The battle is the Lord's

Dear friends,

Life is a battle! And the more we seek to do the will of our Father, the more intense the battle gets.  Aren't we glad that the God we serve is far greater than he who is in the world?!

Work has been busy and very taxing on me lately. I have not had much time for family and certainly no time to communicate about our calling to serve with OM Belgium! Is it a coincidence that after a focused and determined effort in support raising, that work gets hectic and consumes all of my time and energy? I think not!
Am I super spiritual that I recognize this right off the bat? I think not! Actually God convicted me last week after reading this passage in I Samuel 17:47

"All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."

Here you have a young David standing in front of Goliath, a seasoned warrior. I'm sure David was a talented and skilled young man. He knew what he could do with a sling and a stone... yet he recognized that this was not David vs Goliath but GOD vs Goliath! He could have relied on his God-given skills and taken down that giant... but he didn't. Instead, before taking down the giant, he proclaimed victory to all and accredited this to God, knowing that this was not his battle, but God's. Then, relying on God, he used the skills God gave him to take down the giant.

So here is what many of my workdays look like... I have tasks to accomplish and deadlines to meet. I make plans and then get thrown a curve ball. No problem, I have skills and resources, I get the job done. Oh yeah, did I mention that God wasn't one of those resources...!  Ouch!!!  I could learn a thing or two from David!
I am a bigger-picture kind of guy, but I certainly often fail to see the BIGGER picture and thus fail to involve the God who is bigger than the situation! Work is a battle... one I fight all too often in my own strength...!

But let me also tell you a GOD-story! July 25th we were at 38% in support commitments. By the end of August, God brought us all the way up to 70%!!! This battle belongs to the Lord! We are currently just under 73%. With our son due to be born in early February, it's important to make our international move soon. We are hoping for the end of November. Would you continue to lift us up in prayer?

-Please pray that we get to 80% very soon, so that we can buy   plane tickets!
-Please pray for all 100% to come in by the end of November.
-Please pray that God will sell this house and relieve us from this financial obligation (Or if someone would like to pay off the rest of our mortgage, I'm OK with that too!!! My dream would be to turn this into a missionary guest house!)
-Please pray for margin, that we will have the time and energy to share about our calling.
-Please pray that my (Jonathan) Belgian citizenship will come through soon, so we don't have to mess with visa's.
-Please pray for unity and understanding in our family.
-Please pray for Grace and the girls, as the implications of moving away from friends and family are already starting to have their emotional effects.

Thank you so much!

Jonathan & Grace