SEEKING GOD'S APPROVAL

[Margaret Wright]

I remember once, after distributing millions of tracts and doing all that I was doing for the Lord (attending all meetings, taking Sunday Schools, street preaching, hospital visiting, etc. etc.) and did not know of results I was feeling down.  Then I asked the Lord to show me just once that my work for Him was not in vain for I do not want to be doing things just for the sake of doing.  I want to do that which has His Approval and then I would not ask for a sign but will continue doing what I was doing.  The Lord graciously answered my prayer like this –

One night after a service my sister and I were waiting for a bus to go home when I noticed a man crossing the road and coming towards us. Not knowing his intentions, I turned the other way and then he came up to us and spoke in a humble way and asked, “Is that a Bible in your hand? You must be that Bible woman that prayed for me when I was in the hospital.”   I was taken aback at the title given but I said that I do visit hospitals to pray for people.  He then reminded me how he lost his wife in a house fire and was very bitter toward God and he did not want any Christian to visit him.  Few in our youth group knew him but worked with him.  I remembered that it was roughly over three years ago, when our youth group went to he refused their visit and instructed the Hospital staff accordingly.  The group thought by sending me to visit him, he may not object since I was a lady and he did not know me.  I did visit and had the opportunity to ask him how he was for he had many burns on his body and I wanted him to talk. 

Then he began to speak out his hatred of God for allowing his wife to be burned to death and mocked the belief of Christians who say God is Love!  He began to tell me how it all happened.  He and his wife loved each other very much and married in spite of their parents’ refusal to consent to their marriage and so had no connections with relatives. 

However, they lived happily and had two very small children, a nice home and he had a good job.  One afternoon when he came home for lunch as usual, his wife’s nylon sari caught fire while she was warming the food and in trying to help put the flames out, he too got burned badly.  She died on the way to the Hospital and friends were now looking after his two small children.  He ended the story by asking me, “Do you believe that God is a God of love?”  

While he was speaking I was praying for the Holy Spirit to help in these Circumstances when it was my turn to speak and so graciously He answered me!  Praise God!

I said, “Before I could answer your question, I want to ask you a question?”  He was quiet and so I asked him, “While you and your family were enjoying your good life and your lovely children, did you kneel down together and thank God for His blessings?  Did your lovely wife hear you thank God for her and the children?” Then he hung his head and began to cry, I knew I had reached his heart, so I continued talking. “We do not have any time or regard for God so long as everything is going good but when calamity strikes the first Person we blame is God.  God is Love but we have a cruel enemy, the Devil, who hates us and wants to rob us.” Now he was sobbing loudly, so I gave him the Gospel of Love and informed him more about our enemy and asked if I could read something from the Word of God; he agreed then I read the 53^rd chapter of Isaiah while he continued to weep.  I prayed for him and left him.  He thanked me and promised to contact me later as I gave him tracts with our church address on it, but he never did.

There was much rejoicing in our youth group that day and for some time we prayed for him and his family then forgot all about him over the years.  

He said that he repented before the Lord and was reconciled with his relatives who were caring for his two children.  He now loves God and prayed that he might meet me again for he wanted to say “thank you” personally and tonight when he saw me across the road, he was not sure I was the person.  When he came close and saw the Bible in my hand he knew I was that Bible woman!!  

Is not our God Gracious and Glorious and Awesome?  He was praying to meet me personally and I was asking God to show me one incident at least where my labor was not in vain since I did not hear of any results!!   Was I encouraged?????  I was thrilled and know that God is honoring my service of love to Him in reaching souls for His Kingdom and also encouraging His Children on this pilgrim way!!  

The Lord brought to my attention an incident that was over three years old to show me that even though I had forgotten this man and his family, but God did not! 

God is LOVING, GOOD, KIND, MERCIFUL AND WATCHES OVER HIS WORD (Jeremiah 1:12) NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH!  HALLELUJAH!!

I know of many testimonies since, and I will keep spreading the Love of God in every way I can until Jesus Christ comes again or until HE calls me Home! 

SOULS matter to God BECAUSE THE ULTIMATE PRICE HAS BEEN PAID by the PRECIOUS, HOLY, SINLESS, BLOOD-SACRIFICE OF HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY and God needs us AS HIS WITNESSES TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AND BRING THE UNSAVED OUT OF THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS AND BRING THEM INTO HIS GLORIOUS KINGDOM OF LIGHT!!

Whoever realizes that they are being deceived and are in bondage to the enemy, can call upon the Risen Christ now, where ever you are (Jeremiah 33: 3) and He will forgive the vilest sinner and set him free from the enemy’s works through HIS BLOOD.  

There is Power in the Blood of Jesus Christ to break the power of the Devil’s claim!  (Rev.12: 11)

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY GOD AND HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST FOREVER!

Margaret Wright