07/10/2010: Saved to Serve- A Thousand Ways
A Thousand Ways
Rain, cold, and snow make for a long winter. How good that we have a Heavenly Father, who never changes His love toward poor sinners as we are! He is the sole helper when the bad days, spoken of by the wise king Solomon, come. And those bad days really came during this wintertime. Nevertheless, God cares and finds one sure solution to our anxieties. He allows Satan to try us in order to perfect our character for His kingdom, the only thing we take with us into eternity. Let us look at several experiences and see what we can learn from them.
Case No. 1
A young mother of seven was suddenly struck with a severe internal inflammation. She was taken to a hospital in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The faithful husband left the children in the care of his oldest daughter and agonized over his dear wife. The doctors never perform surgery without cash. They are also humans in need. Our brother had only one refuge: prayer to the Omnipotent Father in Heaven. Then the miracle occurred—the patient Adventist sister had her life spared. The active missionary of the Lord spent many weeks at the bedside of his faithful wife. As the day approached when she would be released, he was confronted with a huge hospital bill. He prayed again and informed his friend in a far away country. And what did God do? He provided the exact sum, offered to Him as a thank offering. Again, many thanks went to Heaven.
Case No. 2
God also honored the donor in a special way. God brought him through several difficult situations, hearing his prayers and solving problems caused by afflictions. Recently, his father-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Being the only available member of the family, he decided to help during the first half of every week, and go home for the second half, to take care of home duties and do missionary work at home and abroad. His car broke down and he used public transportation in order to be where his help was needed. He prayed, too, for another car, but free of charge, and the Lord gave him one. It was old, but still good enough to travel about 300 km every week, until it broke down. Only God can arrange such things. The money he saved on much needed objects for his missionary work was sent to pay the hospital bill in Africa.
Then death struck without warning. His only sister died of a massive heart attack. He had to fly to another country to help with the funeral, which turned into a very impressive missionary event. Nights of sadness, but full of good conversations with relatives, childhood friends and visitors, were the means used by God to save souls for eternity. Again, to God be the glory!
God is good! The faithful missionary project in the villages around Lodja, Democratic Republic of Congo, the building of simple structures for use as churches and schools, all built on donated land, progressed very well during last year, but was brought to a halt due to shortness of means. This means much for extreme poor people in Africa. As reported earlier, the faithful wife of a most active young Adventist died of an acute rupture of the appendix, because the way to the nearest hospital was too long. Simple bush clinics, which we still do not have there, cannot help in that case, but they are much needed. Prayers ascended to God and he impressed a far away self-supporting organization to send donated money for the roof of another village church. The next miracle occurred when a wonderful Christian lady, the head of a congregation, offered spare tin sheets for a low price, compared to the normal market. And the brethren acted upon the consent of those leading in the project and bought all 300 sheets available, good for three roofs. The question of finding funds for the wooden frame remains unanswered, but God will again find a solution.
Case No. 4
During the absence of the missionary whose wife was fighting death, the congregation of Kinshasa, which needs a new location, received a huge donation to purchase a piece of land, suitable for a school and for prayer meetings. As $10,000 came, it wasn’t enough, because the projected lot was sold. So near the goal and not yet there. Prayers were offered and God again impressed minds to donate. At the time of the writing the brethren and sisters are again very near the expected sum of $14,000 for another piece of property. God cares.
Case No. 5
Missionary project leaders and donors are also struggling with difficulties. Prayers were offered for young mothers, who encountered problems during pregnancy. There are struggles to earn money, to be sent to poor countries, by generous people still working hard, long after the age of retirement. And who knows the sorrows of those who are donating money to men and institutions, which have to very carefully pray and decide which worthy project to help, to the detriment of another worthy project? Remember, God has thousands of ways to solve a problem, but He makes use of one, very sure way to bring a wonderful answer to our prayers. A dear mother, who helped to send money for the purchase of the land in Kinshasa, added this to an email to her son, who at this time works for souls in another state: “Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest with God.”
Would you, dear reader, like to act upon this counsel and meet at the heavenly feast together with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the saints there, including the souls won on Earth through personal care and effort? I do. What about you?
By Samuel Minea. Democratic Republic of Congo.