|
An Invasion of Ants
The bed where Missionary Murray Brown lay was on the fifth floor of a hospital in Kumasi, Ghana, a country in Africa. His hands, abdomen, and legs were
heavily bandaged. He had been accidentally burned in an explosion. The burns on his right palm were so deep that the muscles and ligaments were exposed.
“For burns as deep as these,” his doctor advised, “you will have to have grafted skin.”
Very early one morning as Murray Brown lay there awake, he saw a procession of African army ants creep across the floor of his room. With horror he watched them come toward his bed. Up they crawled until they reached his body. Then they crawled under the bandages to chew at his tortured flesh.
African army ants are horrible creatures. They travel in large colonies looking for food. They are carnivorous, which means they eat other creatures. These colonies will eat everything in sight, including insects, lizards, snakes, chickens, pigs, goats, and birds. They will even eat other large animals and people who cannot get away. Even elephants run from an army of these terrible ants.
Now you know why Missionary Murray Brown was terrified when he saw these ants enter his hospital room. He could not get up to run away, and he knew these ants would eat him alive.
“Help!” Mr. Brown cried. But at that early hour there was no nurse on that hospital floor to hear his cry. “Isn’t there anyone to help me?” he called. But no one answered. Three times he repeated his anguished cry.
In Scottsbluff, Nebraska, it was the middle of the night. A friend of Missionary Brown’s, who lived in that city, was in bed sound asleep. Suddenly, he was wakened by a cry of distress. Thinking it might be one of his children, he got up and went to look at them. But they were all sleeping soundly.
After returning to his bed, he again heard a cry for help. Once more he went to look at the children. But they were all still asleep.
The next time he returned to his bed, this friend distinctly heard these words, “Help! Isn’t there anyone to help me?”
He awakened his wife. “I’ve just heard Missionary Murray Brown’s voice,” he said. “He is calling for help.”
This man and his wife prayed for their friend. They had no idea what his need might be. But they prayed and prayed until they were assured victory had come.
No one came to the missionary’s aid that morning in the hospital in Kumasi.
But suddenly, to his amazement, Missionary Brown saw those ants turn and leave his bed. They crawled away, across the floor, and disappeared, just as though someone had called them. Murray Brown felt peace as he knew God had heard his cries and saved him from the African army ants. Now he could sleep peacefully.
Later, when the doctor came to remove the bandages, Murray Brown told the doctor about the army ants. The doctor couldn’t believe it. Because the ants had crawled under the bandages, he feared that there would be lots of damage to Murray Brown’s skin and body. The doctor slowly removed the bandages and was completely surprised. He found that the skin was healing even on the right hand that had been so badly burned. Murray Brown’s healing was so complete that there was no need to graft skin. Now he has only a tiny scar on one thigh to remind him of his dreadful experience. God had not only saved Murray Brown from the African army ants, but God had completely healed him and his burns.
Many months later, Mr. Brown learned from his friend in Scottsbluff how God had allowed him to hear the missionary’s voice, although he was on the other side of the world. It was at the exact time that Murray Brown was being
attacked by the African army ants. Missionary Brown also learned how his friend prayed and prayed for his protection even though he didn’t know what was wrong. Now Murray Brown understood why the ants had turned and
crawled away. It was because of the power of prayer!
The information from this story came from Moving Mountains and is used with permission from Assemblies of God World Missions.
©2002 The General Council of the Assemblies of God. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the local church. Any other use requires written permission.
|
