40 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2006 - Day 39

Focus: A Doorkeeper in the House of my God
By: Rene Lako, Mercy Ships Sierra Leone

Scripture Reference:
“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”(Psalm 84:10).

Devotional:
The compound of our team house in Freetown, Sierra Leone is surrounded by a wall, topped by broken glass and razor wire. Two uniformed security guards patrol the compound, equipped with radio, baton and panic button alarm system to keep us safe. This is part of land based life for Mercy Ships staff in West Africa, and it’s quite different from life on a “Mercy Ship”. These guards are not considered Mercy Ships staff, but are employed by the security company. Yet, they get a taste of “mercy ship”, as they say here, and our team house compounds and Aberdeen Clinic and Fistula Centre have become popular postings for the guards.

Psalm 84 emphasizes the theme of God’s dwelling place and the desire to be in God’s presence. “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” (Ps. 84:1-2).

The birds have nests to protect and feed their young. This is the kind of safe haven God offers us in his presence. When we are close to him, we have reason to praise him and we experience God’s protection and strength. Yet, this is not just about being stationary in a home. The Psalm speaks about setting your heart on pilgrimage . . . and this was a song pilgrims were singing as they traveled the long road to their destination, the literal “house of God”.

Sometimes, I see my life in Mercy Ships as a 26-year pilgrimage, having served on the Anastasis, the Rotterdam office, the IOC and now in Sierra Leone. Some legs of the journey have felt like dark valleys, other parts have been on sunny hillsides. Even as we pass through the driest desert lands, we can turn them into a place of springs. In God’s presence, as we follow Jesus, we can go from strength to strength.

Although we may not always feel significant or like a hero of the faith, even as a doorkeeper in God’s compound, we can be in his presence and make a difference in the world we live in. In Sierra Leone we aim to serve some of the forgotten poor afflicted by child birth injuries, such as women with fistulas (VVF) or children with disabilities, such as polio. As we meet their physical needs we also share God’s love and compassion with them and bring them into his presence.

Prayer Points:

* Pray for God’s protection for staff in Sierra Leone, and for crew and staff around the world.

* Pray for God to send workers into the harvest field of Sierra Leone, especially 1) VVF surgeons (short term/long term), 2) a ward nursing supervisor, and 3) a financial administrator.
* Pray for continued good relationships with all our local and international stakeholders/partners.