by Rev Chandra Bomjan, Pastor-in-Charge of Vijayee Methodist Church, Nepal. He participates actively in church planting programmes. He is also the MCN Prayer Coordinator.
Psalm 94: 17-19 (NIV):
Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
Romans 8: 28 (NIV):
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Interfering with God's time and plan is not only the ineffectuality but also the ignorance and stupidity of human beings. During my life, when I was suffering from COVID, which was like plucking the life, two times I kept saying to God, "If my race is over than lift me up to you, if not then make me strong to do your service." But God gave me life again to answer that His time has not come or I have not run out of time, and He has given me the grace to do His work again.
Especially the 13 days from 19 September to 1 October became a very meaningful time for me. In the day from 27 September to 1 October, I could really feel that God wanted me to be close with Him. I remember that I heard a clear voice on Monday, 27 September saying, "These three days are very difficult." Because of this voice, I used to gather courage for myself. I used to think, I will be sick for only three days, and then I would be happy that I would get better. And sometimes, I used to be worried by thinking that, what if I have to leave this world in three days.
The brothers and sisters from the church were constantly praying for me. In spite of the vision and prophecy they received from God, they were giving consolation saying that "God's protection has come upon you", all hope and enthusiasm are forgotten in the hardship of illness. That is what was happening to me.
In such a time of dilemma and uncertainty, I had the privilege of having some short but deep fellowship with God one day, and the light I received at that time has become my guide. The three days that I was told started from 28 September. From that day on, I got little tired and I completely separated everything from me like: the things even bitter or sweet (experiences), internet, practical things with family, and funny jokes. I told my wife, Maya, don't allow the people to see me, even those who come to pray for me, so that I could be completely alone. And when the people used to come to pray for me, they used to pray in another room.
It was like the whole environment was controlled by someone. In the meantime, I felt that God wanted me to spend that special time with Him. When gold is burned from the fire, just as it is separated from everything, only gold ring is put in the fire but not the gem attached to the gold ring, in the same way, I felt that God wanted me to be completely separated from all things and unarmed alone. And I began to realize that He is expressing His grievances towards me. When I was in front of Him and He was pointing out my weakness and I was contrite before Him, the same moment I was ensuring of cleansing all my weaknesses. In this way, I could understand His intention that a sacred life as the gold that is burned out to fire should serve the God.
In addition to all of, this short period of my illness brought great blessings to the church. Praying for me has become an excuse, but the church really seemed to be moving in the right direction to be a house of prayer. Youths and other members of the congregation have begun to spend more time in prayer than even before. In the midst of so many years of my ministry, this time God allowed me to see the true nature of the church. The prophecy "And this all was happened because God was allowing this all to be" was fulfilled.
Thanks to the Almighty God. In the meantime, I have felt that, once again, there should be urgent need to renew our work of ministry by sitting with God.
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Note: We did not edit on the writing style so as to retain the testimony's original Nepali expressions and flavour. 😊