really spoke to me about “ordering” things in the ministry and also personally. Not being a confrontational person, being one who doesn’t like to disappoint people or hurt feelings, it is easy for things to slip into “out of order,” and the Lord clearly showed me what needed to be done.
It was going to take a step of strong leadership and risk, and more than anything, the Lord going before me. But it had to be. And on top of that, staying on top of deadlines and commitments, keeping the train going, being the encourager, the visionary, the leader of the charge, the man responsible for sustaining all that has been built and moving toward what is before us… I can promise you, “it ain’t so easy” all the time.
But I gritted my teeth, got on my knees, and forced myself to step out. Part of that was relinquishing the intercessory leadership to Johnnie Goolsby, and other areas of delegation (after pretty much doing it all myself for more than a decade). And now here we are, only 3 1/2 months later, and all things are in order, all cylinders are cooking, I’m significantly less overwhelmed, people around me are stepping to a strong and parallel beat… I am so humbled and so thankful I don’t know what to say.
But on top of that, just to look back and see the Lord’s extraordinary faithfulness in bringing all things together, in making things happen that are beyond human control, of taking what little offering was in my hands and turning it into something wonderful.
This new JOHN promo video shoot that I just completed is a prime example. It was scheduled for Saturday but on Thursday I only had one “actor” confirmed, no location, and the script was little more than an outline. Yes, it took several nights of working into the morning, and it took the help of many others… but on Saturday morning there we were shooting with 10 actors, a crew, and the co-operation of the local merchants in front of whose businesses we were shooting. And there’s loads more – the Lord not only sent me great actors but they were wonderful, exciting Christians whose on-screen presence and passion took the whole thing into “exceedingly and abundantly” territory, well beyond my expectations.
And that is just not all. Most of you know that my mother’s care is my responsibility and so going to Africa for 3 weeks can be quite the hair-puller. But here I sit a week before I fly, and she is perfectly ordered, secured and all set – not only secured but she’s going to have a ball. And then the spiritual battle to see the full crusade budget come in – you people have been so wonderfully faithful – and the Lord through you. I have zero doubt the budget will be met.
And so today I sat down to pray – after getting to bed before 1 AM for the first time in many days – and all of the above just overwhelmed me. All I could think to pray was thanks, thanks, and more thanks. And I got so emotional with thanks that there were no words, oh glory to the name of Jesus! God has brought all things in perfect order, fulfilled all needs, exceeded expectations, done the impossible… and I am just entirely overwhelmed. Glory to His name!
May this be an encouragement to you, my friends, for “God is not a respecter of persons.” Whatever you may be facing, may your face be turned to Jesus. May the veil be lifted that your eyes may fully see the fullness of his hand as you cry out and cry out even more. And may a spirit of thankfulness overcome us all – may it bring us all to tears, for this is how we must always be before God – overwhelmed, blown away, amazed and astounded… by his living care and graciousness, by his perfection of faithfulness and abounding bounty unto us… in all things, in all ways, glory to the name of Jesus!
God bless you, precious one. Eyes on Jesus, all of us together. What challenges you face – hey, there’s nothing you can do to tackle them yourself – we simply don’t have the goods – and so there is only to cry out to Jesus and keep crying out to Jesus; crying out while declaring your inadequacy joyously… and then watch him do as only he can do. Glory to the name of Jesus!
Standing together in his glorious name!!
Glory to the name of Jesus!
Bruce Marchiano
