We were evangelizing in a small community near the mountains of Haiti when God led us to a group of people sitting underneath a mango tree. While talking about Jesus a man approached us wanting to ask a question. “Do you see this tree? I know this tree is here because I can see it and I can touch it. But, Jesus I cannot see so how do I know He is real?”
I shared with him my experience of seeing Jesus in my life when I was saved from alcoholism and depression. My teammate shared her story as well of how Jesus changed her life. We know He is real because our life was made new when we made Jesus our Lord. We shared scripture from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, encouraging him to keep his eyes fixed on the unseen. The things of this world, even the tree that the man was touching will be gone someday, but the fruit we bear for the Kingdom of Heaven and God’s glory is eternal.
The man’s name is Sebo. After we spoke he shared with us his story. He speaks English and was a translator for a medic clinic in Haiti. He’s a Christian and he loves Jesus. Sebo wanted to know our heart for Jesus and was encouraged after hearing how we were saved from a life of emptiness and sin.
Rewind to our first week in the Dominican Republic, I was asking God to show me what physical item He would like me to let go off. Every month, I plan on releasing an item as a representation of letting go and sacrificing my worldly needs for God’s provision. I had the impression that God was preparing me to let go of my Bible, the one I bought myself when I made Him Lord and throughout the years was filled with notes and tear stained pages.
I didn’t understand it then, but during this divine appointment while talking to Sebo, my Spirit leaped within me. Sebo was requesting for an English Bible to be given to him during our next visit to his community. He knew how difficult it was to find a Creole Bible translation and he knew the Word of God only by listening to it at Church.
We were leaving Haiti in two days and would not have the opportunity to see him again. This was the moment that I’ve been waiting for. The moment God would tell me to let go. Filled with joy, I placed the Bible in his hands telling him about my prayer last month and what God was asking me to do. With a smile he held it exclaiming, “this is my Bible!”
Immediately I felt a release as if tension was leaving my shoulders. With obedience I saw God’s sovereignty and His great plans that surpass my own understanding. I saw that trusting His voice leads to incomparable joy as His plans are fulfilled. And, being expectant of Him leads to perfect, God ordained appointments.
My prayer for Sebo is that he may read and meditate on the Word of God with delight. I pray that the Word brings a breath of life to his soul, giving him clarity and spiritual wisdom. I pray that he doesn’t keep the Word of God to himself but gives it freely to minister to others and make disciples for the Kingdom. I pray that this seed will bear good fruit.
“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:8-9
