My Jubilee Birthday in God's hand

"You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].
                                                             Isa.26:3-4 

 

What a promise, one that is absolute truth. Since November’s diagnosis of breast cancer, I have had two operations, a seroma with sepsis infection and have just finished three weeks of radiotherapy. Peace has been in every stage.  When pulled down by pain, a friend's praying, turned to laughter which started me off, the pain dissolved with a sense the enemy had to flee.  A wonder, if not a miracle, laughter is good for the soul, and without doubt the joy of the Lord has been my strength.

 

So, how best should I celebrate on 30^th July? I asked my Life Group if I should share my testimony of God’s intervention in my life on Sunday, they laughed, “You'd take over the whole service.”

 

It’s true, until recently I don’t think I have realised how continual God's intervention in my life has been.  From salvation in 1972, to an outpouring of His Spirit in 1984 when we were part of the follow-up team of Billy Graham’s rallies in Bristol.  Five of us would finish about 3.00 am at which point everything became hysterically funny. We thought of the disciples appearing drunk, but ten years later in far greater measure it became known as the Toronto blessing. 

 

In 2005 I arrived in the midst of the bombing incident on 7^th July where thousands of people turned off buses and trains filled Oxford Street. Prayer for the Nation had been alerted by Chuck Pierce, passing through Heathrow, that He believed the Lord was warning of a major incident in London and they should pray for forty days for peace.  That fortieth day was the start of the PFN conference, individually we witnessed the unfolding scene, and yet as we came together the Lord’s Presence was extraordinary.  I persuaded a stranded bus driver to drive up the empty road from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road, where it took me forty minutes to walk to the Holborn Viaduct church.  Annie, eighty years old said she walked from Marble Arch to the church in thirty minutes!  There was only answer - the Lord translated her!!  The roads in London became empty, and buses didn’t start until 9.00 pm.  At 5.00 pm it was surreal in the silence, to see large groups of office workers walking along the roads on their way home.   

 

Whether it is something big or small I know God wants to walk with us. He is interested in the major and minor incidents in our lives. And, rather write a story of God’s interventions in my life, which no doubt could make a book, I have over the years felt drawn to put some of those into the lives of fictional characters. I expect all authors love their characters, their flaws, mistakes and consequences, but how good it is to write about God using, redeeming and changing them.  Through those I am seeing that salvation and redemption are far bigger than just being saved!  I believe the Lord wishes to reveal to us more of His mysteries and secrets, and as in times above, God wants us to delve into, and experience those.