Page 142 - Evidence of Things Unseen

separated from his parents, and his sister held him tightly as he prayed with tears running
down his face. He said, “Father, I do not know if I can go through this, but I ask you to
strengthen me that I would be able to obey.”
Josiah was sobbing as he uttered this prayer, and I was reminded of Christ’s own
impassioned plea to His Father in the Garden. My son did not shrink back, but chose
instead to ask the Father for strength, and never have I been more proud of any person in
my life than my son as I listened to his words. My heart was moved within me, and I felt
that I could barely endure another moment. My heart was so drawn to my son at that
moment that I would not have hesitated to do anything possible to assist him in his own
trial. I prayed silently to God and I said, “Surely Father, Your heart must also be moved by
such a pure cry from the heart of one who wants to be obedient to You. Surely You will show
my son grace.”
I realized later as I looked back over these events that the Father had shown me that
such a circumstance would occur. On that day when my son was caught outside in a
thunderstorm and I had seen him crawling through the yard toward the house calling out
for his parents to help him there was foreshadowed this day when I would see my son in
distress. His vulnerability moved me to great compassion, and my heart was being turned
over within me. I wanted to spare my son from any pain and suffering, but I knew we had
to look to God to deliver us all, even as He provided a ram in place of Isaac.
I slept in the bed with my son that night with my arms wrapped around him. He fell
asleep quickly, but my heart continued in pain and sorrow. I had confessed to God that I
was willing to do even this, if He required it of me. I was willing to be separated from my
children if that was the terrible price of intercession He required of me.
After I had shared with my family what the Spirit had spoken to me and had
confirmed to them that I could not shrink back, but I had to follow the Lord wherever He
would lead me, our friends the Mills called and said that they felt the Lord would have them
to offer for us to live with them for a time. I did not immediately recognize this as our ram
in the thicket and our release from this test, for I had fully committed to obeying God and
to seeing things through to their conclusion. I truly expected God to require us to carry
through with this intercession to the end, and I was in agony, but I was willing and had
already seen it as an accomplished fact. I was not looking for a way out, but rather a way
through, so I did not realize how quickly the Father had responded to our willing obedience
by opening up a door of provision. It was probably no longer than an hour, or at the most
two hours, after we had prayed to God and asked Him to strengthen us in this trial that the
Mills called and said they believed God would have us to stay with them. As the next
morning dawned I began hearing the Spirit speak to me and tell me that this was His
provision. He had seen our willingness to not shrink back from this great test, and He was
satisfied.
In hindsight I now see the significance of all the eights and sevens that we encountered
when we moved in, for these two numbers together speak of that which is full and
spiritually mature, that which is superabundant and satisfying to God. He had opened up
a door for us to remain in this community for a couple more months and to intercede for
this people, and having received our intercession He was now moving us on. Our
intercession had arisen as a fragrant aroma to His nostrils, and He would now bring us a
season of peace and grace, which He signified in many ways.
I would be less than honest if I told you that I have not had many doubts about all of
the things we walked through during that time. I wondered whether it was actually God who