Page 25 - Evidence of Things Unseen

God. I did not care if God exposed my sin publicly, which is what I expected Him to do, I
just wanted to hear God speak to me. I wanted to know that God was attentive to me, and
that He cared enough about me to say something to me, even if it was a word of judgment.
As I sat there awaiting the time of ministry I prayed silently that God would not pass me by,
but that He would give this man a word for me.
After Jeff finished sharing his testimonies, and teaching about the gift of prophecy,
he said that God had given him some things to share with a number of individuals. You
cannot imagine how excited I was when the first person he walked up to was me. He came
and stood beside me and said, “You have seen yourself as a marshmallow, but God says you
have steel in your backbone. God would also say to you, ‘I have seen your obedience, and
I will make it known.’”
There was no doubt in my mind that I had just received a message from God. I believe
I was in my early thirties at the time of this word, and I truly did see myself as a
marshmallow. As an outward manifestation of this, I was overweight and my wife and kids
were in the habit of poking me in the belly so that I would laugh at them like the Pillsbury
Dough Boy that is pictured in commercials. Just a short time before this I had a birthday
and my wife and kids bought me some suspenders and a necktie that had pictures of the
Pillsbury Dough Boy on them. The Pillsbury Dough Boy looks like he has been constructed
of marshmallows, and this physical picture described how I felt about myself spiritually.
When this word was shared with me it went straight to my heart. As cute as I thought
these little dough boys were, when I got home later I threw out both the suspenders and the
tie (with my wife’s and kids’ understanding), for I was convicted that I could not continue
to wear something that portrayed an image God said was not true. God said I was not a
marshmallow, but that I had steel in my backbone, and I chose to believe Him despite what
my experiences in the past had told me.
It was not long afterward that I was able to put this prophetic word to the test. The
Lord led me to fast for several days, and this particular fast was very difficult. I had
headaches and hunger pangs, and the temptation to eat was very great. I was taking college
classes at this time and I remember driving back home from college one night and I was
passing many fast food restaurants. Satan was tempting me earnestly to break my fast, and
the warfare within between the spirit and the flesh was intense. As I drove down the road
I began shouting out, “Satan, you are a liar. You say I cannot do this, but God says I have
steel in my backbone and I choose to believe God. I will not give into the flesh, but I will
walk by the Spirit.” I also prayed to God confessing as truth the things He had spoken to me.
I had a real good shouting time as I drove home, and the battle was won. I completed the
days of this fast as God had directed me to do.
The second part of this prophetic word was equally surprising to me. I had really been
expecting God to expose some sin in my life, and I had numerous weaknesses that he could
have focused upon. I thought God would mention my faults and tell me to repent, and I
would have considered myself blessed to receive such a word. I would have thought, “Yes,
God noticed me. He has seen me and spoken a word to me.” Even if it had been a word of
correction I would have been pleased that I had not been passed by.
Yet God did not say, “I have seen your disobedience,” He said, “I have seen your
obedience, and I will make it known.” The effect upon me was greater than if He had
exposed my sins, for I saw such a graciousness in God, knowing that He could have truly
pointed out many errors in my life, but He chose to speak of my obedience instead. The
effect was that I wanted to please this loving and gracious God. I wanted to rule over my