VOICE OF HOPE
1 June 2022
Today I will only speak of my own experience. I was born and raised in the fear of the Lord, and as a child, all I knew was church, so as a child you’re very gullible and trusting of your parents’ judgment. Therefore, because my parents were teachers of the Word I automatically believed what they believed in and that there was and is a living God.
So it is asked of us can we trust the Bible? How relevant is the word? And what makes us trust it? Do we believe or trust in it because of others?
Psalm 18:30 declares “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield to all who takes refuge in Him”. Now in addition to what I said regarding my own experience with the Lord and engraving the Bible into my heart, I’ve encountered many things. So, growing up as a child my parents taught me biblical principles and up until today I stood firm in accordance with Proverbs 22:6 “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it". I believed even as a child what the importance of prayer was in my life. I’m a firm believer in having a prayer life. No matter where I was, where I went, or where I am going. Whether I am walking I pray before I leave my home, or I pray while being on my way to my destination without ceasing. If I remember correctly I was the age of 14 at the time, I was sent to buy a couple of things from a shop, but on this specific day the environment was extremely quiet, and there was nobody walking in the streets, so I prayed and I did not trust anyone because I knew that anything could happen to a kid as young as I was. So, on this day as I was walking to the shop I saw a huge group of young men and by looking at them I saw that they were far more grown than what I was and already I knew that something did not seem right. If I can estimate I’d say it was a large group of about 10 guys. As they were approaching me from a distance I prayed, and I could hear them pressure one of the guys to do something to me to prove himself. So, because we were walking toward each other I tried crossing the road to be out of their way but wherever I’d cross they’d walk in that direction and I knew that they were coming for me, and all I could say was Lord help me, let no harm come to me nor my sister who was 9 years of age at the time. I continued to walk and I held her hand tightly and I shouted saying they should leave me alone and they laughed. From a distance, I saw a vehicle approaching, and as the vehicle came closer to us I realized that it was my dad and I said thank you Father for saving me because I could have been raped or whatever their plan was with me but God was my shield and in that day of trouble He was in my midst. Call it a coincidence, but I know it was the grace of the Lord and His protection that carried me through. On that day I remembered Psalm 23, that I am a child of the highest and even though I’d walk through the valley of the shadow of death I’ll fear no evil for the Lord is with me.
A lot of people know me but not my story or the things I had to go through in my life. But I can say one thing the Lord is not a man that He should lie. The year 2018 until 2021 was the hardest years of my life. I cannot count the number of times I cried and wanted the Lord to take my life because I could not bear the hardships I was going through. Things became really tough for me to the point where I suffered from anxiety and depression. People saw someone who laughed and seemed happy but inside of me, I felt like dying, as I was screaming for help when things went from bad to worse. I endured and I never really broke down during the hardships. On top of that, I lost many friends so I was really lonely and the only person I ran to, to escape reality was my boyfriend at the time. Eventually, he betrayed me and it had me on the edge where I completely lost it. It was as though I was losing my sanity. I felt numb and dead and had sleepless nights. My anxiety rate was at its highest as I slowly felt like one that was dying and I shared it with absolutely nobody. Until one day I remembered Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I saw His face like never before and found His arms were wide open as He allowed everything I had gone through to only push me closer to Him. It was not easy but it was worth it because I know everything I was going through was because of what I carry on the inside of me and God used my misery as the perfect opportunity to bring that which He had placed in me out of me.
Today I love the word of the Lord with all my heart and proclaim Psalm 119:171-172 in my life because my lips overflow with praise because the Bible teaches me His decrees and my tongue sings of His word because all His commands are righteous.
So, if I’d answer anyone I’d say yes, the Bible can be trusted, God’s word is alive and active and we’re never alone. God is with us and His grace is sufficient. Through His Son Jesus, we are now co-heirs with Christ of the Kingdom.
So, understand that it is easy to say you don’t trust the Bible but it is only until you have an encounter with God and with the Holy Spirit within you, that you’d want nothing but to hold onto the word of the Lord.
For years I was a believer but today I am a Christian who runs hard for the work of the Lord and if you’d told me a couple of years ago that I’ll be a prophetic dreamer and have God speak to me through my dreams regarding the Bible I’d not believe a single word.
People say they don’t believe in the Bible and said it was written to oppress them. Isaiah 40:8 says that grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of our God endures forever. They will perish due to lack of knowledge and revelation due to foolishness but the word of God will remain.
In His service,
Prudence Cornellison