Believe in the Power of God to Act

In preparation for an important meeting, it was crucial for Washington Okumu to meet with Chief Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi. But an early morning call to his hotel revealed that Buthelezi had already left for the airport. Making frantic calls to all airports, they found that Buthelezi’s plane was already taking off from Lanseria airport. A message from the tower recalled the plane, but after a short wait they resumed the flight because of an upcoming important meeting with the King. Meanwhile, Okumu was rushing to the airport in a taxi in hopes of catching Buthelezi. Once there, he jumped out and the taxi waited with the meter running.

The flight was barely airborne when the pilot announced a problem with the plane. The compass was malfunctioning, so they returned again to the airport. By this time Okumu had arrived and the two men were able to meet. It was a momentous conversation. Okumu called it a turning point.

Returning to his hotel in the same taxi, Okumu was startled at the huge amount of the bill. He rarely carried cash but reaching into his pocket he discovered the exact amount – money he had withdrawn for his wife’s shopping and expenses. He sensed that God was at work in response to the prayer group who was praying for him. Their prayers were being answered.

The managing director of Osprey Aerospace said decisively that the airplane story was an act of God. It was inconceivable that pilots with their experience could have made a basic error with the compass systems. Because the problem manifested only eight minutes into the flight, the plane returned to the Lanseria airport instead of diverting to another airport. The postflight check of the compass system for suspected technical problems revealed none!

Paul writing in Ephesians reminds us that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” He certainly did in this situation enabling a crucially important conversation.

Reflect

Okumu attributed God’s intervention to the prayers of his prayer group. Is there something important in which you need God’s intervention? Ask God to help you identify a small group of people you can invite to pray with you about it.