Loving Like God

A short testimonial story by Jay Ferris

One day a president of a small company was trying to help me find parts for a welding project I was neck deep in. While seated on the other side of his desk, I suddenly felt a prompting to share Christ with him.

However, I didn’t feel presentable as the Lord’s representative in the moment. My body was tired. My work clothes were greasy and beat-up. But I was getting no peace. In my inner conversation with the Lord, I finally said, “Okay, but if this will happen, you’re going to have to give me a clear sign.”

We finished our business, his not having been able to locate what I needed but promising to pursue it and get back to me. I stood up to shake his hand when his phone rang. He excused himself to answer it, then, after a moment, he held it away from his ear with a troubled look on his face. I couldn’t hear the voice on the other end of the phone, but, leaning against the door of his office, I was prompted to say, “Oh my people, women rule over them, and children oppress them.”

He reacted as if I had hit him with a baseball bat. He said something very harsh, cut the phone conversation short, and turned to me and asked, “Why did you say that? Where did that come from? Do you know who was on the phone? That was my wife! She and my daughter are having an argument, and trying to involve me. Why did you say that?” He hardly took a breath. 

I responded by saying where it came from, Isaiah. 

“But how did you know it, and why did you say it?” he asked.

I explained I had come across the verse when I was studying the monetary implications in the Bible. (I was working on my first book then)

He responded, “Please, sit down and tell me more about this!” 

He didn’t have to ask twice. But I hadn’t gotten very far when he interrupted. “Would you be willing to speak to my group?”

I had no idea what his group was about, but I said, “Sure.” And soon I left his office with no details on the subject. As far as I figured, he instantly forgot—and after a while, I nearly did too. 

But six months later I got a call from him. He explained that he was president of the local chamber of commerce and had been charged with the responsibility of getting the speaker for their annual dinner. Would I be willing to come?

It was quite a lavish affair. My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful supper, and the atmosphere was electric. I spoke for about 45 minutes and sat down. They wouldn’t let me off that easy, however; the question and answer session that followed lasted another hour!

All of this is just to say that, where weapons are concerned, most of my best work has been done when I didn’t have any idea what I was doing. They really are “spiritual” weapons.