[1]
Isaiah 40:31
Good News Translation
31 But those who trust in the Lord for
help
will find their strength renewed.
They will rise on wings like eagles;
they will run and not get weary;
they will walk and not grow weak.
Yohana[2]
was leaving the local State Department of Education office when he was jumped
by several thugs. They knocked him down, kicked him, and in general beat him
up. Then they ran away. He dragged himself to his feet. On the next corner a
policeman relaxed under the shade of the building looking the other way. The
sole purpose was to wound him in the hopes of teaching him a lesson. He was
thwarting the purpose of the office, and they could do this easily by slipping
a few untraceable notes of currency into these miscreants’ hands and the hand
of the police.
Yohana was a short, slight man, self-educated, and the
principal of a school founded over a century ago by missionaries. He was not
the type one would brand as an imposing hero. Yet He was highly principled and
loyal to his goals and purposes. And he was a personal friend.
The newly independent State had every intention of changing
the mission school into a state school. But since the school had never accepted
state funds to operate, they didn’t have the authority under the state
constitution to do so. For well over a year, they had been sending rabble
rousers onto campus twice a week, under the guise of petty politicians. The unstated
goal was to raise a riot on campus; however, they came in under the guise of
fostering a great appreciation of the State. This included opposing
Christianity in any of its forms and redirecting student devotion from Christ
to that of accepting the state as the ultimate benefactor. It painted
missionaries as frauds and charlatans who were there purely for their own
enrichment.
As principal, Yohana quietly but firmly retained a
consistent educational program, and the expected riots never occurred. Now the
State was attempting to break him physically and mentally. He trusted in the
Lord as his strength. Finally, the frustrated officials sent a posse out to
arrest him. With the help of friends, he evaded the posse and fled to a
neighboring state, as on wings like eagles. There he was able to pursue his
career with the Lord, unmolested. The State’s malicious goals were thwarted,
and a half century later, the school continues to thrive under its original purpose—to train leaders
for Christ.
We trust in You, Lord,
to continually renew our strength according to Your promises.
