Turning around to look back at her house before getting into her canoe, Esther’s breath caught in her throat. It was just after dark, Sabbath evening. Esther could see the flames flicker through the cracks between the palm frond ribs that made up the walls of her home, a construction typical of houses in our area. Worse still, her son had already locked the door and left a few minutes before. Esther quickly ran back to the house and, using her bare hands, tore a hole in the side of her home’s bush material to get inside.
Praying for God’s help, she ran to the water jug in the house and started throwing water on the fire. The fire had started in the kitchen fireplace, spread across the split black palm floor, up the wall of the house, and was starting to reach the roof. Thankfully, they had tin roofing instead of the normal thatched roofing materials on that part of the roof. If it had been any other part of the roof, the normal thatching material would have gone up in flames instantly.
These houses are made of easily combustible materials. There was no way she should have been able to put out the fire, especially by throwing cupfuls of water at it. Yet God was helping her, and before her water ran out, the fire was extinguished.
Neighbors came running and asked her, “How did you put out that fire by yourself?”
“No, I didn’t do it by myself. God helped me,” Esther replied.
The neighbors could only look in disbelief at how large the fire had been, and that she had been able to extinguish it.
Esther had faithfully attended the week of stewardship meetings we had just concluded, and God took this opportunity to show His power to the community. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we read: “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (NKJV). His promise to “rebuke the devourer”—a promise made in Malachi 3:10-11 to those who were faithful in their tithes—had been shown in full force, and Esther was left praising God for His intervention on her behalf.
Miracles like this help the Sepik River people see that God is stronger than the spirits and that they can put their complete trust in Him. Please continue praying for our people here in the May River and surrounding areas, that they can fully grasp God’s great love for them and give their hearts fully to Him.
