His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5).
Sister Chang of Henan Province, China, obeyed Mary's only command to do whatever Jesus said to her, even though it made no earthly sense. The Lord spoke to her to preach the gospel on the steps outside the local police station. Such action may lead to arrest even in Western nations, and in communist China, it is a sure way to invite severe punishment. But the more sister Chang prayed about it, the more the inner voice of God continued to tell her to do it. Finally, she saw no option but to obey God. Standing on the top step outside the police station, she boldly proclaimed the gospel to astonished onlookers.
Several officers dragged her inside within a few minutes and placed her under arrest. Her obedience looked foolish to the human eye, but God can see things that we can't. Sister Chang was sentenced without a trial and sent to the local women's prison, where she was imprisoned alongside thousands of spiritually lost souls. She boldly and lovingly proclaimed the gospel to her fellow prisoners, and the light of the gospel spread like wildfire. Within just three months, 800 women believed in Jesus! The entire prison atmosphere changed, and praise and worship from the new believers filled the prison hallways and the courtyard. The prison director was much impressed at the change in the atmosphere and traced it to the preaching of sister Chang.
He brought her into his office and said, "You have made my job easy! There is no more fighting between the prisoners; the women have become gentle and obedient. We need more people like you working here. From today, we have decided to let you go free. We want to give you a full-time job here in prison and pay you 3,000 yuan per month" (about US$ 375, a fortune in rural Henan province). He continued, "We will also give you a car and your driver and find you comfortable housing." Sister Chang briefly considered the offer and replied, "Twenty years ago, I became a disciple of Jesus Christ, and he has been wonderful to me. I don't believe your offer of a car, driver, and salary aligns with what Jesus wants to do with my life, and I belong to Him. All I want to do is to preach the good news." Despite her rejection of his offer, the director released her from prison that day, and she continued her ministry for the Lord. It always pays to do what the Lord tells you to do. Don't argue or fight about it, and don't try to work out all the details within your mind. Just do it. That is the one mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Keith Thomas
From the book by Paul Hattaway, Back to Jerusalem, Published by Piquant, Carlisle, UK.