When we hear about other people going through
hardship in a noble way, it can actually be a source of encouragement
for us.
First, we sympathize with their situation and
offer help.
But it can also make us think, "If they can do
it, so can I!" We can learn from their example.
Last year, I was at the church of Hyeon Soo
Lim. He is the Canadian pastor who was imprisoned in North Korea while
providing humanitarian aid. Fortunately, he was released in 2017. Praise
God!
For two years, he was forced to do hard
labour. He had to dig holes in the frozen ground with his bare hands. He
also had to break apart chunks of coal.
Upon his return, he talked about his battle
with terrible loneliness. So, what did he do? Mope around in an endless
pity party? He spent what little free time he had by reading 100 books
on North Korea, reading the Bible in English and Korean five times,
memorizing more than 700 Bible verses, and worshipping alone for 130
Sundays.
Hardship can draw us closer to God -- or push
us further from Him. Hyeon Soo Lim chose to draw closer. What an
example!
Paul said that nothing "will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord".
(Romans 8:39b NIV) That includes imprisonment, hard labour, and
loneliness. And it also includes bad days, feeling sad, regret, and
stress.
The reason that I say this today is because
I'm sure that some of us are going through a tough time right now. So,
let's believe what the Bible says in Romans 8:39, and be encouraged and
inspired by the example of Hyeon Soo Lim.
Hardship can draw us closer to God -- or push
us further from Him.
Which do you choose?
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your unshakable
love in Christ. Rescue us, strengthen us, and shine the light that can
come only from You! In Jesus' powerful name, we pray. Amen.
Matthew Ruttan
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Reprinted from the
PresbyCan Daily
Devotional with the author's permission
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