Does God speak today?

The title of this blog was for some years ago a topic of discussion. Does God speak today and if so, how, when and to whom are just a few of the questions which immediately spring to mind.

I believe he does and I also believe he speaks to people in as may ways as our minds can think of, pluss some more. I will give you an example:

Some time before I left to come to Cambodia I was praying for and about this country and I felt that I should buy 5 + 1 bibles in the Khmer language. There were no flashing lights or big booming voice, nothing like that just a feeling that I should do it. I tend to act on these feelings because past experience has shown me time and again that this is usually the voice of my Heavenly Father. I know it sounds wierd but read on and see.

Next, I thought where in the whole of Norway would I get a total of six bibles, preferably new ones, in Khmer. Norway has many many more products in the shops compared to when we first arrived here over 25 years ago but still, Khmer bibles? I thought that if I was being asked to get them, well a bit of common sense ought to show me how. I rang the Bible Society in Oslo and spoke to a very friendly man. I explained what I wanted and then held my breath. "Yes, we have them in stock, how many would you like?" I needed to quickly recover myself, tell him I thought I needed six, and give hime the church address to send them to. What could have been a long chase with no luck turned out in the end to be a five minute job as though it was something I did every day.

Ok, so I now have my bible pluss these six pluss half a suitcase of other things I was taking to give away. There was just room to cram in a few clothes for myself. It's a good job I had 30kg hold luggage allowance pluss 7kg hand baggage. The problem which immediately showed itself was that I couldn't actually lift my suitcase! It's a good job it had wheels and I did not need to see it again until I arrived. If God had whispered to me about bringing these bibles I said that he must also show me who to give them to. I had been told to get 5 + 1 bibles so I assumed that someone was to have one and someone else the other five.

I carried them with me throughout the first week but there were no obvious recipeints. At the end of the first week I shared with Steve and the team the reason that my suitcase nearly dislocated the arm of anyone who tried to lift it. They did not know of anyone who they might be meant for. I transferred them into my backpack which meant I had them with me all the time during the second week. Also my suitcase was decidedly lighter as all the other things I brought to give away had been passed on by then.

On the penultimate day of our time in the provinces we knew who to give the one to. It happened like this: The church leaders were gathered when we arrived at 8am and we got straight doen to it before the temperature began to soar. Both Steve and I are practiced in "reading" a congregation and we were reading the gatherings all the time and listening to hear if God was pointing anyone out to us. Both Steve and I honed in on certain individuals and it was great to chat and see that they were the same people each time. Except this time I had also been drawn to a little girl in a green velvet top. Throughout the day she was listening to the teaching and taking part in the activities. We found out later that she was nine years old. I pointed her out to Steve and he immediately saw what I meant. There was something special about her but we could not pin down what it was. We believe that God by his Spirit had pointed her out to us. Nobody else noticed her.

Towards the end of the final part of the day Steve turned to me and asked if I had a prophecy or word for her. I sat and thought about it for a while, sent an arrow prayer up and tried to listen for an answer. It came, not A WORD Tracy, THE WORD. I was to give her the word of God, a bible. We stopped them at the end and with the help of our translator (see previous post) explained about the bible and that I would like to give her one of them. We also said that we believed God had seen her and had a special future planned for her. Her Mum was pleased but speachless for a while. The little one could not stop grinning!

Although there is compulsory education here there is nobody to enforce it so it is in real terms up to the family whether they send there children to school. There is a lot more to say about schooling in Cambodia, especially in the provinces but here is not the place. There was no certainty that she could even read not least because she had not been to school that day, she had been with us. Did she go to school even... when we asked, yes she could read.

Here she is with her bible. Was it all in my mind or was it listening to the whispers of God the Holy Spirit? You decide.

What about the other 5 bibles? Well, you'll have to ask me when you see me!