The Church of Almighty God | The River Is Also Orchestrated Within God’s Hands

The River Is Also Orchestrated Within God’s Hands

By Xizhen

I’m Xizhen and seventy-five years old this year. In August 2016 I was fortunate to accept God’s salvation of the last days. After believing in God, as long as I was at leisure, I would gather medicinal herbs to earn money instead of paying attention to reading God’s word. It had been almost one year since I believed in God, but I still didn’t know the meaning of believing in God. God still had mercy on me, though. In an accident, when my life was at stake, God marvelously protected me from the danger. As a result, I truly felt God’s great power and, from the bottom of my heart, I was ascertained that the God I believed in was the One worthy of being pursued.

When My Life Was at Stake, I Sought Hard to Survive

At about 8 o’clock on the morning of June 8, 2017, I went to gather medicinal herbs with a bag. Because it was very far to walk the main road to go home, I intended to take a shortcut—crossing a river. When arriving up the river, I chose a place where the river didn’t look too deep and the current wasn’t strong; besides, considering that passersby often crossed the river there, I felt I should be okay. So I took off my shoes and started crossing the river. When I entered the water at first, it was below my knees; After walking for a while, I bowed my head and saw the river was already above my knees. Nonetheless, I didn’t consider much but continued to walk forward. I had not walked too far when the river rose up to my thighs. At the moment, I still didn’t feel afraid, thinking that the water would reach only as high as my thighs. I was going to reach the opposite bank as long as I persisted for a while. Therefore, I went on advancing. But when I got to the middle of the river, the water suddenly up to my waist. Just then, I felt it not good and felt panicked somewhat. However, I hadn’t reacted yet when I was half speedily stricken by the current, so that I couldn’t stand steadily and I had to walk downward along the current. The river was flowing southward and the water in the south was deeper.

At the time, I was afraid and my heart immediately rose into my throat: What should I do? Will I be washed to the depths of the water? But then it occurred to me: I have been in the water and I’m arriving at the opposite bank right away. If now I go back, all I have done is in vain. So, I took such chances and went on walking forward. Consequently, when I had just walked forward more than three meters, the river instantly rose to my chest and I was fully surrounded by the water. Immediately, I was in a fluster and desperately struggled in the water. Because I couldn’t swim, if I went on like this, I would be drowned to death. Out of instinct, I cried out, “Help! Help!” hoping very much that someone could come and pull me up. However, as it was very remote, without a single soul by the river, no one could hear me crying. I felt very desperate, thinking within: I’m finished and I’m dying here today …

The current of the river was relentlessly striking my body. I was thrashing the water with my hands and feet unceasingly but it didn’t work at all. The force of the water was so strong it made me feel powerless against it, I lost control of my body, and had to follow the stream. The water kept pulling me down and invited me to go deeper. Very soon, the water almost reached to my neck, which made me extremely frightened. I tried my best to lift up my head and, in despair, I had to cry out, “Help!” with a thread of hope. Seeing that I would be washed into a big pit near the bank (the pit was formed after sand was taken), where the water was the deepest, I was helpless and panicked to the extreme so that I shed tears. Will I die here? I really regret that I have crossed the river to go home. Now, I really have no other choice but to submit to the will of Heaven and my fate … I was desperately struggling in the water, feeling that death was approaching me step by step …

In the Moment of Life and Death, a Miracle Appeared

In the moment of life and death, an idea suddenly flashed in my mind: I’m a believer in God; my brothers and sisters often testify about God’s authority and power to me: The God we believe in is the One who rules over everything. Right！How did I forget God? Therefore, I cried out twice, “God! Help me! I’m done for! God! Help me!” and following that, a wonderful thing happened! Somehow, my whole body, as if being supported by something, floated face up in the water. I realized that God was saving me. But because of the rapid current, I still floated toward the depths of the river continuously. After a while, my whole body again sank into the water, which was about two meters deep that my feet couldn’t reach the bottom of the river at all. In spite of this, I had a clear consciousness. I unceasingly prayed to God in my heart, and I hastened to pinch my nose tightly and cover my mouth for fear of being choked by water. It was wonderful that, when I really couldn’t endure, my head rose out of the water at once, so I hurriedly took a deep breath. In this way, sinking into the water one moment and rising to the surface of the water another, I was desperately struggling in the water but I wasn’t choked all along. After a while, when my head arose on the surface again, I saw I was three meters away from the pit and also three meters from the bank, where there were a lot of trees and grass. I thought: If I could drift to the bank, I would be saved. However, as for me who can’t swim, it is simply impossible. So what should I do? My heart leapt into my throat once again. Will I have to wait for death like this?

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A Non-swimmer’s Wondrous Escaped From Danger

At the time, I suddenly thought of how people in TV swam. Oh, I have prayed to God. God is saving me and I must actively cooperate. Thus, I learned the way they swam: Move my hands hard and kick my legs. I only tried swimming; to my wonder, I could actually swim. I obviously found that I was approaching the bank little by little. I was very excited. Thank God! God is really helping me and it looks as if I will survive hopefully. I continued to swim forward, gradually swimming to the bank. Looking around quickly, I was extremely excited to see a straw on the bank. I swam toward the straw with all my strength. When drawing near to it, I quickly grasped at it and then climbed onto the bank. I really thanked God! Sitting on the bank, wet all over, I breathed a deep sigh of relief: My life is spared.

Recalling what had just happened, I had a lingering fear. I turned my head and saw that it was a good one hundred meters from where I entered the river to the bank. And I had already struggled in the water for about half an hour. Then I couldn’t help gasping. For me, an over seventy-year-old woman, it was really difficult to get onto the bank alive. It was fully God’s salvation. It was God who helped me in secret. I have truly seen God’s wonderful deed. God is really too almighty!

God’s Authority and God’s Salvation

That night, thinking back to the scene in the day, I still couldn’t but tremble with fear. I couldn’t help prostrating myself in front of God and praying, “Oh, God! Thank You! Today, but for Your salvation, I’m afraid that I would have lost my life. It is You who have saved my life. I sincerely thank You and praise You. Your grace of salvation I will never forget …”

Later, I read a passage of God’s word, “Throughout your long lives, basically every individual has encountered many dangerous situations and undergone many temptations. … As for God, He is protecting you constantly, keeping you from one misfortune after another and from one disaster after another. This is why I say that everything man has—peace and joy, blessings and personal safety—is in fact all under God’s control, and He guides and decides the life and fate of every individual.” God’s word clearly tells us that the fates of us human beings are all held in God’s hands; God constantly accompanies us by our sides, and cares for and protects us; God takes full responsibility for our lives. God is the only reliance of us human beings. When my life was at stake, it was God who enlightened me to remember Him. When I tried my best to cry to God in helplessness, I saw God’s wonderful deed and had the hope of survival. It was God who led me to escape from the talon of death step by step and gave me a second life. It is clearly seen that God didn’t eliminate me owing to my ignorance, and instead He still sympathized with my weakness, tolerated and took pity on me, and protected me from the danger to make me survive. God’s love is really boundless.

God’s Love Inspires Me and Leads Me Forward

This special experience increases my confidence in God and changes my viewpoint of believing in God. Now I read God’s word and sing songs every day; once it is time for my meeting, I actively attend it regardless of whether I’m busy or not; I perform the duty of a created being in the church. I have inwardly made the determination: I’m willing to offer my heart and body to God. During my lifetime I will do my best to fulfill my duty as a creation to repay God’s great love to me!

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