Just A Thought – Does God Ever “Vaccinate” Us?

Does God Ever “Vaccinate” Us?

I read a testimony several years back that really stuck with me. I had never heard this concept explained like this before. There was a young lady that had a vivid dream about her life. In the dream, she was running from her enemies and was hit in the back by four arrows. When she awoke, she asked the Lord, “Why did you let me get hit? Why did you not protect me?” As she waited quietly, the Lord spoke softly to her soul, “My child, I was vaccinating you against the trials to come.” She pondered this and thought about what a vaccine actually does. It takes a very small part of the virus and it is put into the body for the immune system to overcome. Then when that body is exposed to the real disease, it is already prepared with antibodies to overcome it.

It was an interesting concept and one that resonated with me. It seemed like a modern “parable” of sorts. I thought about a recent incident in which I was allowed to go through something difficult and was a bit disturbed at why God had let the enemy get so far with this attack against my household. I will share it with you…

My husband drives a big rig truck for a living and he is the primary source of income for the family. One day he got pulled over by a rookie cop and was charged with going a certain amount over the speed limit. The problem is that it was impossible for his truck to have been going the speed he was accused of, because the company has a “governor’ on the truck that will not allow it to go over a certain speed. So when the young policeman’s supervisor pulled up and he explained this, the elder policeman tore up the paperwork and printed out something else, telling my husband he was not going to give him a citation.

My husband turned the paperwork in to his bosses and they too came to the conclusion that no citation was issued. In the meantime, somehow the wrong paperwork was filed in the legal system and we were unaware. A court date was issued and he did not show up because he did not even know about it. A second court date was set for thirty days later, and again we received no notification at all. Not knowing…..he was again a “no show” and a warrant was issued for his arrest. We were completely in the dark, until I got a phone call from a Sheriff telling me that a warrant was out for my husbands arrest. I almost hit the floor! How could this have gone so far? How did we not know?
We are law abiding citizens and would never ignore something like that, especially jeapordizing his job!

So great woman of faith that I am (not), I PANICKED! The sheriff told me that he needed to go and turn himself in to the magistrate. How did this happen? How did it get so mixed up and to this point?

At least I am smart enough to know that even if my faith is challenged, God answers the prayers of the saints, especially when we come into agreement on things. So I buzzed my praying friends and tried to calm down. As we were walking in to the court house, I cast my care on the Lord and knew I was trusting Him to make it all come out…..but another test of faith was coming. We were told by the District Attorney’s office that he had to go and turn himself in, get fingerprinted, put in jail, and then I would have to bail him out of jail. NOT happy! As we walked through the corridor to the jail …..I was having an internal conversation with myself. It was hard to believe this was happening, but I was telling myself, “Stay calm and trust.”

Then the magistrate came out and we could tell he was a Christian…kindness exuded through his countenance. He listened to my husbands story and did something unusual. He had him sign a promise note to appear in court and said “I don’t want this man fingerprinted and processed.” He called for a deputy to come up front and fill out paperwork releasing him to go.

As I walked away, I was praising God for His intervention. Then I looked at myself. I had been terrified at first and not in faith at all. I was ashamed at how frightened I was.
I began to apologize to the Lord for my unbelief. I had been quoting to myself that “all things work together for good” and wondering what “good” this could produce.

Then I was quiet and listened. The Holy Spirit gently brought up the “vaccine” story I told you about in the beginning. What if someday me or my husband are taken to jail for the gospels sake or for speaking the truth of His word? It could happen. Will I be ready? Through all of this…my soul has processed this possibility. I don’t think I will be as afraid. I was made to look it straight in the face. A seed of faith has been planted. Like a vaccine for my soul. God is faithful to complete what He begins in us.

As I look back at my life I can see where God has done this to me more than once. Growing my faith in increments…. Can you see a place where God has prepared you for something to come? Maybe He allowed something to touch you and you could not understand why…. The story is not over. And yes, “He does work ALL things together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 He is always preparing us to be overcomers in Christ Jesus, as we allow His Word to reign in the adversities of our lives.

Lord, help us to understand that you are truly always in control, even when we can’t see the big picture….help us to know that You are the artist of our lives and to grow in our trust in You. Amen

copyright 2015 Jean Chamblee Thomas

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 3/21/15

I do believe that because for the most part, (and there are certainly exceptions) Americans have failed to “wake up” to the warnings and dealings of God, that another wave of calamity will be sent, perhaps terrorism again or war on our own soil as the article below alludes to. Or economic collapse or even something else…God knows. It has been so puzzling to me how the churches, at this most critical time in history, have failed to come together in fasting, prayer, and a unified voice before God. But have continued with “business as usual” in a time that has been anything but usual. I have to count myself in that number and ask God’s forgiveness….. I pray that we each wake up as individuals and that our leaders will understand the hour we live in and pray like never before and act and speak as God leads without fear and without regard to losing a few offended congregants. In HItler’s Germany…..many of the churches were guilty of hearing the trains go by with screaming Jews heading to their death…..and to their shame…..they, instead of prayer and intervention, stood up and sang their Hymns a little louder to drown out the cries of the Jews. Are we guilty of the same? Christian brothers and sisters also being slaughtered along with innocents of all kind and evil is prevailing. Maybe when it hits our shores… will we do what we should have been doing all along? It breaks my heart because it could have been stopped by putting down the games we play and luxuries we indulge in and truly engaged in spiritual warfare together….. I hope you will read the article below and realize just how close this is…. I pray that each reader will take this to heart and to prayer…God is always listening. May He find us each on the right side of His will….

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“I’m just one person, what can I do to to change things in America?” we may find ourselves saying. Here are a few practical ideas…..

1.Pray fervently with all your heart
2. Pray in agreement with a spouse, friend, another believer etc.
3. Pray for the Pastors in your area by name; asking God to put on their hearts to come together in unity and lead their congregations in prayer for America.
4. Be aware….pay attention to the news and…..yes, pray!
5. Contact your congressmen and representatives and give them a word of encouragement to fight the good fight and do what is best for America. Everyone needs encouragement and yours may be the very one to spur them on. They have MUCH against them.
6. Contacting is easy……just google for the names of your areas elected representatives and send them an encouraging email. They each have a site to receive from their constituents and they want to hear what you are thinking. You can put them on your facebook so that you can keep up with what they are doing…..and since we are ON facebook alot….it makes it easier to keep up with things.
7. Speak up as you feel God leading you. Most people are in the dark because our main stream media limits what they share. Sometimes just sharing the 411 can change things.
8. Rejoice …..God is in control and because you are aware….you will not be caught by surprise. Jesus Christ came to earth in dark days….when His people were under Roman oppression…..and yet….it did not stop the work of God. He conquered. And in Christ we can overcome in every situation the future holds for us. Our citizenship is in heaven. We’re just passing through and hoping to give glory to the One that gave us life!
9. Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself! Share Christ

10. Micah 6:8
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you. But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” Amen