(Bus Episode) A spiritual war a new bus driver faced

I used to be a courier driver. The courier job requires much energy. I had to walk and run all day with carrying items.

At the first stage, my physical strength was able to cope with it. As I grew older, I became more and more tired.

When ten years had passed, I had begun praying for a new job. Gratefully, I managed to get a new job. I became a bus driver. It had been fourteen years since I started a courier job. At last, I could get out of the courier job.

Thinking back, it was all good with my bus driving. A bus is big, so I need to take a careful driving at all times. I did it, and everything was going well, at least for the time being.

But, it was not long before something happened to me. At one point, weird things occurred three days in a row. There were troubles on the final trip of each day.   

On Thursday, a female passenger complained to me that I was driving too slowly. Slow down might be desirable for a bus driver, but ‘too slowly’ is problematic.  She pointed it out.

On Friday, when I closed the back door, I made a mistake. The closing door hit a passenger getting off on the hand. I ran off to her, asking, “Are you okay?”

The woman stared at me, massaging her hand hurt with the other. I said, “Sorry, I am a beginner...” Hearing that, she became generous and forgave me.

On Saturday, I was supposed to do a change-over. I had to pass my bus to another driver, and receive a car from him to go back to the depot.

But, the other driver didn’t show up on time. I waited for him at the bus stop as much as 30 minutes. He had been in the wrong place. Later on, he hurried to our meeting point. I don’t know why he didn’t say sorry to me, but I had to forgive him anyway.

I was worried about bad things happening day by day. I wanted to find out what was going on around me. A question flashed over. “Is there any spiritual reason involved?”

Suppose it. A Christian is on the way to a bus driver. The job came from God by the answer to prayer. Then, what can we expect the evil spirit to respond? He is likely to interfere with a smooth start.

Thinking about it, I prayed to God for the salvation out of my troubles. During not in service, I shouted, “Satan! I am already dead on the Cross. Jesus is in my place. If you attack me, you will face Jesus, not me.”   

In the middle of prayer, Joshua 21:43 came to my mind.

“So, the Lord gave Israel all the land...and they took possession of it and settled there.”

Yes! It was the answer I needed. The word proclaimed I already took possession of the territory of a new job, that is, a bus driver. I remembered Joshua 1:3, as well.

“Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you.” That was God's promise to Joshua initially, and to me next.

A bus driver’s job itself could be a little thing. But, in terms of God’s answer to my prayer, it is precious enough to be priceless. Even though the evil one is trying to stop me, God lets me keep going ahead. The Lord is walking with me, so I am safe.

Halleluiah!

(Bus Episode) My City of Refuge

This morning, I read Joshua 20 regarding cities of refuge. According to the Scripture, the law is not just a cold one. It contains warm grace in itself, saving even a murderer by mistake.

I experienced the same grace just before, so I got moved deeply. 

At the final stage of training to be a bus driver, I made an accident by mistake. My bus got smashed by the front panel.

When I filled out the incident form, I was angry at myself. But soon after, I realized that the Lord Jesus became my city of refuge in this event of an accident.

Above all, no passengers were injured because the bus was empty at the time. And, the insurance of the company entirely covered the incident. I was free of the accident financially. It was amazing to me.

The salvation was not the end of God’s grace, but he also gave me an unforgettable lesson.  

The Lord put my mind down not to be arrogant before finishing all training. It was as if the accident was shouting, “Be careful in the street at all times!” 

I remember 2Corinthians 12:10. Apostle Paul confesses, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Now, that is my confession too. I admit I am weak in driving so I can make a safe driving from now on. It's the most valuable lesson for my future driving during my lifetime.

I praise God, who will make my driving perfect in weakness. (2Corinthians 12:9)