Norton's Notes

Walking with God

Walking With God can be both alarming and exciting. Valerie and I discovered for ourselves that God knows the future and prepares his children for it. The preparation can be a hard lesson.
We were staying with missionary friends in the North of Uganda, during January 1971, for a short holiday. Naturally the weather was hot and dry for we were close to the Sahara Desert. As Sunday approached I was asked to prepare a message for the small group that met in their bungalow. God made it clear that the passage I should be speaking from was Isaiah 43.

"But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.

I urged my friends to trust God whatever happened. However as they were all on holiday they were expecting a quiet week. So it was and we returned home.

The next Sunday we woke to the news that Idi Amin had come to power, borders had been closed, there was a curfew and the advice was “Stay indoors”. We did.

We realised that this is what God had been preparing was for the previous week. This was the fire that would not burn or destroy. The next few months was filled with interesting experiences. My most difficult class became meek as lambs as I taught against a background of exploding mortar rounds, albeit at a distance.

On the way to the world famous Bujigali Falls, where Speke was the first European to see the source of the White Nile, we were stopped by a none too sober soldier who stuck his rifle through the driver’s window. “Where are you going?” he asked. I thought that the correct response should be “Heaven” but eventually he let us pass.

Then with closed borders there was food shortages as lots of our food came from Kenya. The message arrived at our compound “Butter has arrived at last. Go to the government stores.” Having been without for some time I hurried there and joined the queue. I modestly asked for a packet of butter and received what I asked for. A case of 24 lbs of butter! Enough for the whole staff!!

Through this time we were able to put our trust day by day in the God who makes and keeps his promises.
Nearly twenty years later we realised that this was part of our preparation for working with Release International when we would be travelling to visit Christians living in daily expectation of imprisonment, persecution or martyrdom for their faith in Jesus.

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