God continues to amaze me! Remember how I shared the other day (last Friday) about the miraculous way that God told me to write a book about how to hear His voice, but I resisted because I had no idea how to get it published? Then God spoke to the director of new product development at a major publishing company and he telephoned me to ask me to write a book for them about the very subject God had spoken to me about. The book became available (shipped from the printer to the distributors) last Friday. I could tell you many stories about neat things God did related to the book on Friday.. but I would rather "fast forward" to and incredible and awesome thing that He did today.

This afternoon Dave (the director of new product development for Charisma House publishers) telephoned me so we could pray over the book together. We had a lovely time doing this. Part of what Dave prayed was that the Lord would use the book to reach the unsaved. (It has the simple good news of the gospel in there a few times.) I got such a strong witness in my spirit when Dave prayed that, so I earnestly agreed with his prayer.

We finished the conversation/prayer about 5 minutes before I had to leave work. Dave had Federal Expressed me a copy of the book that arrived on Friday afternoon. So I took the book to work with me, to read as I commuted on BART (San Francisco's version of a subway). I had hoped that I would get a seat, but no such luck. So I found a place to stand and pulled out my book and began to read it. A couple of stops later, a man got on the BART, stood next to me and began reading the book over my shoulder. After a while he asked me, "Is that a good book?"

I smiled and said, "I am probably not the right person to ask, because I am bound to be prejudiced.. I am the author." I let him look at the book for a little bit, then we put down the book and began a dialogue. Immediately God told me that this man was not saved yet but was very close. God also said that I was not to push or pressure him in any way because that would turn him off to the good news.

The man said that he was intrigued with the title, it had caught his interest. (The title is How To Hear The Voice Of God In A Noisy World.) I asked him if he was a believer and he said no, but his wife was very much into Christianity. He was interested, and he appeared to be hungry for God, but he was not sure he was ready to give up his "after work beer" or the occasional smoke of pot. I explained how we enter into and enjoy a personal relationship with God. I agreed that God would most likely move him towards holiness (one step at a time) as God transformed his heart; but that he did not have to clean up his act before he could come to God. He could come to God just as he was and God would take it from there. I got to share with him how to receive Christ, so that he could do so on his own any time he felt he was ready. I also gave him my office phone number in case he wanted to ask more questions about God. (He had shared how it was hard to ask his wife about God because she had a tendency to push it on him too hard for him to listen to her.) He told me, "Don't be surprised, I will probably call you!"

We were so deep into it that I missed my stop. But even that was a part of God's plan, because the man got to share more of his heart. I could see that he was really hungry for God and was very close to being ready to make a serious commitment to Christ... Talk about a quick answer to Dave's prayer that God would use the book to reach the unsaved!

God is so incredible.. it wasn't even 30 minutes after we finished praying before the Lord began to answer that prayer. God orchestrated the first of what I believe will be many situations where God uses this book to reach the lost, as well as to edify and build up believers... now back to my story...

Then this man asked me to write down the name of the book because he wanted to buy a copy of it and read it for himself. About then we came to his stop and both got off the train together. We shook hands and he told me his name and how glad he was that we had this discussion.

I was glad too. In fact, I bet that heaven was rejoicing because this man is very close to receiving the Lord. I am so glad that the Lord allowed me (and my book) to participate with God in His process of wooing this man to Himself! I am still so amazed at how God orchestrated this conversation, using the book, just minutes after we finished praying!

We certainly do serve an awesome God who is in control of all circumstances and who is able to orchestrate all situations to His glory!