When God speaks will you listen and obey? 6-24-12

After having an amazing experience the past few days at the ladies retreat (advance), John and I were able to have some time alone to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary.  My sister Judy graciously offered to take the kids for the night, and we got to spend some rare time alone, and even go on a date!  :)  We had a wonderful time and were able to catch up on some of the things that we both experienced while I was away.

This morning we attended church services with some friends at a local Baptist church.  I had promised my friend that I would come and give a healing testimony.  I need to first back up and tell the story of what happened:

About a month ago, I got some kind of insect bite on my hand.  It really didn't bother me other than it left this ugly red mark on my hand.  It would occasionally itch, but other than that, it didn't really bother me.  I had made remarks about it several times over the last few weeks about how I wish it would just go away.  Well, about a week ago, I started to feel sick.  I had a fever, chills, body aches, and my lymph node under my right arm was very swollen.  (The insect bite was on my right hand.)  Then I started to notice a red line coming from the insect bite towards my arm.  At this point I was a bit alarmed that it was some kind of poisonous spider bite.

We were having our weekly Bible study at our home that night, and I was not feeling well at all.  I told our friends that I needed prayer.  They said, "You really should have a doctor look at that.  It could be a brown recluse bite, or it could be a staff infection."   I said, "I don't have a problem with doctors, but I just believe that God is going to heal whatever it is.  I don't need to know what it is.  God knows, and I believe He will take care of it."  So, we got together and they prayed for healing.  Immediately after the prayer, the red line was gone.  He said, "If that thing is gone tomorrow, you need to come to church and give a healing testimony."

I did start to feel better the next day, but it wasn't completely gone, so we decided we would go the following week.  This brings me to today.  John and I went to church, and I was prepared to give my testimony if the opportunity presented itself.  Sure enough, shortly after the worship music ended, one of the church members stood up and gave a testimony about how God had delivered her from cigarettes.  John nudged me in the side and said, "Now is your chance!!"  (Most Baptist churches that I have attended in the past do not usually have healing and deliverence testimonies, so I knew this was God!)

Okay, so I have just been told that I am no longer timid and shy.  I have been given boldness from on high!  (Be careful what you pray for people!!)  I go walking down the center aisle of the church and ask the pastor if I can give a testimony.  He says, "Of course you can little lady!"  I said, "Do you have a mike?"  (Boldness!)  So, I give the testimony of the healing just like I told you.  Well, these 2 testimonies started a wave of testimonies throughout the church.  Isn't God awesome?

The pastor went on to give a very good sermon from John 13:8-17 about the time that Jesus washed the disciple's feet.  When he was done, one of his deacons stood up and said, "What about the verse about how we should wash one another's feet?  You skipped over that verse."  The pastor replied, "I said all that I God told me to say."  Well, apparently this particular deacon has been attending church services at this church under this same pastor for the past 30 years.  And for the past 30 years, he has been telling the pastor that they should have a foot washing service.  The pastor didn't really believe in foot washing, and he had said many times that he would NEVER have a foot washing service in his church.

After this, someone else sang a song.  When she was done, the pastor came back up and said, "The Lord has spoken to me this morning.  I need someone to go get me a basin of water and some towels, and I am going to wash ---'s feet.  (I don't know his name.)  It was a very moving and touching experience to watch.

When the service was coming to a close, the pastor said, "I would never of had the privilege of what I did this morning if I did not listen and obey."  I thought that was awesome because that was the title of my blog post from 2 days earlier.

So, are you ready to be used miraculously by God?  What is God telling you to do today?  Today is the day of obedience.  Go and do what He is telling you to do.