A Voice Heeded

1970 Gold Nova

We spent close to two years in The Philippine Islands where Joel was stationed at Clark Air Base as a meteorologist.  When it was getting close to the time when we would leave, we decided to sell our 1970 gold Nova that had been shipped over when we left the states.  Except for the Americans, cars were few and far between in the country, and being it was only 6 years old, so we could get a good price for it.  We prayed for God to send us the right buyer and protect us in the process.

 After posting a for sale sign, Joel heard from two Filipino men who wanted to test drive the car and check it out.  He picked them up, one climbed in up front and one got in the back seat behind him.  As Joel was driving around Angeles City, they kept giving directions to him on where to drive.  As he was waiting to turn down a sparsely populated road they had directed him to, he heard a voice in his head say firmly, "Do NOT turn here."  He hesitated and he heard it again.  "Do NOT turn here."  Realizing quickly that he was not safe, he did as the Voice directed and drove straight ahead, pulled over in a busy area and jumped out of the car.  As he did so, one of the men reached over and snatched Joel's small calculator that had been on the seat.  Joel stayed a distance from the men and told them to get out of the car and leave the calculator behind. They did so and Joel got back in, locked the doors, and drove home.

Two days later he heard about a military man who was showing his car to two men who wanted to buy it.  They directed him to a remote area and robbed him, stabbed him and left him for dead, stealing his vehicle.  He was hospitalized and did recover.

As you can imagine, we were very thankful that God had kept Joel safe, speaking clearly to him at that moment in time, and most likely saving him from the same fate as the other officer.  We eventually did sell our car, being careful to have someone go along with Joel and stay in populated areas for the test drives!

Sometimes we hear God speak to us through His written Word, through the words of others, through devotionals, or our own thoughts.  There is the rare occasion we hear the audible voice of God. The point being made here is that I believe God is always speaking to us.  Through nature, through friends, strangers, books, the Bible, in our hearts and dreams and sometimes as a voice that comes out of no where while we are driving a car.  Today, Lord, let me listen for your voice!  Joel heard a voice....whether it was the voice of an angel or of God, he heard a voice and he heeded that voice.  In doing so it kept him from harm that day and for that we are so grateful.