Devine
Timing
My wife Debbie and I had moved to the South Puget Sound area to follow our careers that
eventually led to opening our own private foster care agency. We ran that for about 6 years, but our heart
was turning toward “home”. Over the
course of several months, God was telling us to move home- (It probably would
have taken a lot less time, had I actually been listening… he allowed us to go
“into the desert” so we could hear what he was saying to us.) Our instructions were to- Go home! Reconnect with our church family- which
worked out since Scott was celebrating the 1st year anniversary of
his newly planted Foursquare church. We
visited that September, and moved home the end of October. I knew we were to reconnect with our
spiritual center, get healthy, and spend some time taking care of
ourselves.
Coming “home” again was
incredible. Coming to such a loving and
caring church family as New Hope
is, was inspiring. Reconnecting with old
friends and making new ones was just what the “doctor” ordered. Debbie and I both smoked cigarettes, and
while we had tried to quit in the past and both did for about two years, it was
something that we were not proud of and something we could just not shake
completely. In January of 2006, the Lord
had been instilling in my heart that it was time to quit. I knew He could and would deliver us. I however, was not ready to quit without
Debbie. So, in a prayer, I asked God to
put it on Deb’s heart that it was time to quit.
It took a few weeks, but after church service one night, Debbie shared
that during worship service, The Lord had laid it on her heart that it was time
for us to quit smoking. I was
so excited!
Immediately, the enemy started putting
doubt and excuses into our thoughts. But
I pushed through and on Valentine’s Day, 2006, our gift to each other, from God
was the deliverance of the nicotine addiction.
We had just bought a month worth of cigarettes - 12 cartons!!! And we had originally thought…. Wow!
Who should we “bless” with these? BUT! God
quickened my spirit and I immediately said “NO!” “Deb, if we give these to someone, we will be
perpetuating the enemy’s addiction onto someone else. So, we went and got a garbage can, opened
every pack of cigarettes and we spoke authority over every spirit of addiction
and “broke” each and every cigarette in each and every pack of all those
cartons, and broke those chains links of bondage with each one we broke. The strength and power in the Holy Spirit we
felt that night was amazing.
His timing
is indeed devine!
Marc & Debbie -
apollo80_2000@yahoo.com
Marc's Magazine Column
