Warriors Arise: September 4, 2020
John 21:4-5 (NKJV) But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”
There is another area we need to put to prayer in regard to having nothing for Jesus when He asks. Driving into my hometown yesterday I was taken aback when I saw farmland for sale. Not just one sign but four signs. My heart lurched. Today, I found out the owner is retiring.
Years ago when we lived in South Carolina some friends were and still are farmers. I remember my friend telling me what her husband was instilling into his sons, "We buy land. We never sell land." He would have them repeat this back to him so it was ingrained in them. He continues to teach them the value of what farmers do and how to manage the business. They would rather stay at home and farm with their dad than go to school. They understand what is means to be a farmer, a dad who is working long, countless hours 6-8 weeks in the Spring and again in the Fall, fix their $100,000 tractors and machinery, if they can't fix it they have to pay someone else. They truck their seed to different states and investigate the seed they will plant and the contract. The are business men with a corner office, windows on all side.
Sometimes no matter how much a farmer may love what he/she does nor how precise he/she is in their business management, disasters can't be avoided. Did you know there was something called Wind Insurance for crops? Derecho came through in August. It was like a hurricane over land instead of water. There was some rain but mostly 109 mph winds. The corn in Iowa was already reaching a height over 12 feet tall. From West to East as Derecho brought destruction, it flatten the corn, 100+ year-old trees were uprooted landing on houses, corn bins, and machine barns. The wind itself removed corn bins from their foundations and flattening machine barns onto their machinery. Not only did this disaster strike from West to East across Iowa but for nearly a 200 mile width ban. It was unbelievable. I have never seen the corn laying over in the fields like that. Sure, we have had winds but the corn will generally straighten up in a couple of weeks. Not this, fields were laid flat with a sing stalk sticking up here and there across the field.
Farmers were not only loosing their crop but everything they needed for their business. Electrical lines where torn to the ground sending power surges to some farm homes and business. All their appliances were lost, hot water heaters cold and darkness as the power was out for over a week. I remember telling myself, "As soon as my feet are numb I can get under the shower. Just make yourself believe you are on an overseas mission trip. There are some places that never get a hot shower."
Some people could get their generators running. Everything in their refrigerator was lost after the first day and if they had a generator they might have been able to preserve what was in the freezer. We do not have a generator but God provided. Some friends of ours would bring the generator over in the morning and take it at night. We lost very little in our refrigerator. In Iowa and throughout the midwest, farmers are going to freeze food for the winter. They will have large chest freezers holding their sweet corn, butchered beef, pork and chickens.
With this kind of destruction comes the haggling with insurance agents over your claim. This is no small task. Especially when the person handling the claim doesn't see the extent of what has happened. And you really can't describe it, you have to see it. Some of these farmers are dealing with regular homeowners insurance claims, crop insurance claims and then if they had corn bins, machinery and barns torn up they needed replacement insurance. Regular insurance only gives them a percentage of what was lost but it doesn't replace what was lost. They could get their insurance settlement and it only covers a percentage of what it would cost to replace.
Some of these farmers are being challenged. Will this be their last year?
What if Jesus were to come after Derecho and call out to them, “Children, have you any food?” In their defeat they would have to answer just as the disciples, "No".
There are times when we have nothing to give God. It seems like everything we have has been stripped from us. One generation farmer said, "This is the best crop I have ever seen." Now it is gone. The farmers are having to roll down their corn like a woman uses a rolling pin to crush crackers. To leave the stalks up would cause a tremendous amount of damage to their tractors.
What happens when Jesus comes and asks, "Children, have you any food?" and there isn't anything in your refrigerator, freezer nor in your fields? Jesus does not condemn them. He helps them out.
John 21:6-7 (NKJV) And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
Jesus instructed them. Which seems so odd as to why they would even listen to Him. Jesus was on the shore, how would He know which side to through the neat? Jesus gave them instructions and the disciples followed. So many fish were in the net they could not draw it into the boat. John recognizes the man on the shore was Jesus.
The farms are not the only ones who have suffered disaster coming our of nowhere and destroying their livelihood. These riots have caused so many to loose their business, homes, and lives. We are going to pray for Jesus to come and direct each person in what they are to do. They need to know what to do now. We are going to pray they hear Jesus' specific instructions just like He gave the disciples, "the right side of he boat".
God will lead His people to overcome every disaster the enemy causes.
Father, I come before You know because people have worked years to build their business, farms to grow, and homes to be established. The enemy has come to destroy the land and what the is grown on the land. There are farmers who need direction from You. They need to know what to do. They need their insurance agent to work on their behalf. I ask for You to move the obstacle that is keeping these farmers from receiving the "multitude of fish", the success of their labors. I ask for you to speak to each farmer and business own, telling them where to throw their net. What is it that they need to do, where do they go to replace their
farm equipment, barns and seed bins. I pray they would not be taken advantage of. I ask for You to intervene on behalf to whose agents are dragging their feet. I ask for You to get restitution for what the enemy has destroyed from their appliances in the house, their cattle in the field, corn flattened to the ground, seed bins and barns. Father, we need You to intervene. I ask for each farmer to hear You call to them. I pray each one would do as You say so what they have worked for will produce in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy
My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus, riots, and lies. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.
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