If you remain in Me and My words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 15:7
Do you know how it is when a certain smell or certain sight jolts you back to the past to a certain time and memory? When it happens, it's almost like you are there, experiencing the memory all over again. This is what happens to me every time I read John 15:7. It makes me have butterflies all over again, even after all these years.
It all happened on my last trip in China, in the summer of 2002. Our team of Americans were teaching English to over 200 Chinese students. One of the planned activities was a field trip to the Great Wall, with all 200 students plus 50 or more teachers. Just the logistics of transportation was overwhelming! But the Chinese team leader, Johnson, had been planning the camp for months and had buses reserved well in advance.
About three days before this field trip, I walked through the lobby of the hotel to find Johnson (who was not a Believer) sitting in the lobby, obviously troubled. I asked him was was wrong. He told me that although he had reserved buses for the field trip months in advance, the reservation had been canceled by his school director because she had found a better price on buses elsewhere. At the last minute, he was informed that the buses were not available. He explained to me that it was impossible to find enough buses now because July was China busiest tourist season.
He was greatly distressed because he was afraid he was going to have to cancel the field trip. In the Chinese culture, "saving face" is of the utmost importance, and to cancel the promised field trip would be bad for his school's reputation. So I told him, "Johnson, I will pray about it." With a look of surprise, he asked, "So you think your God can provide the buses?" And...I nearly died on the spot. Uhhhh, well...ummm. "What do I say?" I thought. If I say yes, and God doesn't provide the buses, what will he think of God? But I can't say no because I know God can do anything. Talk about being called on the carpet.
So I said the only thing I could say. "Yes, God can provide those buses," I told him. Johnson seemed skeptical, and I was SCARED TO DEATH. I never doubted that God COULD provide those buses, but I just didn't know if He WOULD. And I felt Johnson's faith in God was on the line.
I left Johnson, went to my room and fell on my face before the Lord. I begged the Lord for those buses. I admitted how afraid I was, and I asked Him for a miracle, so that Johnson could see that my God was awesome and powerful . I then called an emergency meeting with all the American teachers, told them about our conversation, and begged them to pray with me. And pray we did!
Over the next two days, we all continued to pray and anxiously await news on the buses. I finally asked Johnson about it. He said, "Well, your God has come through about 85%." When he said that, God gave me great boldness, and I answered, "My God is a 100% God, and He will provide all of your buses." As I walked away, I was certain I had lost my sanity!
Later that afternoon, after I had reported this news to the team and told them what I had said, a teenager on the team brought me a card with a verse written on it. It said:
If you remain in Me and My words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 15:7
It became my lifeline. I have never held on to Scripture so tightly. I reminded the Lord continually of this promise, as did my team. We continued to pray the next two days, but God had not provided the remaining buses.
The morning of the field trip dawned, and I was very anxious. I searched Johnson out. When I found him, he gave me wonderful news: he said not only did we had enough buses, but that there was an EXTRA bus and driver. I was overjoyed. God had done the impossible. He had made a way when there seemed to be no way.
But He wasn't done yet.
On the way to the field trip, it began to rain. The further we drove, the more it rained. The more it rained, the more Johnson began to worry. Johnson, in a teasing voice, said to me, "Your God provided the buses, but now it is raining." I replied, "Hey, you didn't tell me to pray about the weather." We all laughed, but when we got there and Johnson got off the bus to walk to the ticket office, we began to pray. We asked God to stop the rain, so that Johnson could see Him.
And God did.
By the time Johnson got back to the bus, God had not only stopped the rain, but we could see the sun peeking through the clouds. Johnson got back on the bus, and with a huge smile on his face, said, "I can see your God coming through the clouds."
In John 14:13, Jesus tells His disciples this:
And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do,
that My Father may be glorified in the Son.
Then, in the next verse, He repeats His promise:
If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
God heard the desperate prayers of this crazy girl from South Carolina, who had gone halfway around the world to tell people about Jesus. He provided the buses and stopped the rain for Johnson, yes, but also for me. He wanted me to know that He keeps His promises, and that if we ask in His name, that His name be glorified, HE WILL DO IT.
He is good, He is faithful, and
He always keeps His promises.
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