“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 MSG
I would like to share a chapter from my current read (Tramp for the Lord) that I’ve been meditating upon. It is a testament of author and missionary Corrie Ten Boom on how a newborn infant saved an entire family.
..and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6 (KJV)
One of my greatest privileges is visiting with missionaries all over the world. Those of us who live in the comfort and security of our homes cannot begin to imagine what the life of a missionary is like. Many of them have no fresh water and only simple food. They constantly face the threat of sickness and infection. Some live in primitive places where their very lives are in danger.
Much to my sadness, yet to the glory of God, the list is growing longer each day of men and women who are literally laying down their lives for Jesus’ sake on the mission field. These men and women stand on the front lines, often in lonesome places, but knowing that their Master who has placed them there will also stand with them.
Once in a primitive spot in Africa I visited a missionary couple. Their small home was located in a delightful spot that gave a beautiful view of lakes and mountains. They had very little of this world’s goods, but were rich in God’s grace and had been given a homesite that many wealthy people would pay thousands of dollars to have as their own. Crowded into this tiny Shack were six children, the youngest just a few months old. “Come with me,” the missionary wife said as she picked up the baby and walked outside. “I want to tell you a story.” We sat on a bench overlooking an awesome scene of grandeur.
Spreading before us was a mighty view of the mountains, covered with deep jungles and spotted with lakes and waterfalls. “To have many little children can be a burden for a missionary,” she said. “There comes a time when you have to send them to the homeland because there are no good schools here. But while they are small you try to enjoy them.
She paused and looked down at the sweet baby asleep in her arms. Her voice was tense with emotion as she continued. “But when I learned I was going to have another baby, I rebelled against God. We already had five small children and it did not seem fair that we should have to bear another. My health was not good and I looked upon having another child with great sorrow and unhappiness.
Tears were streaming down her face as she talked. “Was it not enough to have five children? Oh, how my heart cried out at God and there were times when I wished He would take the baby from me. “The time for the birth was here. I was very weak and there were no doctors nearby. We had no one to leave the other children with, so my husband put us all in the car and drove us into a town where there was a good mission hospital. There we stayed until the baby was born.”
The tiny child stirred in her arms, stretched her little arms and yawned. How precious she looked! The mother’s voice grew soft. “When we returned to our house with the new baby we learned that in the short days we had been gone the dreaded Mau Mau had come. They had murdered every white person in the entire area. Had we been home we would have all been killed.”
She hugged the little baby to her breast, tears flowing down her face. “This little darling was sent by God to save all our lives. Never again shall I rebel against His ways for our lives.”
Such an unexpected deliverance. What were the odds that of all times, it was during their absence in their mission home that people evaded the town on a rampage to slaughter. Couldn’t God have found an alternative way to deliver them? That’s a valid question but had He chosen to deliver them some other way, would they have heeded in the manner that they did? Would they have been rebellious/stubborn? An alternative escape might have even gone unnoticed and cost the entire family their lives.
I am not sure who this message is for and what you may be enduring in this season of your life. These words are a reminder however that if you’re walking this journey with God, you are fully reliant on His will and trusting His leading, you will emerge with a testimony too.
“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” James 1:2-4 MSG
For many Christians, we battle with low moments and/or periods in our lives when we feel like we’re at a dead end. When nothing you try doing seems to be working. When your hard-work and toil are yielding nothing. When your service to ministry is not showing forth any rewards. Like someone put it, you feel like you’re between the devil and the deep blue sea, as though every day your life is graduating from frying pan to fire.
You may feel tormented. You may feel rejected and dejected. In such a period of life, you probably have no one else to look up to but God. And even with that, your prayers seem unheard or answers to them are delayed. Rest assured that the God who knows the end from the beginning has it all worked out for those who trust in Him and hold on to His words.
“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” Isaiah 65:24 NLT
I pray these words uplift your spirit, if for nothing at all. The word of the Lord is true and His promises are unfailing. Amidst the turbulence and uncertainty, never let the enemy steal your joy nor your praise. If you are still here, with breath in your lungs, then God is still worthy of your praise. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Our Heavenly Father is working behind the scenes on your behalf. I pray for you that one day very soon, your answers will manifest practically in your life and your praise and thanksgiving will resound in the corridors of heaven.
With Love, Esinam.
Virtuous Living 
God bless you hun. What an exaltation!
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