The Pearl

Looking Unto Jesus...

Wow, a new year! It is somewhat like those gifts you receive that are one box packed inside another box and then so on. A year takes some unwrapping to reveal the wonderful things the Lord has hidden inside of it.

If you are a person with a short attention span like me, only the thought of a really terrific gift can keep me going through the process of unwrapping one box after another. If not for that hope of reward I would soon loose interest in the mundane of tearing paper and opening boxes. You might say it is hope of the find that keeps me going.

As I was thinking about this newsletter, Jesus reminded me of things HE had spoken to me of hope. In a period of my life where hope seemed no where to be found, I was invited to one of HIS “father/daughter” talks.

In very clear terms HE told me that hope is something you chose to live with or without. I thought on that a while and chose to disagree. You see the things that loomed hopeless before me were things I had not set in motion and was powerless to stop or redirect. In HIS love ladened voice HE said my thinking was off center.

I had forgotten about the advice Paul gave us when he said “hope in God”. You see my ability to live with or without hope had nothing at all to do with the circumstances I found myself in. It had everything to do with the eyes I viewed them with. If I chose to look at the circumstances in the glare of human possibilities, I was doomed. But if I chose to “look unto Jesus” and set my hope in HIM the possibilities were limitless.

As we look into 2007 we can look with great expectancy or we can look with a heavy heart basing this year on the success of years past. I for one cannot afford to look anywhere other than HIS beautiful face.

When we entered 2006, the Lord had told me that for those who had the eyes to see it would be a year filled with seeing God move in the miraculous. As I often tell people, watch out for the miraculous thing because only things past human help require a miracle. If you want to see a miracle you have to be prepared to see something past a human's ability to fix.

Jesus certainly kept HIS word in 2006. Ray and I were able to see many souls come into the Kingdom because of the power of God's Word. We witnessed the largest number of children cared for in the history of Highways & Hedges Min. We experienced God's life giving power in several instances where doctors said Ray had run out of time. We saw God keep Ray and I and Highways & Hedges afloat in some very trying months. But in all ways HE was faithful to allow us to see HIS hand move.

In 2007 I choose to look unto Jesus as the author and the finisher not only of my faith but of all HE has put in our hearts to do. On the back side I will detail some of the plans for 2007 and for a ministry the size of Highways & Hedges it is a large undertaking. But thankfully we do not have to rely on the strength of Highways & Hedges, we can rely on the strength of God's covenant and faithfulness to HIS covenant.

Please join with us as we launch off into 2007. Let's patiently unwrap each layer as it presents itself. There may be a lot of tissue and tape in the mix, but if we are faithful we will receive the prize the Father has tucked away for us.

- Elizabeth