Friendship Born By God

1 John 4:16 (NLT) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them. 

Last year I began asking God to help break barriers down for a friend of mine from high school that is Muslim. We have been friends for many years but about four years ago I began sharing Christ with her. As I shared Christ with her it became evident that she just chose not to believe. It was also difficult because we lived far apart. In my discouragement, I began praying to God to soften my heart for other Muslims and also that He may use me to disciple someone, preferably a young lady who desired to be discipled.
As God would have it, He arranged for Matt to come speak at our church and that gave me an even greater desire to reach out to Muslim people. I began studying my Bible more and enrolled in a class on apologetics to learn how to defend my faith in Jesus Christ. I finished the course in November and began asking God to send me someone that I could share the wealth of information He allowed me to learn. He answered that prayer in December 2015. I met a young lady who just came from her native country which is predominantly Muslim and she came with a thirst for God. She began asking questions about Christianity and the different denominations within. God used all that I had learned in class and my prayers to begin a journey that exceeded all my expectations in ways I could not have imagined. We began a sweet friendship and I was able to give her a Bible and she eagerly began reading. The more she read, the more questions she had and the Lord granted me the wisdom to share with her.
As she began reading the Bible a month ago, God began revealing Himself and drawing her to salvation in Christ. By the second invitation to church, she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior after the church service in January. The gospel became very clear to her and she has been growing in the faith since. God’s word says “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out of from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV) This young lady had heard the gospel in her country and the seed was planted. It was in her heart, but she lacked a disciple to come along side her. That is my purpose in her life and I believe God did all the work. I am just a commissioned servant. There is no way I could come up with such a great plan. God’s Word never returns void.
 There are no words to express how I feel about our new sister in Christ. We have been studying the Bible together and she is growing in her Christian convictions every day. Praise the Lord and thank you all for keeping her and me in your prayers.