Hi guys...

Saw the following devotion and thought abt us... God is the one sending us .. Empowering and enabling us to come thus far.. By faith we claim His strength, His favour, His power.. even for the case in Andy's FYP and San San n Albert's visas... We have seen how the Lord has opened up the path ahead and His faithfulness to the team.. We definitely can anticipate fear, uncertainty and perhaps disappointment along the trip but a timely reminder that we are His mighty warriors! God does not call the qualified, He qualified those He calls! =) So we must press on ya

"You're a Can Do Kid" - Part 2 Renee Swope, Director of Proverbs 31 Speaker Team, Speaker and Author

Key Verse:
Judges 6:14, "Go in the strength you have...Am I not sending you?" (NIV)
Devotion:
Yesterday I shared the amazing power a parent's words can have on a child. Through the simple blessing of giving my son, Andrew, a new name I saw him transform from a defeated and discouraged little guy, to a confident and helpful "can do" kid!
I am not the only parent who has seen the powerful impact words of encouragement can have on a child. There are stories just like mine all throughout the Bible. One of my favorites is that of Gideon which is found in chapter six in the book of Judges.
Gideon's family was going through a very difficult time. Their enemies, the Midianites, were stealing crops and destroying their land. Gideon had become fearful. His heart was overwhelmed by what seemed to be an impossible situation. As he focused on the strengths of the Midianites, his own weaknesses were magnified, leaving him with a sense of inadequacy.
One day Gideon decided to take his sheaves of wheat into a winepress for threshing so no one could find him. While Gideon was there, an angel of God came to him and said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."
Was Gideon acting like a mighty warrior? No. He was acting more like a mighty wimp! Yet God saw beyond who Gideon was that day and gave Him the name of who he could become, a mighty warrior.
"But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?"
The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"
"But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My family is the weakest and I am the smallest in my family." The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all your enemies together."
Gideon was filled with uncertainty, fear and unbelief. He questioned the promise of God's presence. He doubted the strength of his personal abilities. And he denied the possibility of victory over his enemies.
This morning I woke up feeling like Gideon. Instead of hiding in a winepress, I wanted to hide under my pillow. I was absolutely overwhelmed by all that is on my 'to do" list. My enemies confronted me threatening defeat. Deadlines I have to meet this week, things to do before I leave town, and hormones that are robbing me of much needed sleep all seemed insurmountable!
Fear of not being able to do it all leads me to doubt. Did I hear God wrong when I made these commitments? Does He not realize two sick kids, a sick husband and unexpected life events in the past two weeks have set me back and eaten up my time? If He is with me, why has God allowed my circumstances to be so difficult?
As I lay in bed avoiding my enemies, I remembered Andrew and Gideon. I thought about what had made a difference for both of them and decided to remind myself of truth that is mine as a child of God. I cheered myself out from beneath the blankets as I chanted out loud, "I'm a CAN DO KID! I'm a CAN DO KID! I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!"
I may not be able to do all that I want to do, when I want to do it, but I can do all that God is "sending me" to do today. I can choose to focus on the strength that I have - His strength. I can face my day with confident trust, because He promises to be with me. And with Him by my side, I can strike down the enemies of doubt and fear as I face obstacles and overcome challenges that are part of God's plan for me today.
End of devotion..