Where is God leading you?

"Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:6,8-9)
 

  When we were living in the Philippines a few years ago, my wife, Miriam, came in contact with a lady who, along with her husband, were missionaries in China. She and her husband were from Great Britain and the husband was at a conference in Manila and she was spending time with another woman that Miriam knew, so they scheduled some time together in our apartment. She told the most amazing story about a woman she had met in a small village in the interior of China and how God had used that woman to advance His Kingdom in that communist country.
   The lady the missionary met was in her 80's when she met her and she lived in a small apartment alone. Her story was this: When she was a young girl she had become a Christian and she had asked God to help her live for Him and had told God that she was willing to be used by Him for any task that He decided. Her husband was imprisoned for being a Christian and she was all alone. One day she felt God leading her to leave her small village and go to the nearest seashore that was not too far away.  As she walked along the shoreline she noticed several packages floating in the water and went into the surf to recover one. When she opened it she discovered a Bible written in Chinese! She immediately recovered as many as were in the surf and then went into the village and found some fishermen who had picked some of the packages up also. She was able to easily persuade them to give them to her because they had no interest in Bibles at all.
    She returned to her village with over 50 Bibles and hid them in her house. Then she began to pray for God to reveal to her what to do with them. She knew that many Christians, nay, many house churches did not  have a single copy of God's Word and would give all of their belongings to purchase one if there were ever any for sale in a books store. After a time God revealed to her that she should buy a ticket at the train station and go as far as her meager funds would take her. She did that and got off the train at another small village even deeper in the interior of China. She walked from the train station to the center of town with her sack of Bibles and sat down to see what she should do. After a while, watching all the people pass her by, she decided to sing a hymn she had learned in her church. A man walking by stopped and, in a whisper, asked her: "Are you a Christian and why are you singing here in the town square?" She responded. "Do you want any Bibles?"  The man looked left and right and nodded his head vigorously!  She reached into her bag and gave him several and he quickly went on his way. She then repeated the scenario several times until all her Bibles were gone!
    She returned home joyously knowing that she had been obedient to what God had called her to do and that many house churches would be blessed by the Bibles she had been able to distribute. She was then able to repeat this  same mission one or two times a year for many years as her small earning allowed and as she was prompted by the Holy Spirit.
     God's ways are not our ways. He does things that we do not expect Him to do because He knows so much more about the future and what He wants us to be and do for Him that we usually can't figure it out on our own. We need to be looking and seeking for Him to reveal those little things and big things He wants us to accomplish for Him. And, if we have the same type of obedient spirit that this lady in China had, then He can use us too! If we aren't listening for His guidance or we are not obedient when we get it, then we miss out on His plans for us. Yes, He has plans for you and me. Just read Psalms 139 verses 16 and 17 if you are unsure. Shoot, don't stop there read the whole Psalm. It will bless you today and every other day you read  it.

Pray

1. Thank you Lord that not only do we all have copies of your Word in our homes, we probably have several different translations to choose from.
2. Help me to be faithful to spend time reading the Bible on my own every day so that I can learn more about You and Your plan for my life.
3. Help me to be obedient to those truths You reveal to me in Your Word and to be quick to obey so that You can show me more.