Scripture for the Day
(January 14,2021)
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)
(By Ed Henderson July 27, 2015)
Let me give you a little personal history about Cheryl and I that some of you may not know. We were living in Collierville, TN, a suburb of Memphis, when we both dedicated our lives to the Lord in 1982. We were so excited! I can remember laying on my bed at our home one night reading the Bible. We had been praying and asking the Lord what He wanted us to do. As I was reading the Book of Isaiah I came to Isaiah 35. When I read that chapter the words just leaped off the pages into my heart. I knew immediately that the Lord had just spoken something very important to us.
I yelled for Cheryl and told her I felt God had just showed me what we were supposed to do in the ministry. This experience with God and His Word has guided us for some 33 years and we are still on that same highway. The plan is still unfolding 33 years later. The following are the key scriptures that have guided us for all these years: The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them (Isaiah 35:1) Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: (Isaiah 35:3-4) Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. (Isaiah 35:5) And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; (Isaiah 35:8) And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:10)
The NLT (New Living Translation) of the Bible calls Isaiah 35 the “Hope for Restoration” chapter. We felt that God had rolled back the curtain and given us a glimpse of what we would be doing for the rest of our life. To boil it down to simpler terms, we would be “Hope Brokers”. We would start by going into wilderness and solitary places like prisons, small prayer groups, and small churches. Places where other ministers may not go. We would speak encouraging words and sing encouraging songs. We would be on the highways and byways and people would experience new found joy and gladness and they would be glad for us.
Looking back on that night now, it seems almost unbelievable. Everything God told us that night has come true, and more. We were not accomplished speakers or well-known personalities so we could have easily gotten into fear but God said they would be glad for us. That gave us great confidence! He said we would be on the Highway so we founded our first ministry in TN and called it High-Way Ministry. We bought a red van and had a graphic artist draw an Interstate highway sign on the side that read Is:35. We ministered in hundreds of prisons and small churches in TN, MS, AR, and AL before moving to FL and founding New Life Network, Inc. We are still on God’s Highway and we are still simply “Hope Brokers”. He is revealing new things to us every day but all those new things that are truly from God always lineup with that original vision. It’s kind of like having to go back to the Book of Genesis periodically to check on God’s original intent. What has God called you to do? Are you on the right highway? God speaks to every one of us differently. This is how God spoke to us and we are so grateful for everything we have experienced on His Highway.
