Written by Mark Driskill:
Monday, January 17, 2011
Read Joshua 5:9
Todays devotion is a word I believe th Lord has given me for Breathitt County and maybe even for you. This is the article I write in the local paper every week. May God bless and inspire you through his word.
Will Breathitt County ever rise above her bloody past and move into the destiny God has for her? I moved here twenty years ago and from the first day I have heard people in this beautiful community mourning over a series of violent acts that happened decades ago as if they just happened yesterday. It seems this community has defined herself by her past rather than by pressing into the future God has for her. She has bought into the satanic lie that Breathitt County will never be more than “Bloody Breathitt”. This must stop. Days are quickly coming upon us when God will wipe away the reproach of the past and open the doorway to a future that reflects his kingdom for his glory. To explain my point let me share some words from the Bible. God is speaking to Joshua and his people who are about to move into the promised land that their forefathers had failed to enter. He said to them;
” Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” (Joshua 5:9)
You may be familiar with the story of the children of Israel who were delivered from Egypt by the power of God. They had spent four hundred years in slavery until God used Moses to lead them to freedom. But that generation died into the wilderness because they would not step into the promised land God wanted to give them. They could not enter because of unbelief. They were still living under “the Reproach of Egypt” in other words. What’s that? You see while they had left their place of slavery they never quite go over the shame (reproach) of the past. This is why every time they fell into trouble they said, “why did we ever leave Egypt. Maybe we should go back.” I believe this was because every time they fell into trouble the devil whispered to them what he has been whispering to the citizens of Breathitt County. “You will never be more than you used to be so just give up.” A spirit of hopelessness is often the root of unbelief and disobedience. That whole generation died in the desert as many of us are doing. We are dying in the desert living in the “Reproach of Bloody Breathitt”
But thanks be to God. His plan to save is not ruined by human weakness or the schemes of Satan! When the next generation grew up, having watched their parents die in unbelief, they chose a different path, the path of faith. They were circumcised, and consecrated and moved into their destiny, the promised land. At Gilgal, before they took Jericho God rolled away the shame of yesterdays slavery and turned these former wanderers into warriors!
This is what he is doing with a whole generation in our day. Wanderers are becoming warriors. Many young people who used to wander hopelessly with no hope, many addicted to drugs, are being transformed into warriors for God. Who will transform their community with the weapons of love and faith. God is rolling away the reproach of their own Egypt and giving new life and hope.
Today we don’t go to Gilgal to have the past rolled away. We go to Calvary where Jesus Christ shed his sinless blood to pay the full penalty of sin and set us free from its reproach. As each of us turn to God and repent of the misdeeds of the past and recommit ourselves to living by faith in Christ, God is rolling away the shame of “Bloody Breathitt.” God is bringing revival and awakening to this area. We will soon see that the blood shed almost a century ago in front of our courthouse is not nearly as powerful as the blood shed on Calvary Two millennia ago! Prepare to say goodbye to hopelessness and hello to God’s new day in Beautiful Breathitt County.
Stop listening to those who only speak death over this county and by faith each of us must begin speaking life into our schools, our government, our economy and our homes. We will no longer be known for drugs, corruption and poverty, but for righteousness, faith, and prosperity. This will happen as we repent of our unbelief and begin to believe again. Breathitt County belongs to Jesus Christ and his kingdom is at hand. Satan’s rule is finished and Jesus is Lord!
Mark Driskill and his wife Mary are homeschooling community ministers in Breathitt County Kentucky. They have four children. They co pastor Emmanuel fellowship Church, serve as Camp Pastors at Bethel Mennonite Camp, and Mark Teaches at Oakdale Christian Academy.
Mark is web minister for Begotten by theWord , a ministry of Helping Hands Christian Resources.
Once a month he preaches on the local radio station through the “Lion of Judah” program. Mark also preaches in youth rallies and revivals upon request at no charge. Their vision is to see true spiritual awakening come to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and to the nation.
Contact information:
Email: driskill@hilbillymail.com
Facebook: Mark Driskill
Address: PO Box 1159 Jackson KY.
