Testimony: When your work helps you keep the Sabbath

Koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; Thd)

Visiting Professor

Department of Liberal Arts Education

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

A testimony is a reflection of a faithful believer on something that happened in his/her life where the Hand of God was experienced. And that is what I experienced yesterday, Friday 17^th of January 2014. We all have heard testimonies of people who are forced to work by their superiors and their working institutions or companies on the Sabbath. Those are conditions where from Sundown Friday evening to Sundown Saturday evening the company or institution has some mandatory work for the laborer so that the person is in conflict with the demands of the Bible to keep the Sabbath holy and the management insisting to see the laborer at work.

Well, what if the situation is reversed?

And that is what happened yesterday. We do not work on Friday evenings after sundown at our University. But, yesterday, the university planned an outdoor trip for the students to go to a coal museum and also to slide-ski with tires. Two buses were rented for the occasion. We were scheduled to leave at 1h30 and arrive back at 5h30, about 10 minutes into Sabbath.

A week ago I approached my overseer, dr. Kim and told him that due to religious reasons I cannot go with the bus but that I will go with my car so that I can return before sundown. He agreed without hesitation. He confirmed it again with me later in a personal chat. During that conversation I mentioned that returning with my car I will run into a supermarket to get vege-ingredients for a cake-mix for our pastor’s birthday the next day. No cooking just mixing with soya-milk and in the fridge.

Yesterday morning I received a phone-call from him telling me that he and the administration lady organizing the trip have discussed the issue and that they have decided to rent the buses for 1h00 to 5h00, 30 minutes earlier to accommodate my situation.

They also asked me please to go earlier to the supermarket and wait for them there so that I do not have to rush to the supermarket before sundown when I leave at 5h00 since it might take about 15 minutes to get to the supermarket from the zone where we all will leave by bus. They wish me to keep the Sabbath and not to have a burden due to the event.

Praise the living God.

In a hostile world belonging to Satan, when good comes our way, it is only the Hand of God working on the hearts and minds of people and my prayer is that God sees their efforts and may their little efforts be recorded as salvation plusses in their books of records by the angels. May it speak volumes on their behalf in the courts of heaven by our Advocate Christ pleading on our behalf. God put it in their hearts to think this way and they did not resist His promptings and this may count on their behalf as an enormous plus for their eternal future.

They came to me at 4h45 and insisted that I get into the car immediately and leave!

They do not want to be called upon in the courts of heaven for causing someone to work against the biblical rule on the Sabbath. They rather want to help the person to keep the Sabbath. The Hand of God the willingness of my superiors to work with Him. God's Hand was yesterday with us.