By Li Zhi
In June, 2012, my wife and I accepted God’s work of the last days. Although having known that God has come to earth to save man, and that it’s the critical time for pursuing the truth, I still occupied myself in managing my own restaurant and didn’t seek the truth. Only after experiencing a big fire did I change my wrong pursuit.
One day in June, 2013, the weather was baking-hot, and the temperature was about 38 degrees Celsius. The torrid weather made people nearly suffocate. At past 8 a.m., the air conditioners in each store were still operating unceasingly. Because of the heat, people didn’t feel like cooking breakfast at home. So there were many people who came to my restaurant for breakfast. While a sister (who just accepted God’s work of the last days), my wife, and I were working with great enthusiasm, we suddenly heard cracking sound and noise coming from the outside, and some cries of terror, “Fire! Fire! Help! …” Upon hearing these cries, three of us, laying aside our work in a panic, ran out to have a look. We found several stores nearby ours were on fire, which spread quickly from east to west. Because the stores in this row were all simply rooms made of foam material and sheet steel, which burnt quickly, just in a moment, several stores had been badly destroyed, and the contents of the rooms were burnt out. Besides, what followed was the explosive noise, which sounded horrible. Seeing that everything in the stores was burnt up in no time and that the cash had not yet been taken out, some store owners worked up into a frenzy with shaking their hands and some wailed bitterly. In addition, there was a store owner, who was sleeping in the store at that time; hardly had he been called out when his store was swallowed by the huge fire. They all blanched and were transfixed with terror …
The giant fire continued raging, and it even roared toward our restaurant, fanned by the east wind. As the case might be, within a few minutes, the fire would spread to our restaurant. Seeing that, I was dumbfounded at once: I’ve put tens of thousands of yuan into my restaurant, but haven’t got it back yet. If the store is burnt down, how will my family live our lives? I felt worried and shouted to my wife to take things out of the room. When we just carried the cashbox, flour and oil into the road, the big fire was upon us. At that time, the freezers, machines and steamers were still in the room. Seeing the fire burning so fiercely, we were all in a hurry. Meanwhile, my wife continuously urged me, which made me more anxious in my heart. I thought: Just by three of us, there was no time to move them out. But being new here, we’re not familiar with the people around. Whom can I call to help us? At the very moment, I thought of God, so I told my wife immediately, “Let’s rely on God together. Pray to Him. The big fire is also in His hand.” Then three of us all prayed to God. I said, “O God! It is out of Your permission that I encounter this matter. I know the fire is ordered in Your hands. Whether or not our possessions will be burnt is controlled by Your hands. I’m willing to commit them to You. …” After praying, I felt at peace a little. Later, I saw the wonderful deeds of God: The people who passed by, and the people who swept the streets, and my neighbors all came to help us move things out of the room. Soon, all things were taken into the road. At the same time, no one helped my next door store owner, no matter how he called for help. Seeing all of this, I was moved to tears, and thought: I didn’t call these people, but they came to help me voluntarily. Isn’t it arranged and presided over by God? Seeing God’s mercy and grace, I kept thanking Him in my heart.
After we moved all things out of the room, the fire became ever fiercer. At that time, two fire engines came. One went to the east, and the other one came to us. Everyone thought our stores would be in good hands, and I was also very happy that my store would be saved. But the fire engine stopping on this side didn’t bring water. Everyone was extremely disappointed, with the voice of discontent heard everywhere and many people commenting on that angrily … The firemen, in the denunciations, had to drive off with their tails between their legs. This scene made me indignant. Before, I was always of the opinion that when a fire broke out, we could rely on the firemen to fight it. To think that they failed us when we most needed them. In that condition, I thought my restaurant would certainly be destroyed. In helplessness, I prayed to God silently in my heart, “O Almighty God, the firemen can’t put out the fire. We can merely rely on You and commit my restaurant into Your hand. Whether or not it will burn down is in Your hands. I will submit to Your sovereignty and arrangement.” Then, I paid close attention to the trend of the fire. When I saw the big fire spread to the store next door, my throat was constricted. I thought: It’s over. It’s thoroughly over. My restaurant can’t be saved. My business is to fail. The one year’s rent which is tens of thousands of yuan is to be down the drain, and the tuition fee of my two children will be lacking. I was in misery and awfully disappointed. My wife also frowned and said, “Judging from this, our restaurant is to be destroyed. Our business will be broke.” However, to our surprise, the big fire suddenly became weak and no longer spread, when it was separated only by a single wall from our store. Gradually, only some embers were still on. Seeing that, I was completely astounded and could hardly believe my eyes. Therefore I stared at it more carefully, and found it was true. I realized it was God’s great power and His wondrous deed. I thanked God for listening to our prayer. All present were very astonished, and discussed, “They’re good men. The fire suddenly became weak when spreading to their store.” “Yes! It is God who protects them. …” “Maybe they believe in God, so God cares for them.” Hearing these words, I was extremely overwhelmed. I couldn’t help but feel genuine gratitude and praise for God in my heart. I appreciated God for protecting us.
After a little while, the fire engine from the east came to us and then put the embers out.
Recalling what had happened just now, I remembered God’s words, “Man’s heart and spirit are held in the hand of God, everything of his life is beheld in the eyes of God. Regardless of whether or not you believe this, any and all things, whether living or dead, will shift, change, renew, and disappear in accordance with God’s thoughts. Such is the way in which God presides over all things” (“God Is the Source of Man’s Life”). From God’s words, I understood: God rules over all things. No matter they are living or dead, they will change, renew, and disappear according to God’s thoughts. The burning fire unexpectedly stopped spreading and the flames sank down—these were all determined by God’s almightiness, and that they were God’s marvelous deeds. I really appreciated that only by coming before God could we have support and be protected by God in disasters.
Thank God! The third day, our restaurant opened again as normal, whereas those twenty stores turned into ruins in the fire. If I had not believed in God, the outcome we faced would have been as miserable as theirs. From this, I knew that we people are so small and helpless in the face of disasters. Without God’s care and protection, no matter how much money we earn, we will still get nothing at last when a disaster befalls us. I felt excited, as well as indebted to God. Thinking back to the year during which I believed in God, I neither pursued the truth properly, nor performed my duty well, just muddling through it. Every day, I was busy with my business, living for money. And what I considered was only earning money. I never took believing in God seriously. Even so, God ignored how I disobeyed and still showed me His grace. Through this fire, God also gave me a warning. In the future, I will become a good believer in God. I will seek the truth to satisfy God, and perform my duty well as a created being to repay God’s love.
Additionally, in this fire, the sister who worked in our restaurant also saw God’s wonderful deeds. She said to us with excitement, “God, Christ of the last days, is the true God. I have tasted it already. Let’s preach God’s kingdom gospel to my family and bring them before God. So they can also live in God’s care and protection.” Then, my wife and I went to spread the gospel to the sister’s family. Through our fellowshipping about God’s word and His salvation of the last days, and sharing our true experience, her family were also moved to tears. Finally, the whole family of six accepted God’s work of the last days.
Thank God! All the glory be to God!
