"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Her Last Prayer
Girl
16 or 17
Asia
1970's
The Communist soldiers had discovered their illegal Bible study.
As the pastor was reading from the Bible, men with guns suddenly broke into the home, terrorizing the believers who had gathered their to worship. The Communists shouted insults and threatened to kill the Christians. The leading officer pointed his gun at the pastor's head. "Hand me your Bible," he demanded.
Reluctantly, the pastor handed over his Bible, his prized possession. With a sneer on his face, the guard threw the Word of God on the floor at his feet.
He glared at the small congregation. "We will let you go," he growled, "but first, you must spit on this book of lies. Anyone who refuses will be shot." The believers had no choice but to obey the officer's order.
A soldier pointed his gun at one of the men. "you first/"
The man slowly got up and knelt down by the Bible. Reluctantly, he spit on it, praying, "Father, please forgive me." He stood up and walked to the door. The soldiers stood back and allowed him to leave.
"Okay, you!" the soldier said, nudging a woman forward. In tears, she could barely do what the soldier demanded. She spat only a little, but it was enough. She too was allowed to leave.
Quietly, a young girl came forward. Overcome with love for her Lord, she knelt down and picked up the Bible. She wiped off the spit with her dress. "What have they done to Your Word? Please forgive them," she prayed.
The Communist soldier put his pistol to her head. Then he pulled the trigger.
-Jesus Freaks, dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs
That verse and this true story and more that I have recently read are, I believe, God's way of readying and strengthening me for this trip. Not to say that I am going to go to Africa and I am going to have to give up my life for believing in Jesus, but strengthened me in the respect of not being afraid of standing up for my faith. God has used these things to get me ready to stand up for him. To not be timid or afraid because "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." and "If God is for us, who can ever be against us?"
I hope that this encourages you as it did me.
I am so excited for this trip! I have no idea what God has planned but I know that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
