Sunday 18 September 2016

Are we attentive to that ‘still quiet voice’?

For the first time I realised (I had been a Christian for approximately 10 years) that Salvation can only be gained and kept individually!! For the first time I realised I couldn't put the onus of my walk upon someone else, it was my responsibility.

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Some years ago we had some people come to stay with us from Joinville, Brazil for a month and the following year we were preparing to go and visit them. My husband, myself and our daughter were all excited about the prospect and were busy making preparations. It was a country we had never been to and our household was a frenzy of activity. Two days before we were due to fly out I was sitting having a quiet time and I clearly heard a voice say ‘take out holiday insurance’. My response was; ‘Lord, we have been on numerous holidays before and we have never taken out holiday insurance, we are young, we have no medical history and more frustratingly I don't know where to get travel insurance from’ (grump grump!!). I spent a few more moments putting forward my 'best arguments' but the words ‘take out holiday insurance’ just kept coming back. I finally gave in and remembered a correspondence that had arrived with a credit card statement about holiday insurance and went and searched it out. Due to the fact that we were flying out at 5.30 the next day there was insufficient time for them to send us a policy so we flew out with just a telephone number a policy number and the dial code from Brazil to England.

We arrived in Brazil at midnight on Saturday feeling tired after three flights but cheered up to be greeted by about 20 people we knew cheering us on!!  We had two great days of fellowship with our friends but on the third day my husband woke up with excruciating pains in his stomach.  I thought he had eaten something that had disagreed with him.  Our friend’s friend was a doctor so he decided to take him to be checked out while his wife and I went to the mall for a coffee.  We had been apart for about an hour when my friend’s husband came to the mall but my husband was not with him.  I was a little perplexed and as I couldn't speak any Portuguese and our friends knew very little English it took a few moments to realise he had been taken to hospital.

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We rushed to the hospital (the best one in Joinville) where he'd already had all the tests taken and results obtained!! and they had decided that they wanted to remove his gallbladder. Due to an infection however they kept him in for a couple of days under observation because if they operated he wouldn't be allowed to fly back to England for at least 30 days.

The dilemma then was that we had made lots of arrangements and the interpreter that was going to come with us was now staying at the hospital to interpret for my husband and hardly anyone else spoke English!!  I remember kneeling on the floor and saying ‘Lord you know how much I depend on my husband,  what am I going to do’?.  The answer was ‘you know what to do, these people have put themselves out and are expecting you’, but more surprisingly was the words ‘no-one gets to heaven hanging on to someone else’s shirt-tails’. For the first time I realised (I had been a Christian for approximately 10 years) that Salvation can only be gained and kept individually!! For the first time I realised I couldn't put the onus of my walk upon someone else, it was my responsibility.  What a life giving life changing moment!! If ever I had received a Eureka moment this was one such occasion. I kept all the appointments and with God’s help had a smile on my face and a joy in my heart that transcended all human understanding.

The Insurance paid all the costs and even offered to pay for someone to escort myself and my daughter home to carry our bags, if my husband had the operation, or pay all our expenses if we chose to stay in Brazil.  It was decided to send my husband home with strong medication and he had the operation back in England.  Praise God for prompting me and that I eventually listened!!  The outcome could have been very different.  Isaiah 28:23 ‘Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say’.

Proverbs 2: 1-5 ‘My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God’. Amen


Author: Lyn Hunt

May God bless and enrich your life

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7 comments:

  1. So true. In this hectic World we often let the chaos drown out the opportunities for God to talk to us. I pray that I listen more attentively to hear my Father's voice. As the song says 'Forever all my days I will love you God'. Thank you for this wonderful message. God bless

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  2. Thank you so much for Blessing the body of Christ by taking the time to share this wonderful testimony. All the Glory to God ALWAYS. Praise God for you obedience and the Blessing that followed (not your husbands illness but the funds to settle the bill). Your testimony of having your own personal relationship with God is key for us all Amen. God Bless and peace be with you. Love sister Tina

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  3. thank you for this encouraging and uplifting blog. In his hands he gently guides us and rescues us. We are all a work in progress if we didn't let God change us from glory to glory we will always stay the same? and not grow individually . A wonderful and uplifting story of Gods great love for us , Only he can see tomorrow ,also great song? may the lord bless you x

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  4. Thanks for the words today that reminds us in the busy world and the we live we need to make time to spend with our heavenly father and able to hear his gentle voice speaking to us and be obedient for his guidance God bless Herbie

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  5. This is a great message of encouragement to listen always to the voice and leading of the Holy Sporit. God knows our tomorrow's but is looking to see how we live for Him today. Peace be with you. God bless.

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  6. Merci beaucoup pour ce puissant témougnage.
    Je suis avec le Seigneur depuis 45 ans...jeune oncologue...la Voix de Dieu me disait de changer de direction ( je travaillais à Bâle en suisse - allemand ...que je ne maîtrisais pas du tout )je me suis arrêtée 1 mois...puis j' ai repris à plein temps..il n'yavait pas le choix de travailler à mi - temps.
    4 mois après j' ai eu une ménigo-encépalite foudroyante...ça fait 30 ans...dorénavant j' obéis immédiatement quand j ' entends la Voix de Dieu...
    Notre chemin sur terre n' est pas un long fleuve tranquille...on est appelé à être un canal de sa Grâce tous les jours....obéir par la foi est beaucouo plus que de comprendre le pourquoi et le comment .

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    1. Translation -
      Thank you very much for this powerful testimony. I have been with the Lord for 45 years ... young oncologist ... the Voice of God told me to change direction (I was working in Basel in Swiss - German ... that I did not master at all) I stopped 1 month ... then j & # 39; I went back to work full time ... there was no choice to work part - time. 4 months after j & # 39; have had a lightning menigo-encephalitis ... it's been 30 years ... henceforth I obey immediately when i'm hear the Voice of God ... Our way on earth does not come ... is not a long quiet river ... one is called to be a channel of his Grace every day ... to obey by faith is much more than to understand the why and the how

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