134 An Opportune Ministry
A few years ago in China, a woman was leading a Christian cell group. The police threatened to woman to either stop sharing the Bible with people or they would throw her in prison for one year if she continued. The woman was greatly worried about the police's threat at first, but decided to put her trust in God and continued leading the cell group. The police then arrested her and put her in prison.
The woman spent much of her time in prison initially in prayer. She couldn't understand why God didn't protect her from the police. Wasn't she doing His will? As she prayed and poured out her heart, the woman started notcing the inmates around her. The woman started thinking about these lost souls who were both physically and spiritually in prison.
The woman knew she couldn't do anything about the physical prison, but perhaps she could share some spiritual light to the inmates around her? The woman then started reaching out to other inmates around her and teaching them about the Bible.
At first, no one around the woman wanted to hear what she wanted to say. However, the woman kept sharing and preaching that one of the inmates started asking questions. Then another inmate. Then another inmate. Soon after, the woman started to lead a new cell group out of her own cell. An inmate broke down during of the discussions and asked Jesus into her life. As the woman kept teaching, other inmates started accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The police got word of what was happening and decided to commute the woman's sentence to six months because so many of the inmates started to convert to Christ. However, the woman refused the early release and said that Chinese law states that she must complete her one year sentence. However, exasperated prison officials kicked the woman out of prison because they knew if she stayed any longer the entire prison would have converted!
What often seems like a disaster to us is often God's divine blessing. Make the most out of any situation that confronts you!
- Recommended reading: Acts 16:19-34
