Subject: Isaiah 65:24

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THIS  WILL TRULY LIFT YOU UP SPIRITUALLY. SO  ENJOY & BELIEVE     Isaiah  65:24    This  is a story written by a doctor who worked in Africa.     One  night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but inspite of  all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby anda crying  two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we  had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an  incubator).    We  also had no special feeding facilities.    Although  we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One  student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool  that the baby would be wrapped in.   Another  went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly  in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst   (rubber  perishes easily in tropical climates).    'And  it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good  crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good  crying over burst water bottles.    They  do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. 'All  right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep  between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep  the baby warm.'    The  following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the  orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various  suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I  explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning  the hot  water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also  told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had  died.    During  prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt  conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot  water bottle today It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead,  so please send it this afternoon.'   While  I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are  about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You  really love her?'    As  often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say  'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do  this.    Oh,  yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are  limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer  would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for  almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from  home.   Anyway,  if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived  on the equator!   Halfway  through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a  message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached  home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel.  I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent  for the orphanage children..   Together we pulled off the string,   carefully  undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly     Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on  the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted  jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted  bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored..  Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of  buns for the weekend.   Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the... Could it really  be?    I  grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I  cried.    I  had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He  could.    Ruth  was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God  has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly,  too!'   Rummaging  down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed  dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never  doubted!   Looking  up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that  little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves  her?'   Of  course,' I replied!    That  parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former  Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting   to send  a hot water bottle, even to the equator.   And  one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before,  in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that  afternoon.'    Before  they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)    When  you receive this, say the prayer. That's all I ask. No strings attached. Just  send it on to whomever you want - but do send it on.    Prayer  is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of  rewards. Let's continue praying for one  another.   This  awesome prayer takes less than a minute.   Heavenly  Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this. I  ask You to minister to their spirit. Where  there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where  there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence to work through them. Where  there is tiredness or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding,  guidance, and strength. Where  there is fear, reveal our love and release to them Your courage. Bless  their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to  support and encourage them. I  ask You to do these things in Jesus' name. Amen