He is with YOU

HE IS WITH YOU

"And the Lord is the one who goes AHEAD of you; HE will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.. Do not fear, or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8

Some of you will remember that back 20+ years ago, I struggled with panic attacks. I did a pretty good job of covering it up so that people around me didn't know that I had them, but it was a very frightening time in my life.

The three major times they surfaced were when I was having to direct major concerts/events, being in crowds, or being stuck in traffic. I was crippled enough by them that I was unable to drive by myself for any length of distance. I can remember when we moved to Sandy Cove praying my heart out just driving from work to our house which was about four miles away.

Coming to serve at America's KESWICK has been a tremendous blessing in my life. One of the byproducts of serving here is that for whatever reason, the Lord took away the panic attacks. No I certainly don't get stuck in traffic, though driving in Whiting can be a scary thing, but monthly I am in front of large crowds and groups of people. It has been so wonderful to be "free" in this area.

Several years ago I was put to the test regarding driving by myself, and with God's help and the prayers of several friends, I drove two hours on my own. Since then I don't even think about it much. Every once in a while I ask myself the question, "Are they gone?"

This weekend our grandson Tanner was celebrating his 4th birthday. My wife, son and daughter and her kids drove up on Thursday since I was not able to be there because of our Board meetings and several commitments. I was really feeling down because of missing Tanner's party. Long story short, the way was cleared for me to go, however, that mean driving to New Hampshire by myself - a six hour drive.

I paced the bedroom for about 20 minutes trying to decide what to do, then I found myself saying, "Do I really believe Deuteronomy 31:8 is true?" I packed my bag by faith and headed for the car. Two of my friends, Chaplain Robert Roman, and my COO, Jim Kennedy, met me and had prayer with me. Our good friends, Brian and Donna Bitler called to say they were praying.

Well the trip SHOULD have taken six hours - however, due to MAJOR traffic jams along the way, it took 8.5 hours. I am a living testimony that Deuteronomy 31:8 is true. You might be saying, "I don't get it - what's the big deal about driving 8 hours alone?" Unless you've had a panic attack, you will never understand what a big deal this was for me. God WAS with me every step of the way. HE DOES GO BEFORE YOU!

Friend, are you facing a difficult challenge today in your life? Then by faith, claim this promise. It's yours! Memorize it. Burn it on the hard drive of your mind. Let HIM show you how BIG He is! - Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 13; Isaiah 41-42; 1 Thessalonians 1

A quote worth pondering: It costs to be faithful. It cost Abraham the yielding up of his only son. It cost Esther to risk her own life. It cost Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being put into a fiery furnace. It cost Stephen death by stoning. It cost Paul his life. Does it cost you anything to be faithful to your Lord and King? - Anonymous