Friday, April 16, 2021

* God prepares us for change that is to come.

Comments by Joan Boney:

I lived many years alone, by myself, in a house in Texas.

In 2018, at 81 years of age, I could still drive my car and go to grocery store and prepare my meals.  But I began feeling that I no longer wanted to live alone.  

I had a large house in Texas, but I began to desire having a smaller living space with fewer responsibilities.

I thought of the example of one of the prophets in the Bible.

II Kings 4:8-11 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.  And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.  Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.  And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

I began to have a desire to live in one bedroom with all my things around me instead of having a big house as I had at that time.

Then on December 6, 2018, I fell at my house in Texas.  As the ambulance workers rolled me past the front door of my house, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind the following information.  "You'll never see this house again."

I knew immediately this was information from God.  It did not trouble me at all.  I knew God had another plan for me and I was happy to go the way of God for I had experience with God and knew this would be a better way to live.

I put my house in Texas up for sale even while I was in the hospital.  

At that time, I didn't know where I would be going but I believed I would never see the Texas house again.  I had no concern at all.

A few times in the months before I fell, I thought of moving to Colorado Springs.  One of our church women lives there and we work together on the church blog and ministry books, and I thought it would be good to live where she lives, in the same city.  (I suspect it was God planting this in my mind to cause me to go in peace when the plan unfolded in the next few months.)

John 13:16   Jesus says:  Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.

(God was guiding me step by step into all truth and God was showing me things to come.)

During the 2 1/2 months in the rehabilitation hospital in Texas, the plan unfolded for me to move to Colorado Springs and to live in the home of Pam Padgett, a member of the body of Christ.

Because of all those things put into my heart by God, I had no doubt at all about this plan.

At Pam's house, I had a small bedroom with all my things around me just exactly as that desire had come into my life a few months before this.

God prepared me for a very big change, and it was really good, and worked out great!

I don't think it would have been as easy without the work of the Holy Spirit in showing me step by step the way of God for me.

Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth:  (Jn. 16:13)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and the comforter to the people of God.  And HE shows us the will of God and that is all that really matters.  If we know this is the will of God for us, we go forth with great assurance.

Isaiah 55

8 For MY thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways MY ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are MY ways higher than your ways, and MY thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall MY word be that goeth forth out of MY mouth: it shall not return unto ME void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

(For more information concerning God preparing us for change, please listen to today's Podcast at top of this page.)


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