Hurry to Obey

 

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Psalm 119:60 Good News Translation

⁶⁰ Without delay I hurry to obey your commands.

 

Dad once commented that the Lord had a hard time with him. Unless God knocked him up the side of his head with a 2 x 4[2], He had a hard time getting Dad’s attention. At times I know I am like that.

Sylvia and I went to Africa as missionaries shortly after we got married and I got an education. Or intention was to be missionaries for the rest of our lives. It had been three years of double-digit inflation and no cost of living (COL) adjustment. It was December 1978 and we were not making it financially. Sylvia was not able, at that time—with three kids, to hold down a job. In 1979 we were due a furlough. We prayed the Lord to either give us a substantial COL adjustment or we would take it as a sign that we should return to the U.S. on permanent return (PR).

We fully expected the Lord to give us a COL because we had pledged our lives to the mission field. He didn’t. Because of our pledge, we delayed accepting His directions. We delayed for four months. We actively tried to get an increased income flow—to no avail. We were sure we had misread His intentions. I felt a growing level of stress pressing on me. It was almost palpable. I got a job offer in the States and had delayed deciding on that too. Suddenly it was either accept it or lose it. We urged God to tell us what to do. That evening the two by four struck—God said in a sardonic voice, “I already told you!”

Thud! Finally, I felt it. I responded immediately, resolutely “Okay, God, we’re going on PR!” Stress vanished. In its place I experienced a profound peace.

Grant us, Lord, the ability to recognize Your voice and “hurry to obey” it.

 

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[1] https://www.taproot.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/115567s.jpg

[2] A board of indefinite length with a cross section that is two inches by four inches—commonly used in California to construct houses.

NEW BIBLES IN SPITE OF PERSECUTION

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[ii]

Matthew 5:11-12 

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

¹¹ “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me.¹² Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

We are just back from a weekend set of meetings called the Wycliffe Associates President’s Summit in Carlsbad, California. We listened to a number of heartening reports of how their new MAST program is allowing the translation of Scripture into languages worldwide. It provides printed text and also audio and various sign language versions for those who would rather not read or are visually or audibly handicapped. Some of these languages have never even been written down. It is a technique that, I’m sure, is inspired by the Holy Spirit. It allows us to provide an excellent and accurate translation in an unbelievably short time. Some have translated a whole New Testament in a fortnight.

Satan is not taking this lying down! WA brought in two African leaders who told of the extreme trials they are meeting in their respective home countries. Both had experienced physical beatings and imprisonment for their faith. Hundreds of Christians have been brutally killed. This has left each of them stronger and more determined to provide Scripture for their people so that they can meet terrible opposition with the knowledge, hope, and faith that comes only from reading and understanding the Word of God.

One of these leaders comes from what is probably the first Christian country on earth. He reminded me of Bekele Heye, a Christian leader from his country whom I met a half-century ago. Heye was a visiting speaker at a camp meeting in Tanzania where Sylvia and I were working. I’ll never forget some of his words to those African believers. He told them, “Don’t wish you had been born with a white skin. One day I went out into the fields with a white missionary, and we worked all day in the sun. The next day this missionary was in hospital where all his skin came off. Meanwhile I was still out in the field growing food for my family.”

Heye also warned his listeners “Don’t think that this is a white man’s religion from Europe or America. Almost 2,000 years ago Africa had it first when the Ethiopian ambassador came back from having been baptized by the deacon Philip. Since that time we have kept the Christian faith to ourselves and haven’t taught it to the rest of Africa. Now these missionaries have come from other countries to do the work God originally gave us to do.”

Thank You, Lord, for showing us how to use modern technologies to reach the entire earth so that a “vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9) can soon be gathered in front of Your throne.

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[i] http://globalchristiancenter.com/christian-living/lesser-known-bible-people/31308-the-eunuch-of-ethiopia

[ii] https://www.google.com/search?q=ethiopian+eunuch+acts&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS744US744&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiMj-3V0uXdAhVE6lMKHafoAHUQ_AUIDygC&biw=1116&bih=538#imgrc=G89oFVhp0BT6pM: