“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:29, KJV)
My husband and I were so grateful to the Lord for helping me make it to Israel. We had a busy schedule ahead of us. We had to take everything at an easy pace, as we met our ministry responsibilities.
We were so excited to be back in Israel, since my homebound months were over. Praise the Lord! I girded my heart with God’s promises and went in faith in His Word. Many prayed for me and God saw me there, through, and back. Holy and God-answering are the prayers of His Saints!
On our first day in Jerusalem, we just had to take a walk and breathe the air in God’s land. After all that I had been through, I felt that this was my first time in Israel. All was new. I had a new beginning in Jesus, to serve Him for souls again in Jerusalem.
As we were walking, my husband noticed a store that sold the kind of shoes that he wanted to replace. They are special shoes that are made to walk the rugged streets of Israel. The last ones he purchased lasted five years—finally, the store to buy a new pair!
The sales attendant who helped him was very young. I noticed she was wearing the tiniest silver cross. I had to look close to see that it was exactly that.
I decided to try on a pair of shoes. I asked for my size in a particular style. After her search, she found that my size was not in stock. She explained about the possibility of ordering a pair, which was also complicated because the factory didn’t have that style anymore. The whole time I was thinking, “Lord, how do I tell her about You?”
When she finished explaining, I wondered, “What do I say to this young girl about the Son of God?” I studied her a bit and then asked her, “Are you a Christian?”
She looked at me, very assured. “Yes, Arminian.”
Still, I was not sure if that meant she knew Jesus as her Saviour. I had to take courage in the Lord and ask, “Do you know where you will go when your time here is over?” She looked straight into my eyes for an answer. “Do you know the Son of God as your personal Saviour?”
Quickly she answered, “No.”
“Would you like to know Him?”
“Yes!” she answered.
“You will have to ask Him. Would you like for me to help you?”
With eagerness she answered, “Yes!”
I noticed that my husband had begun to talk with the other sales attendant who was listening and who seemed to be a troublemaker. My husband was distracting her from us so that God could get the work done with the Arminian-Jewish girl.
I looked into the girl’s eager eyes. “Let’s pray.” We began to pray. She confessed Jesus as her Saviour and gave her life to Him. Immediately afterward her whole countenance glowed! I had to take a second look at her eyes. They were so bright. She was filled with such joy. The Spirit of God was on her, as He entered her heart!
We gave each other a huge hug and talked about reading the Bible. We thanked the Lord and said our good-byes. But it was as if we could not part. God was still filling her with Himself through His Spirit. My eyes were still absorbed in the Light that had come inside of her! We could have stood there for hours as the Messiah revealed Himself to her.
As we walked out of the store, my husband talked about the brightness of her face—the Holy Spirit now living in her. What a conversion! When the Holy Spirit reveals the Son of God to a Jew, the Light that comes in them is unexplainable—Jesus!
“Abba, Father, just writing this story, Your Spirit fills my very being, and I can hardly contain the power of Your Spirit. I was not expecting that on our first day and on our first walk in Jerusalem that You would save a Jew. That little cross is now the true cross of Your Son, Abba in that young Jewish girl’s life. Jesus, what can I say? Your Spirit had her so prepared to believe in You that she was eager to know You. My tears are in my throat! I can’t even think. The joy is so strong and the depth of Your salvation for the Jew in Israel is stirring inside of me. Who or what can quench Your love and pursuit for them?! No circumstance and no man Lord! Glory to You, Living Messiah! Glory!”