Herescope Testimony Series
“Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters….”
(Isaiah 55:1a)
thirsteth, come ye to the waters….”
(Isaiah 55:1a)
“O God, Thou art my God;
early will I seek thee:
my soul thirsteth for Thee,
my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty
land,
where no water is;”
(Psalm 63:1)
By Sarah Huling Leslie
Have you ever been really thirsty? Really thirsty?
I had been a nominal Christian for several years, and I was
a chronic backslider. I was converted out of the hippie movement into the Jesus
movement. But I was a fragile baby believer, and without solid discipleship the
weeds of sin soon flourished, crowding out my faith. I struggled to be a
Christian but without much success. Many years later I would realize that
during my college years I had been put through various psychological and
sociological experimentation programs without my full knowledge and informed consent—all
of them designed to erode faith. I didn’t know how to stand firm, and I
definitely didn’t know how to walk in the faith.
a chronic backslider. I was converted out of the hippie movement into the Jesus
movement. But I was a fragile baby believer, and without solid discipleship the
weeds of sin soon flourished, crowding out my faith. I struggled to be a
Christian but without much success. Many years later I would realize that
during my college years I had been put through various psychological and
sociological experimentation programs without my full knowledge and informed consent—all
of them designed to erode faith. I didn’t know how to stand firm, and I
definitely didn’t know how to walk in the faith.
But God had His own plan for my life. One year after I
graduated from college I surrendered and entrusted God with 100% of my life. Corrie
ten Boom had come to Des Moines in a pivotal weekend in May of 1976, and my
Christian friends and I went to listen to her in every place where she spoke.
Her sincere and simple faith guided me into recommitting my life to the Lord.
In a key moment of time I recognized that Jesus was real and alive, and He was
asking me to follow Him the rest of my life. I immediately rushed to flush my
cigarettes down the toilet. From that point on I desired to live a more pure
and holy life.
graduated from college I surrendered and entrusted God with 100% of my life. Corrie
ten Boom had come to Des Moines in a pivotal weekend in May of 1976, and my
Christian friends and I went to listen to her in every place where she spoke.
Her sincere and simple faith guided me into recommitting my life to the Lord.
In a key moment of time I recognized that Jesus was real and alive, and He was
asking me to follow Him the rest of my life. I immediately rushed to flush my
cigarettes down the toilet. From that point on I desired to live a more pure
and holy life.
During this time I had been working in a group home with
emotionally disturbed adolescents. Even though I didn’t talk about my new-found
faith, the teenagers noticed the change in me. Inevitably a few of them wanted
to know about Jesus and they requested that I take them to church. Each Sunday that
I was on shift I would drive a van load of adolescents to a local
Bible-preaching church. Several of them had accepted Jesus into their hearts.
As a consequence I was asked to quit my job. I was told by the staff
psychologists that believing in God was a sign of “emotional weakness” and they
couldn’t tolerate someone “mentally unstable” working with the kids. They
claimed that believing in Jesus would cause further emotional damage to these
teenagers. These were atheists and this was what they believed. Thus I had to
quit my first fulltime job with poor prospects of obtaining a good
recommendation from them for my next job.
emotionally disturbed adolescents. Even though I didn’t talk about my new-found
faith, the teenagers noticed the change in me. Inevitably a few of them wanted
to know about Jesus and they requested that I take them to church. Each Sunday that
I was on shift I would drive a van load of adolescents to a local
Bible-preaching church. Several of them had accepted Jesus into their hearts.
As a consequence I was asked to quit my job. I was told by the staff
psychologists that believing in God was a sign of “emotional weakness” and they
couldn’t tolerate someone “mentally unstable” working with the kids. They
claimed that believing in Jesus would cause further emotional damage to these
teenagers. These were atheists and this was what they believed. Thus I had to
quit my first fulltime job with poor prospects of obtaining a good
recommendation from them for my next job.
Suddenly I found myself confronted with the necessity of
living totally on faith. I had no job, no income, and my parents were living
overseas. There was no one I could turn to for help. Scared, helpless and
lonely, I rushed into the arms of Jesus and begged the Lord to sustain me. I
had to learn to live on faith alone. But even as a fledgling believer, I had
hope. I knew in my heart that the Lord was telling me to wait on Him, that He would
open a door for me for a new job, He would show me my next step. I wanted to be
in His perfect will. Many people thought this was crazy, but I knew that I
needed to obey Him. So I waited… and waited… and waited for God to “give” me a
new job. And the Lord encouraged and sustained me with many precious promises
from His Word, especially Psalm 16:3: “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” (RSV)
living totally on faith. I had no job, no income, and my parents were living
overseas. There was no one I could turn to for help. Scared, helpless and
lonely, I rushed into the arms of Jesus and begged the Lord to sustain me. I
had to learn to live on faith alone. But even as a fledgling believer, I had
hope. I knew in my heart that the Lord was telling me to wait on Him, that He would
open a door for me for a new job, He would show me my next step. I wanted to be
in His perfect will. Many people thought this was crazy, but I knew that I
needed to obey Him. So I waited… and waited… and waited for God to “give” me a
new job. And the Lord encouraged and sustained me with many precious promises
from His Word, especially Psalm 16:3: “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” (RSV)
Two months later, still without a job, I was asked by a
pastor friend to accompany his church youth group as an adult chaperone for a
trip to Colorado to do a week of volunteer service. With nothing else to do I
readily agreed to go.
I had never been to the Colorado Rockies before. I
immediately fell in love with the high rugged peaks. The church youth group
headquartered itself in a Christian retreat center, sleeping bags lined up in
one big open area. Our volunteer duty was to assist a small group of forest
rangers with culling dead wood by carrying it out of the forest. Each day was
filled with physically demanding forestry projects conducted at a very high
altitude. At night we fell into bed exhausted.
immediately fell in love with the high rugged peaks. The church youth group
headquartered itself in a Christian retreat center, sleeping bags lined up in
one big open area. Our volunteer duty was to assist a small group of forest
rangers with culling dead wood by carrying it out of the forest. Each day was
filled with physically demanding forestry projects conducted at a very high
altitude. At night we fell into bed exhausted.
Near the end of the week, one of the forest rangers suggested
that on Saturday we could climb one of the high peaks nearby. All week long we had
seen its beautiful summit off in the distance. Climbing a mountain had always
been one of my dreams so I quickly jumped at the chance. Only a handful of the
teens felt like they were up to it.
that on Saturday we could climb one of the high peaks nearby. All week long we had
seen its beautiful summit off in the distance. Climbing a mountain had always
been one of my dreams so I quickly jumped at the chance. Only a handful of the
teens felt like they were up to it.
That night we were dropped off to camp in a cabin in a pine
forest at the base of the summit. None of us slept very well; there was a
constant rustling noise. In the morning we arose to discover that the food in
our backpacks had been tampered with by mice! We had less food, but we figured
it would be enough to sustain us on the climb.
forest at the base of the summit. None of us slept very well; there was a
constant rustling noise. In the morning we arose to discover that the food in
our backpacks had been tampered with by mice! We had less food, but we figured
it would be enough to sustain us on the climb.
Just before dawn we began our assent. It was a vigorous
climb. For those of us accustomed to lower altitudes this posed a real challenge.
It was much more of a strain on the body than we had anticipated. One step at a
time… breathe… step… breathe… step… stop and rest…. One step at a time, putting
one foot in front of the other. Perseverance.
climb. For those of us accustomed to lower altitudes this posed a real challenge.
It was much more of a strain on the body than we had anticipated. One step at a
time… breathe… step… breathe… step… stop and rest…. One step at a time, putting
one foot in front of the other. Perseverance.
We passed the beautiful timberline by sunrise and began our
assault on the summit. After a few hours we stopped upon a broad plateau above
a lush green field to gaze far down at the earth below. It was a beautiful
reward for our laborious trudging. We could barely recognize anything—it was
all so far away. There was utter silence. Not even tree leaves were there to
rustle in the gentle breezes. We could only hear our own huffing and puffing
from exertion. We sat there for a long time and rested. The hardest part was
yet to come.
assault on the summit. After a few hours we stopped upon a broad plateau above
a lush green field to gaze far down at the earth below. It was a beautiful
reward for our laborious trudging. We could barely recognize anything—it was
all so far away. There was utter silence. Not even tree leaves were there to
rustle in the gentle breezes. We could only hear our own huffing and puffing
from exertion. We sat there for a long time and rested. The hardest part was
yet to come.
We were surprised to see early hikers coming down off the
summit. They had already reached their goal. A father and his son wearing
shorts and hiking boots had jogged past us up to the summit. An hour later they
jogged past us again on their way down the mountain. They paused to talk and
told us that over the summer it was their goal to climb every mountain peak over
13,000 feet in the Rockies. No wonder they were so physically fit that they could
run up the mountain!
summit. They had already reached their goal. A father and his son wearing
shorts and hiking boots had jogged past us up to the summit. An hour later they
jogged past us again on their way down the mountain. They paused to talk and
told us that over the summer it was their goal to climb every mountain peak over
13,000 feet in the Rockies. No wonder they were so physically fit that they could
run up the mountain!
Meanwhile we were crushingly exhausted, painfully swallowing
huge gulps of air with each footstep upward. The path became rocky, narrow and circuitous,
winding and curving, ever going upwards. Often we could often only see a few
steps ahead. Scriptures such as Proverbs 3:23 suddenly began to seem more literal:
“Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely,
and thy foot shall not stumble.”
huge gulps of air with each footstep upward. The path became rocky, narrow and circuitous,
winding and curving, ever going upwards. Often we could often only see a few
steps ahead. Scriptures such as Proverbs 3:23 suddenly began to seem more literal:
“Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely,
and thy foot shall not stumble.”
By mid-morning we had depleted our small water supply. The
teenage boys on our hike had only brought a few canteens with them. We hadn’t calculated
for the increased need for water caused by our extreme physical exertion and
high altitude. Our bodies began to complain for water. It began to dawn on us
that we might not make it to the top. In between gasping breaths we discussed the
possibility that we would have to turn around and go back. We were sorely
disappointed. We wanted to make it to the summit—to achieve our goal!
teenage boys on our hike had only brought a few canteens with them. We hadn’t calculated
for the increased need for water caused by our extreme physical exertion and
high altitude. Our bodies began to complain for water. It began to dawn on us
that we might not make it to the top. In between gasping breaths we discussed the
possibility that we would have to turn around and go back. We were sorely
disappointed. We wanted to make it to the summit—to achieve our goal!
Just at the bleakest moment, a young man hiking about twenty
paces ahead of us called down to us, “Hey! There’s a glass of water on this
rock!” We didn’t believe what we heard. He must be joking. We couldn’t see his
location but we could hear his voice calling down from the curve of the boulders.
Surely there wasn’t a real “glass” of water anywhere on this desolate summit!
paces ahead of us called down to us, “Hey! There’s a glass of water on this
rock!” We didn’t believe what we heard. He must be joking. We couldn’t see his
location but we could hear his voice calling down from the curve of the boulders.
Surely there wasn’t a real “glass” of water anywhere on this desolate summit!
We stumbled upwards to the rock ledge where he was standing
and, sure enough, he was telling the truth! There was a sparkly clean glass
sitting on a rock. A literal glass! It was filled with the clearest water I had
ever seen. We looked upwards to see the source of the water and traced a tiny
stream back to a melting glacier. The ranger had warned us not to drink
mountain water unless we could ascertain that it was from a pure source that
was uncontaminated. This water was definitely safe to drink—a result of mid-summer
glacial melt! We greedily gulped up the ice cold water and began refilling our
canteens. It was the best water I had ever tasted.
and, sure enough, he was telling the truth! There was a sparkly clean glass
sitting on a rock. A literal glass! It was filled with the clearest water I had
ever seen. We looked upwards to see the source of the water and traced a tiny
stream back to a melting glacier. The ranger had warned us not to drink
mountain water unless we could ascertain that it was from a pure source that
was uncontaminated. This water was definitely safe to drink—a result of mid-summer
glacial melt! We greedily gulped up the ice cold water and began refilling our
canteens. It was the best water I had ever tasted.
As I trudged the last 500 hundred feet of rocky path winding
up to the summit, it slowly began to dawn on me that the Lord was revealing a
very important lesson for life. Just at the brink of utter discouragement, when
I would become most weary and my own strength was failing, there would be a
miracle—a “glass of water on a rock.” I remembered one of my favorite
passages in Scripture. Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4:14 that “whosoever drinketh of the water that I
shall give him shall never thirst” and that it would be a “well of water springing up into everlasting
life.” Remarkably, my strength was replenished by that glass of water! I
had the physical ability to go on, to persevere, knowing that I could reach the
summit. I pondered the spiritual meaning of this experience to my current life
situation. Was God trying to tell me something?
The teens and I stood there at the rock at the top of the
summit for a good long time, trying to embed that spectacular view into our
memories. We recalled the Scripture in Psalm 121:1-2: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My
help cometh from the LORD,
which made heaven and earth.”
summit for a good long time, trying to embed that spectacular view into our
memories. We recalled the Scripture in Psalm 121:1-2: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My
help cometh from the LORD,
which made heaven and earth.”
We marveled at the miracle of the glass and asked
unanswerable questions. Who had carried it up there and placed it next to that
tiny streamlet for water for the weary climbers? How did a fragile glass
survive the mountain weather without breaking? How could it be right there on
that rock just at the moment we most needed it? By God’s mighty providence we realized
we had been blessed with liquid sustenance, giving us renewed bodily strength
to reach the summit that day. We were able to complete our task and accomplish
the goal—even after things seemed to be most hopeless. We peered down and
marveled at how far we had come, and affirmed, like the Apostle Paul, that we had
“fought a good fight… finished [the]
course… kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). We called to mind the Scripture
from Isaiah 55:
unanswerable questions. Who had carried it up there and placed it next to that
tiny streamlet for water for the weary climbers? How did a fragile glass
survive the mountain weather without breaking? How could it be right there on
that rock just at the moment we most needed it? By God’s mighty providence we realized
we had been blessed with liquid sustenance, giving us renewed bodily strength
to reach the summit that day. We were able to complete our task and accomplish
the goal—even after things seemed to be most hopeless. We peered down and
marveled at how far we had come, and affirmed, like the Apostle Paul, that we had
“fought a good fight… finished [the]
course… kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). We called to mind the Scripture
from Isaiah 55:
“Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and
eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price…. Seek ye the
LORD while he may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto
the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will
abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are
not your thoughts, neither are your
ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
(Isaiah 55:1,6-9)
thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and
eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price…. Seek ye the
LORD while he may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto
the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will
abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are
not your thoughts, neither are your
ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
(Isaiah 55:1,6-9)
The Rest of the Story
A few weeks after this trip, and at the end of three months
of unemployment, the Lord did indeed miraculously provide me with a new job,
just as He had told me. One day when I was walking down a hallway in a building
on the local college campus a man yelled out at me from his desk in an office,
“Hey! Are you looking for a job?” He happened to be the roommate of my former
boss, the one who had asked me to resign, so he guessed I might still be
unemployed. He insisted that I take a typing test, and let me take it over and
over again until I finally passed the required minimum words-per-minute.
of unemployment, the Lord did indeed miraculously provide me with a new job,
just as He had told me. One day when I was walking down a hallway in a building
on the local college campus a man yelled out at me from his desk in an office,
“Hey! Are you looking for a job?” He happened to be the roommate of my former
boss, the one who had asked me to resign, so he guessed I might still be
unemployed. He insisted that I take a typing test, and let me take it over and
over again until I finally passed the required minimum words-per-minute.
The next day I received a phone call from a lady who started
the conversation by bluntly asking me, “Well, do you want the job?” She then
proceeded to tell me that I had the job even before I went to interview for it!
I didn’t even know what the job was so I had to ask her. It turned out to be a clerical
job that, in addition to a salary, provided free tuition which would enable me
to start graduate school. I had felt the Lord’s calling to do this, so this was
an amazing confirmation.
the conversation by bluntly asking me, “Well, do you want the job?” She then
proceeded to tell me that I had the job even before I went to interview for it!
I didn’t even know what the job was so I had to ask her. It turned out to be a clerical
job that, in addition to a salary, provided free tuition which would enable me
to start graduate school. I had felt the Lord’s calling to do this, so this was
an amazing confirmation.
Waiting upon the Lord also had resulted in other benefits—rewards
that were totally unexpected. My new job placed me in an office location where
I immediately encountered my future husband, Lynn. We married a few months
later. I now shudder to think what might have happened if I had gone ahead on
my own strength and will, trying to work out my own future without obeying God.
that were totally unexpected. My new job placed me in an office location where
I immediately encountered my future husband, Lynn. We married a few months
later. I now shudder to think what might have happened if I had gone ahead on
my own strength and will, trying to work out my own future without obeying God.
Meditating on the Scripture in Isaiah 55 describes our
experience with the glass of water on the rock. God offers life-giving water
that has no price. His water is pure and uncontaminated by the world. It “satisfieth” and is “good” (vs. 2). In fact, my experience with the glacier ice water
seemed to be described by verses 10-11: “For
as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give
seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my Word be that goeth forth
out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where to I sent it.” The
water of the Lord’s Word is pure and restores the soul. Truly it just as the
Lord promises:
experience with the glass of water on the rock. God offers life-giving water
that has no price. His water is pure and uncontaminated by the world. It “satisfieth” and is “good” (vs. 2). In fact, my experience with the glacier ice water
seemed to be described by verses 10-11: “For
as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give
seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my Word be that goeth forth
out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where to I sent it.” The
water of the Lord’s Word is pure and restores the soul. Truly it just as the
Lord promises:
“For ye shall go out
with joy, and be led forth with peace:
the mountains and the hills shall break
forth before you into singing…”
(Isaiah 55:12a)
with joy, and be led forth with peace:
the mountains and the hills shall break
forth before you into singing…”
(Isaiah 55:12a)
This article is another testimony in an ongoing series to
encourage readers to boldly persevere in God’s holy faith.
encourage readers to boldly persevere in God’s holy faith.