“Remember to extol His work, of which men have sung,
All mankind has looked on it; man beholds it from afar.”
Job 36:22-23 ESV
When ever I get into trouble by clinging to myself or the world, thoughts such as this creep into my soul and draw me back. Job, in his praise and petition to God reminds us that we are, in comparison to God, nothing. Psalm 109:26,30 reads with the clarity of our response to God’s intervention in our lives; “Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast Love. ..With my mouth I will give thanks to the LORD; I will praise Him in the midst of the throng.” My friends write of the trials in Africa, that of Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Egypt and Morocco and my soul weeps for them all. But in spite of all the trials, persecutions and turmoil, they not only remain faithful, they call upon a greater reliance on the Word and the Way of Jesus.
Often I wallow in self pity over the shortcomings of my leisurely life, but these godly folk,whose lives are in constant fear, shout the joy of God’s Salvation and I feel guilty for my bellyaching. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, both those from Judaism and the gentile converts, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the Power of God for Salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith. …” Romans 1:16-17 (ESV). Do not be ashamed, but be proud to shout the Word and the Salvation to those who mock you. From generation to generation, man has returned to the Gospel, fresh and new in their hearts. The Romans could not quell it, nor could the hordes from the East. Islam shall not quiet the Word, nor shall the many Hindu gods or the un-god of Communism. Every time science tries to prove God does not exists, it only proves that He does.
In America and in Europe, secular reasoning tries to quiet the Truth with “Political correctness” and yet more and more people come to hear the Word and to exalt the God of Creation. In every Church, numbers grow and people seek to hear how the righteousness of Jesus can save their lives. What is amazing is the growth of the Christian Faith in the Nations where persecutions are the greatest. As more and more effort is given to squash the faithful, their numbers continue to grow.
While Christian religion has in the recent past been taken for granted in America and England, believers are now called to defend their belief in courts, ballot boxes and public forums. Student are told that they can not mention Jesus or God at school functions, nurses are not allowed to offer to pray for patients, Christians are being denied to take in orphans or abused children because they may “convert” them. But, like Paul, they are not ashamed of their faith. “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-7 ESV). “Therefore, knowing the fear (reverence) of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God,and I hope it is known also to your conscience.” 2 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV).
Even now as the world faces the strikes against Christ, the word remains strong. as I browse the Internet and Facebook, I find more and more Bible orientated links. This makes my heart glad, for even though the flesh will try to keep the Word of God quiet, it is not possible to shut down all the sites that offer Hope and Faith in Christ. Job answered the LORD with these words: “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” Take courage, my faithful friends, take strength in what the Lord says, ‘Remember these things…for you are my servant;…I am the LORD, Your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb….” Isaiah 44:21,24. (ESV). What God has made in His likeness, He will not abandon. What He has created by His hand for His pleasure, He will not forsake. From this generation to the ends of time itself, extol His works, exalt His Name and share His Love.
