A Precious Trust

The other night as the children and I were reading from the book of Daniel, I was moved again by his exhortation to Nebuchadnezzar, after the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about becoming like a beast of the field. He begged Nebuchadnezzar to turn from his wicked ways, and to BE MERCIFUL TO THE POOR. I commented to the boys, that this shows us how much God cares about the poor and needy. Marshall aptly replied, “And I think God cares about us being generous.” Oh, how true. God’s compassion for the poor, is equal to His passion for our participation.

I am reading Richard Wurmbrand’s book, Tortured for Christ. He founded the mission organization, Voice of the Martyrs and was a Romanian pastor under the communist regime. Wurmbrand was imprisoned  for 14 years with only one brief respite, for preaching the gospel. His testimony is gut wrenching. After fourteen years in a communist prison, Wurmbrand testified that he had very nearly lost his mind. He could no longer remember the Scriptures, and had forgotten how to write. But one morning, God brought to his mind this passage in Genesis ” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love that he had for Rachel.” Wurmbrand was reminded that his time in prison was not wasted. It was a chance to show his genuine love for God.

I am convicted by Wurmbrand’s testimony because it is very easy for me to settle into my life of relative ease in an affluent country that practices religious freedom, and forget all about the destitute, and suffering Christians around the world. To them has been given a precious trust. To them, the gift of loving God in the most dire of circumstances. And to us has been given the trust of awareness, the challenge to partner with these needy, broken, and tortured believers in tangible and intangible ways, to share in their sufferings in whatever way Christ makes possible for us. Wurmbrand tells of the great comfort it was to them when they began to receive help from the Western world. And while the physical help was desperately needed, what he felt the most was the reassurance that they were not alone, that the body of Christ was standing with them in their suffering.

God has often reminded me that no matter how little I have, there is always someone who is needier than I am, whether it is spiritually, physically, or materially. This truth continues to spur my family on to live a life of awareness, love, compassion, and participation.


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