1 Corinthians 16:5-11 NKJV

“5Now I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia). 6And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter with you, that you may send me on my journey, wherever I go. 7For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits. 8But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. 9For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

“10And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. 11Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.”

God Works in Mysterious Ways

God works in mysterious ways. Just a few minutes ago I was on a website called “Substack,” which is designed for writers, like me, but for people of all walks of life, and from many nations all over the world. But there is a fairly large nucleus of Christian writers on there, which is a blessing, for it is a place where I am getting a lot of Christian fellowship and encouragement within the body of believers in Jesus Christ as we are sharing with one another what the Lord is teaching us from our times in his word each day.

Anyway, while I was on there, a writer, who is not necessarily a Christian, inquired as to who we believed we were supposed to be early on in our lives, then how we got talked out of it by people who opposed our dreams. And many people shared their stories of how, for a time, they were discouraged and they went a different direction, but how they eventually ended up doing what they knew they were meant to do, even from a very young age, and how happy they were that they eventually realized their dreams.

Following after that was another post by someone who had been hurt by the institutional church, which was requiring of her something she could not, in good conscience, agree to. So she offered to step down from her position, but they, instead, kicked her out of “the church.” And she was deeply hurt by this, and she had lots of questions that she asked God, but eventually she made peace with her situation and she found where she was supposed to be, if I am remembering correctly. And both stories spoke to my heart.

For I Can Relate to Them

Early on in my life God spoke to me through Jeremiah 1:4-10,17-19. What he said to me at that time was that before he formed me in my mother’s womb he knew me, and before I was born he set me apart, and he appointed me to be a messenger of God to the nations. He told me that I must go to everyone he sent me to, and to say whatever he commanded me, and that I was not to be afraid of them, for he would rescue me. And then he put his words in my mouth which I was to speak to the people.

He said, “17Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Well, I listened to the Lord, and I did as he told me, and I spoke what he gave me to say, all in the appropriate format, and as given permission to speak. But I got falsely accused of being who I was not, and of having the wrong motives for why I wanted to serve the Lord, and of not hearing from God (although many pastors thought I was), and of lying, although I told the truth. So I was put on church discipline once for not lying. And one pastor told me that he was warned about people like me with “strong convictions.”

A Time of Discouragement

Have you ever gotten knocked down so many times, one after another after another, that you just gave up trying? That is where I was for a while, only it was kind of in and out. I would do well for a while, and then another attack would come, and I would feel defeated, and I would give up for a while, and I even fell into sin during this period of time. Satan was really working me over and sometimes I stood strong against him, and sometimes I faltered and I yielded to the flesh out of discouragement, for a period of time.

But one day as I was working through all these things before the Lord in prayer, and I was going through a process of healing and of forgiving the people who had hurt me. And so I asked the Lord if there was anyone left who I had not forgiven. He gave me the name, “Jesus.” I never had thought of that before, but suddenly I understood. I had gone through so much abuse in my life, first at the hands of my father, then my husband, and then pastors of churches, but God never rescued me from them all. And I hurt!

So, subconsciously I was acting out my hurt against Jesus when I failed to be who he wanted me to be and when I sinned against him out of anger and hurt and feelings of rejection and abandonment. So, although he had done no wrong, I had to forgive him, which I did. And then I had to learn to accept the sovereignty of God over my life, that God allowed (did not cause) these things in my life, to prepare me, in reality, for his calling on my life. And I also had to learn how to fight Satan offensively, not just defensively.

The Calling of God

Then, God extended the calling he had given me earlier on in my life. And this time he called me to write out what I am learning from him during my times spent with him in his word each day. And he told me that I was to write these down on a tablet and to give them to a runner who would “run with it” (see Habakkuk 2:2-3), which turned out to be me writing these writings on my computer and giving them to the internet to run with them. And that is what he has been having me do these past 22 years.

I believe all that God has taken me through in my life, including all of the abuse and mistreatment I received at the hands of my father first, and then by my husband (he is writing about this on Substack), and then at the hands of pastors and elders of institutional churches, was all under the sovereignty of God. He allowed me to go through all these trials to prepare me for what he has had me doing the past 22 years. I needed that to make me strong and determined in my faith so that the opposition would no longer break me.

Paul said that a “great and effective door” had opened to him, but there were many adversaries. That has been true of my life. And he encouraged the Christians to not despise Timothy, who did the work of the Lord as Paul did. Well, 22 years ago the Lord opened a “great and effective door” for me when he put me on the internet. And I know that these writings are being viewed by people in 150+ nations and that they are getting about two thousand views per day. But I give all the glory, praise, and thanks to God.

Fit for Service

An Original Work / October 5, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Holy Spirit, come within us.
Cleanse our hearts,
and from sin free us.
Make us holy vessels fit
for service to the King.
Fill us with Your love and power.
Anoint us within this hour
To be living witnesses
For Jesus Christ, our King.
Our praise to Him bring.

Father God, our heart’s desire,
Come and speak to us in power.
Revive our hearts to obey You;
Live for You always.
May we love and serve You only,
Walking with You;
Not a phony.
May we always tell the truth,
And show integrity.
Your true servants be.

Jesus, Savior, sanctify us.
Purify our hearts within us;
Be transformed into Your likeness,
Holy unto You.
May we always listen to You
Speaking Your words
Now within us.
May we heed Your counsel to us;
Follow You today.
Do all that You say.

There Are Many Adversaries
An Original Work / June 15, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love