“It is going to take me a couple of weeks, and it will cost you $300 per document.”

That was the message from the woman who promised to help us apostille1 documents for our visa application—papers we desperately needed. Then she added, almost casually, “Oh, and as you know how things work in this country, I will need to bribe someone to get it done that fast.”

Had she not said “bribe someone,” we might have agreed immediately. But as we prayed about it, God brought to mind Deuteronomy 16:19: “You shall not pervert justice… nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.”

We knew what we had to do: trust God and do things His way, even if it meant waiting.

We started calling around. The earliest appointment? Two weeks away. “Do we really have time to wait that long?” we asked each other. “What if we just go in person and see what happens?”

We called again. To our surprise, they said we could walk in the very next business day. No bribes. No delays. When I arrived, everything went smoothly and, unbelievably, it was all free.

While waiting, I met a kind woman from Czechia with whom I could share Christ—and practice my Czech! I also met a couple deeply interested in learning about the Sabbath. Suddenly, it all made sense. God had arranged this exact day for more than just paperwork.

When the Holy Spirit convicts, obedience is the only right response. God’s Word is true, His timing perfect, and His ways always lead to something far greater than we could plan ourselves.

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