Your Origin And Destiny

A Tasmanian lady, a Christian, wrote to me about how God had told her the full name of a girl her son had made pregnant, even though she had never heard any mention of this girl previously, not even her name! It had not been a long-term or committed relationship, and her son had not married the girl, but this name spoken aloud by God to her in her kitchen enabled that lady to seek out the single mother and child. She found them and give her grandson the love and help he would not otherwise have had access to. She has loved and supported the young mother since in a variety of practical ways. Grandparents can play a significant role in God’s purposes.

Once again, God’s compassion and intimate knowledge of personal lives is striking. His concern would appear to include everyone, not only Christians.

Another example of a specific name being provided aloud by God was to a Methodist Minister, Rev. Frank Mussell27, who many years ago wanted to build a retreat centre in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), but didn’t know where to start to obtain some land:

I remember putting my head in my hands and closing my eyes and saying audibly, “Lord, who can I ask for land?”

I immediately became conscious of a Voice speaking to me, a very clear one, and it said, “Try Mr Webb”.

I recall sitting back in my chair and repeating the words “Try Mr Webb”? I asked myself, “Who is Mr Webb?”

As he pondered this strange experience, Frank Mussell remembered that he had met a Mr Webb two years earlier at a social event, but had not seen him since.

Wondering how he might trace Mr Webb, he half-remembered that his quarry might attend a Baptist church, and he found through this vague memory how to contact him. Embarrassed and unsure how to proceed, he wrote a tentative letter to Mr Webb.

Mr Milton Webb, meanwhile, unbeknown to anyone else, had “given” a beautiful little valley on his farm to God in prayer, “for whatever you decide to use it for, Lord.” This secret gift to God of that beautiful valley was in gratitude for recent unexpected financial help when Milton needed it desperately.

A wonderful Christian centre, cottages and youth camp slowly developed on that land as a faith venture by Frank Mussell, who named the complex Resthaven, based on the Lord’s invitation in Mark 6:31to his over-extended and exhausted disciples, who had not even had the opportunity to eat because of their busyness:

“Come ye yourselves apart… and rest a while” (King James Bible)

Over the years, many lives have been transformed, enriched, and even rescued at Resthaven. When I took youth camps there, the centre seemed to have a special peaceful atmosphere and good things always happened.

Resthaven stands today as a monument to God’s modern and continuing voice intervening creatively in our world.