If God is good, just, and loving, how can He hold people accountable who live in places where they have never heard the name of Jesus? How can these people believe in the one they have never heard of? How will they know the truth without a missionary speaking to them? How can God send people to Hell who didn’t have a chance to know Him?
These questions are often discussed and debated quite heatedly.
Well, God does not NEED us to reach a heart. Yes, he wants us to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. Yes, He can and will speak through us. BUT, He can speak in many other ways as well. As it says in Romans 1:20, when it comes to knowing God is real, “MEN ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE.” You may be asking, in what other ways can God speak? Well, He can speak through nature itself. In Psalm 19:1, David writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of his hands.” And the start of Romans 1:20, Paul writes, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen.” Not only can God speak through nature, but He can speak through dreams and visions. God spoke through dreams with many biblical characters, from Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel to Joseph of the Old Testmanent to Joseph of the New, and as it is written in Joel 2:28 and rewritten in Acts 2:17, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophecy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” God reach a person in ANY way He wants. He can even appear to a person directly, as he did with Saul turned Paul. NOTHING is impossible for Him. NO door can shut Him out. No law can stop Him. His love and ultimate reality cannot be contained or hidden.
I had always heard of Muslims in unreached places finding Jesus because of a dream, but I had never before met someone firsthand until now.
Meet Susy. Susy grew up in a Muslim family, and at age 17, Jesus started to appear to her in dreams. He was dressed in white, with light radiating from Him, and she couldn’t see His face. He spoke to her and said He wanted to be close to her. She did not know who this Jesus was, but as the dreams continued, she came to discover who He was and made a decision to follow Him. And as she made this decision, He continued to be a part of her dreams. She has dreamt that He is walking beside her and that He is washing her feet. She has also dreamt that He is returning with His mighty angels to take the true believers, who are clothed in white, home to heaven. She said she was crying as she rose with Christ because so many who had seemed to be true Christians were left behind, in the dark. As a result of these dreams, Susy came to find Christ. No person spoke to her of Him. No missionary had to open her eyes to the truth. Jesus Himself appeared to her. Jesus is her best friend. She LOVES Jesus and wants to tell many Muslims about Him.
However, finding Jesus doesn’t mean her life has been easy. For a time, she was disowned by her family, and as of right now, she is in another predicament that has caused her deep pain. She slipped up and made a mistake, which we all do as humans, and now instead of forgiving, many Christians are turning their backs on her and a family she loves. (There is obviously much more to the story, but it is Susy’s story to tell.) To think that a body of believers could disown one of their own makes me sick to my stomach. When hard times come, we as Christians should be there for each other, forgive, and build one another back up.
In the past week and a half, I have fallen in love with this girl. She has had struggles and trials and has consequences to face for them, but she has a love and faith in Jesus that will pull her through. I have loved talking with her, sipping tea with her, writing her notes, discussing the word, praying over her, going to church with her, and watching movies together. I truly feel I have met a “kindred spirit.” And although she is younger than me, she has taught me so much. She convicts and encourages me in ways she will never realize, all because she is focused on Jesus. She has reminded me to make Jesus my first love–that my relationship with Him superceeds all else. She has inspired and motivated me during the times I have been most tired and down. I may think I am ministering to her, but in reality, she is ministering so much more to me. Throughout my time on the World Race thus far, no experience has been as powerful as my friendship with Susy! Thank you, my friend! 🙂
