NO PANDEMIC, JUST COURAGE!

Laurie @ Women Taking A Stand chose COURAGE today! This is what she shares at the end of her inspiring Thankful Thursday post: 

"Aren't you thankful for the courage of the Lord! His strength and protection will rise us up out of the hand of the enemy and we WILL be overcomers! 

What are you thankful for this week? Is it courage?or some other blessing from the Lord? 

Join your grateful heart with ours...

The first thing that came to my mind on courage was the verse in Joshua: "Be strong and COURAGEOUS!..." Joshua 1:9 and then a beautiful song came to my spirit. Yet I was thinking,

"Lord, when have I been courageous? Or when have I ever thanked You for courage?"

FOR ENCOURAGING BIBLE VERSES on "Courage in Times of Stress Or Crisis", please check out this beautiful site: I Lift My Eyes web ministries. As I read their various verses, I could sense courage rising up within me. They have divided the verses into 1) Commands 2) Take Courage - Ask for it! Take it! 3) The Effects your courage will have on others and 4) Rewards of having courage. 

Then I realized in the current situation here in Mexico and now throughout the world, I needed much COURAGE to remain here in the midst of this health crisis. My consulate office is closed & only taking phone calls for emergencies. Now that only could cause me to seek COURAGE! Though I am not in the critical area that had the most severe outbreak & deaths; schools & businesses have been closed down until May 6th.  Even where I live, people are wearing masks. I basically have kept indoors in my home as I usually do now that the temps are starting to get higher, I hibernate usually from the heat. But I needed to go pay my water bill & pick up some groceries. Lines everywhere & store personnel with the face masks. Radio & television covering the symptons & giving advice. I skipped the lines and quickly picked up just what I needed & headed home. They're out of masks & waiting on orders. So I'll go back to hibernation mode & take COURAGE!

Much like our President needs COURAGE and much prayer & wisdom from God to meet the demands pressing in on him daily as the world watches and analyzes his every move. I have been receiving prayers, prayer needs & praying along with the Presidential Prayer Team for these first 100 days! Today they sent out a specific prayer alert as regards this "swine flu" medical crisis. 

In I Timothy 2:1-2 the Apostle Paul says, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority…”

So my first part of this THANKFUL THURSDAY is to share these PRAYER POINTS:

Pray for God’s help and wisdom for President Obama, Health and Human Services Secretary Sibelius and CDC Acting Director Richard Besser.

Pray that the illness will be contained quickly.

Pray that citizens will be responsible in taking precautions including hand washing and covering sneezes.

Pray that those who suspect they are infected will avoid going to work and public places.

Pray for no further loss of life.

Pray for supplies of flu medication to reach those most in need.

Pray that those infected who enter our country will be successfully quarantined.

Pray for medical workers who risk their own health as they care for others.

Pray for those in Mexico who have lost loved ones to be comforted.

Here is the song that rose up in my spirit...it is from these words, I find my thankful heart to

Our Lord ... He has commanded us to be courageous! I certainly know that we need to be. I can think of various times when I needed COURAGE in the past like my present circumstance but I didn't even think about being courageous...yet I pray this ministers COURAGE & HOPE to you as it does me.

Be strong and take courage

Do not fear or be dismayed

For the Lord will go before you

And His light will show the way

Be strong and take courage

Do not fear or be dismayed

For the one who lives within you

Will be strong in you today

Why don' you give him all of your fears

Why don't you let him wipe all of your tears

He knows, He's been through pain before

And He knows all that you've been looking for

So, be strong and take courage

Do not fear or be dismayed

For the Lord will go before you

And His light will show the way

Be Strong and take courage

Do not fear or be dismayed

For the one who lives within you

Will be strong in you today

Nothing can take you out of his hand

Nothing can face you can't command

I know that you will always be

In His love, in His power you will be free!!

So, be strong and take courage

Do not fear or be dismayed

For the Lord will go before you

And His light will show the way

Be Strong and take courage

Do not fear or be dismayed

For the one who lives within you

Will be strong in you today

LORD ~ Jehovah Roi ~ My Shepherd Thank You for going before me!Thank You for leading me through safe places of refuge!Thank You for Your strength at all time! Lord, You are my Protector! Thank You for Your constant protection!Thank You for my health!Thank You for taking all fears! Lord, You are my Strong Tower! Thank You for being my shield and strong tower!Thank You for wiping away my tears & my fears!Thank You for living within me! Jehovah ShammahThank You for always being there!Thank You that nothing can take me out of Your hand!Thank You for the courage to face this & stand! You are my LORD ~ El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty!Thank You that You are the All Sufficient One!Thank You for being my light in this place.I find my courage in You! I stand in prayer for President Obama & all leaders in the worldto battle with Your wisdom that they would seek You first each day.This health crisis, the economic crisis, on & on...are the wars that we come against in the Name of Jesus Christ.I pray the following verses from Deuteronomy & lift up each of the above prayer points: When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." We place ALL of this in Your hands & trust Youas we give You thanks!I am so grateful for the victories & courage You have seen me throughby Your aMazing Grace!Keep me strong, when I may feel weak!I am never alone because You are here with me! Tragically, the first flu-related death in the US was reported this morning and 91 cases have been reported to date. The death toll in Mexico is at 159, and the State Department is discouraging all but necessary travel to Mexico. We don’t know how quickly it will spread or where it will end. (I read that only 7 deaths were actual "swine flu" in Mexico) I ask that the Holy Comforter will be with those who have lost loved ones and cry out for Your mercies, O Lord. Send Your Healing touch & grace to each one of these in Jesus Name! May they come to know their need for a Savior!