In His Hands

When we consider that we are held by God, and He will manifest His power to and through us, we can sense that we are truly overcomers in Him; or as, Romans 8 says, we are more than conquerors.
In Isaiah 41, we can read:
10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Later in the chapter, we find these words from God:
13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'
14 "Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the Lord And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Because we belong to God and we are in Him, we can know that He is with us and that His strength is available. We can build our faith through His Word, and that faith is a powerful force to overcome fear.  We are capable in Him to actually follow that Scriptural directive to "fear not."  His resources: faith, power, love, soundmindedness, are available to the child of God.  We can walk with confidence as we face life in God's strength and not our own.

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The concept of being in God's hands can be very powerful when we face uncertainty and adversity.
Isaiah 29 states:
14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden."
15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?"
16 Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, "He did not make me"? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

I've heard it said that the Coronavirus pandemic has taught us that the Church doesn't need a building.  That is very true.  But we need each other.  And, God, through technology, has made a way for believers to connect in worship services, Sunday School classes, Bible study groups, and prayer gatherings.

This past Sunday, my wife and I gathered for Sunday School, and one of the class leaders shared a short video by a guy named John Maynard.  Apparently this little video has become quite popular.  The title of the video, Depends on whose hands its in!

The point is that in the hands of the Lord, seemingly simple things have great value and that we can trust Him with our lives.

I did a bit of research on this poem, and it seems it has been attributed to an Indian missionary named Paul Ciniraj.  Maynard says in the video that his dad had sent it to him, and apparently it was adapted a bit.  The poem opens like this:

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan’s hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends on whose hands it’s in…

He also says:

A golf club is useless in my hands.
A golf club in Tiger Wood’s hands is a 4 Major Golf Championships
It depends on whose hands it’s in…

Then, he uses some Biblical examples:

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal.
A rod in Moses’ hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends on whose hands it’s in…

A sling shot in my hands is a toy.
A slingshot in David’s hands is a mighty weapon.
It depends on whose hands it’s in…

Two fish and five loaves in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and five loaves in Jesus’ hands will feed thousands.
It depends on whose hands they’re in…

Then, the dramatic close:

Nails in my hands might produce a bird house.
Nails in Christ Jesus’ hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends on whose hands they’re in…

As you see now it depends on whose hands it’s in.
So put your concerns, worries, fears, hopes, dreams, families
and relationships in God’s Hands.
Because, It depends on whose hands they’re in.

Paul Ciniraj recognized that His life was in God's hands.  I came across an article at the God Reports website, which was written by his wife, Mercy.  She writes: "...he has recovered from terrible persecution, which including three beatings to the head and being left for dead, and then developing leukemia four years ago."  This was written in 2013.

But, Ciniraj no longer has leukemia.  His wife wrote:

Praise God for his unspeakable mercy. Our Lord Jesus graciously touched him by HIS nailed hands. It happened one night, when our Lord Jesus Christ appeared before him in a dream and touched him from the top of his head to tips of his toes by His nailed hands and said, “Be healed” and then at the very moment, my husband experienced the supernatural power of healing.

This miracle occurred during a time when one of the most famous oncologists in India — a Hindu — had been giving him treatment. He is very busy doctor who was taking care of many cancer patients, yet, when he found that my husband was healed completely, he sat with him for about an hour and asked Paul to share his testimony.

Paul shared his testimony with the doctor, of having become a Christian out of Islam, enduring persecution, and experiencing God's protection. Mercy wrote: "Hearing the testimony, the doctor accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior and then asked Paul, to pray for him. Also the doctor requested him to visit his patients often to share the Word of God and pray for them."

By the way, Paul Ciniraj apparently published the poem about being held in God's hands in 2010, after he had contracted leukemia.

I believe that the obvious takeaway here is the concept of being held in God's hands.  In and of ourselves, we cannot even come to know God, for our human sinfulness separates us from Him; but as we come to Jesus and place ourselves in His hands, we can see powerful things occur in our lives.
Certainly, we remember that there is value in being a child of God.  If we have surrendered to Him, we can be confident He will express His life through us.

The Paul Ciniraj story can help us recall God's miraculous power.  We recognize that He is able to do far more than we could imagine, and He wants us to come to Him, commit to His care, and cast our cares on Him.  When we do that, we become participants in God's amazing Kingdom work.  In His hands, we become vessels whom He will use to produce amazing fruit!

Unity in Prayer

Our lives can be solidified, buoyed up because of our devotion to the Lord through prayer.  James 5
states:
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

There are a number of adjectives in this passage to describe the way that the Lord would intend for us to pray.  By His power, we can participate in effective prayer.  We are effective as we pray in accordance to His will, and He desires for us to be dedicated in that practice, in fervent prayer.  We also see that Elijah was earnestly praying.  That implies that we are consistent in bringing our requests before the Lord, that we possess an attitude of prayer, communicating with His regularly, not distracted, but focused on calling on Him.

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The 2020 National Day of Prayer is in the rearview mirror, and this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people responded in creative ways to the call of God to come together in prayer.  There was a national virtual prayer meeting hosted by Will Graham and National Day of Prayer President Kathy Branzell, that took place that Thursday night.  Before that, another collection of Christian leaders were part of an online prayer gathering, led by Greg Laurie and Jack Graham at the Pray.com website.  The Presidential Prayer Team hosted virtual prayer rooms throughout the day.

The theme for this year's National Day of Prayer was "Pray God's Glory Across the Earth," a concept taken from Habakkuk 2:14, which says, "For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea." Kathy Branzell incorporated that into the 2020 Prayer for America, saying: "We pray that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will spread across our nation and the entire earth as we seek Your Kingdom and righteousness; as we walk in obedience to You, and in humble unity, love one another."

On that day, the first Thursday of May - this year it was May 7 - Faith Radio partnered with area church and ministry leaders for an on-air and online National Day of Prayer events, concentrating on the seven centers of influence, as well as prayer in response to the Coronavirus crisis.  We deeply appreciate the willingness of these leaders, from a variety of racial, cultural, and denominational backgrounds to lead our listeners in prayer.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council wrote this:

For once, America is in something together -- battling the same enemy, hurting from the same pain. Today, seeking the same God. The president, in his official proclamation, called this date a "prayerful tradition" -- one that, until very recently, a lot of us took for granted. Now, under the long shadows that have driven other generations to prayer, we find ourselves in the same position -- privileged to call on God as one people.

In that same piece on the FRC website, he quoted the President's National Day of Prayer proclamation:

"...Even though we have been unable to gather together... we are still connected through prayer and the calming reassurance that God will lead us through life's many valleys. In the midst of these trying and unprecedented times, we are reminded that just as those before us turned to God in their darkest hours, so must we seek His wisdom, strength, and healing hand..."

President Trump and Vice President Pence participated in a Rose Garden National Day of Prayer event, which has become an annual event during the Trump presidency.  Pence also participated via video in the Pray.com event later that day.  ChristianHeadlines.com quoted from the Vice President:

“Karen and I will both attest that the sweetest words that we ever hear are when people will take a moment, walk up, and say, ‘I’m praying for you,’” Pence said, referencing Second Lady Karen Pence. “And you know they mean it from their hearts and we hear it all of the time. We can attest, firsthand, America is a nation of prayer.

“The American people have long believed in the power of prayer, that the effective and fervent prayer of a righteous person availeth much, and that in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, we’re to present our request to God with the promise that the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Christian Headlines article also noted:

Pence asked Americans to pray for those who have the coronavirus and for the families who have lost loved ones. He requested prayer for “doctors and nurses and healthcare workers who have cared for our families as if they were their own” and for the “police, firefighters and first responders” who “have rendered care and sped those impacted by this dread virus to healing hands.” He also asked Americans to pray for the “men and women who defend this nation” and “are standing [at] a post at this hour in far-flung places around the world.”

The website, Christian Daily, provided coverage of the Pray.com gathering of leaders, including Faith Radio programmer Greg Laurie.  The website related:

Greg Laurie, Pastor from Riverside California, opened up the National Day of Prayer, "We need prayer in our nation right now facing Coronavirus. We're trying to get the country opened up again. We should all be praying for supernatural intervention."

He said, "Constant prayer, we want to ask you not just pray during this service but continue to pray for our nation. There is power when we pray together. I am joined by a lot of amazing friends that will be praying today in this service."

The article also mentioned Alabama-based pastor Chris Hodges of Church of the Highlands, who, as the piece notes, "prayed for pastors and spiritual leaders. He mentioned that religious leaders need prayer more than ever, and Satan will try to attack them during this pandemic time, so we have to pray for their protection." He is quoted as saying: "I also believe that our spiritual leaders are targeted by the enemy."

Secretary of State Pompeo also participated in that event.

At the top of the Faith Radio Coronavirus Response page, there is the reminder to pray without ceasing.  That can also affect our response and make sure that we are placing faith over fear.  When fear seems to be intensifying, we can respond on our knees.

We continue to recognize those who are on the front lines fighting this virus; many have put their lives at risk and there are those, including health care workers, who have lost their lives.  But, challenged and even exhausted, their are diligently fighting this disease and saving lives.  Through prayer, we can rise to the challenges we face and we can call on God, for His strength to flow through them.

And, through our prayer, we can build perseverance.  We want to move quickly to reopen our churches and restore our way of life, but we have to be patient.  God will calm our spirits as we commit to seeking His face and adopt His mindset.

A Different View

We have been called to follow Christ - we have been brought into a relationship with Him through
salvation and empowered by the Holy Spirit so that He might express Himself through us. 2nd Thessalonians 1 states:
11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,
12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thought about that phrase, "worthy of this calling."  Well, we know that in ourselves, in our flesh, we are not worthy to have a relationship with God.  But, because of Christ and our acceptance of Him, He has placed a call upon our lives.  If we respond, if we are faithful, we can be confident that He will bear fruit in our lives.  That's what grace does: it takes us from being exiled from God, to being part of His family, to being in service to Him, representing Him by our faithfulness.

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The apostle Paul prayed that the church at Philippi, extended to us, would bear fruit consistent with
our faithfulness to the Lord. We can read this in the 1st chapter of the book of Philippians:
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Last week on my "Famous Friday" on The Meeting House, we looked at the tenacious faith of Ainsley Earhardt of Fox News, and this week I want to concentrate on the thoughtful faith of another television personality, who is with ABC News.

She was actually one of the panelists on The View, as well as a weekend anchor on ABC News - even though some might say that she was successful in her career, something was missing.

Her name is Paula Faris, the subject of a recent article on the Faithwire website, which quotes the journalist as saying: “When I was at the height, anchoring ‘Good Morning America’ weekends and co-hosting ‘The View,’ it seemed like I had it all professionally, but my life, my personal life, was just falling apart,” adding, “I looked around and my relationships had started to suffer with my husband and my kids. I wasn’t attending church as often as I’d like. I wasn’t rooted into a good network of accountability partners, and my health started suffering.”

So, in 2018, she walked away.  God had worked through trials to get her attention, including, as the article notes, "...a miscarriage, a concussion, an emergency surgery, and a head-on car accident..."

Faithwire states:

Most Americans, the journalist explained, have “bought the lie that our value is vocation and our worth is work and that doing is somehow the only value that we bring to society.”

It’s critical for Christians to uncouple “calling” from “career,” she said.

“When we throw that word around, are we talking faith calling or are we talking vocational calling? One changes and one never does,” Faris said. “Your faith calling is your purpose, and that is the reason you’re on this earth, and it has nothing to do with career. … I thought that my faith calling was to be the best broadcaster that I could be, using the gifts and talents God gave me. But when I experience a vocational shift, then my purpose is rocked, and I don’t know who I am.”

She added, “Your faith calling and your purpose will never change in your life, no matter the change in tides, no matter the personal crisis or pandemic, it is never going to change...It is to love God and love people — that’s it.”  She sees one's "faith calling" as a vine, and "vocational callings" are the branches it produces.

So Faris is now in a new phase of life - as a stay-at-home mother. The article notes that "Faris stressed the importance of recognizing the 'lie' that to live a life of calling means to have a lofty career outside the home. The calling, she said, isn’t in what you’re doing, but who you’re doing it for."

Faris has a new book out and is the host of the ABC podcast, Journeys of Faith.

I think that this journalist offers some challenging thoughts for us.  For one thing, your calling is not your job.  Your job can be an expression of God's call, but your identity is not wrapped up in what you do - it's tied to who you are.  Next week on The Meeting House, you will meet Pierce Brantley, who offers some relevant comments about the concept of calling, so I'd like for you to tune in.

Faris summarizes each of our general callings in this statement, "love God and love people."  Jesus essentially said that in responding to the person who asked what the greatest commandment in the law was.  He said it was to love the Lord our God with all that we are and, the second one was like it, to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Our love for other people flows out of and is consistent with the love for our Lord.

Our faithfulness to the call of God is measured by the fruit that we bear.  We bear fruit for God's glory as we abide in or stay connected to Him.  One of the essential components of fruit-bearing in the Christian life is pressure.  That pressure - and our response to it - can produce fruit consistent with godliness.

Incubator

In the first chapter of the book of 1st Peter, he shares about the hope that we have in Christ and His salvation, writing this:
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.

Two words here - process and progress.  We recognize that we are on a journey, and more than likely, it will not always be a smooth one; we will face challenges to our faith, but God has a purpose - so that we may grow.  The Bible teaches that He is conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ.  And, He has set us on a path on which He makes spiritual growth possible.  We have the ultimate goal of transitioning from this life to the next, having been saved and continuing here on earth to be set apart for His glory, until we are taken into heaven.

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I think it is important that we adopt the attitude that we all want to be found faithful to the Lord and
moving in a positive direction in our spiritual life. Philippians 2 provides these words:
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

We have talked on The Meeting House about how God is working in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and how our change of routine and perhaps more available time can be leveraged for the purpose of prayer and spiritual growth.

And, just a couple of weeks ago, Pew Research released a survey that shows some positive signs.  According to the survey summary:

One-quarter of U.S. adults overall (24%) say their faith has become stronger because of the coronavirus pandemic, while just 2% say their faith has become weaker. The majority say their faith hasn’t changed much (47%) or that the question isn’t applicable because they were not religious to begin with (26%).

Now, those are the stats "overall," including those who are not religious.  When we focus in on just those self-identifying as Christians, the numbers become even more encouraging, with 56% of Protestants "in the historically black tradition" and 42% of evangelicals saying they had experienced spiritual growth during the Coronavirus crisis.

Those who may have already had a propensity to practice their religious faith apparently have grown spiritually, with 46% of those attending religious services at least once or twice a month saying they have been strengthened in their faith.  

This has occurred even though in-person worship, by and large, had ceased.  The Pew summary states:

Indeed, among U.S. adults who say they typically attend religious services at least once or twice a month, just 3% say their congregation is still holding in-person services. The vast majority (91%) say their congregation has closed its religious services to the public, and 5% say they do not know what their congregation has done.

Out of American adults who say they attend church at least once a month, 82% indicated that their church offered some sort of online or televised content.  Nine out of ten evangelicals responded that this was the case for them.

In these unusual times, we can find that the chamber of isolation has become an incubator of spiritual growth.  We recognize that God wants to grow Godly character in us - He will use a variety of components to accomplish His purposes.  It may be the fire of affliction or perhaps the pressure of persecution.  But, through it all, we can be confident in Him that He has a desired outcome.

So, we can identify and take advantage of opportunities to grow.  We don't have to have trouble in our lives to grow spiritually.  But, we also have to be careful not to become caught up in self-reliance when things are going well.  God desires for us to have a consistent walk, incorporating solid spiritual practices in our lives so that, in good or bad, we are rooted in Him and growing in the Lord.

The Scriptures tell us to "work out" our salvation - that doesn't say to work for our salvation, as it's been pointed out, no, we can work it out like a muscle or like we might "work out" in the sense of physical exercise.  If we are not working out with exercise, it has implications on our physical health. Likewise, if we are not studying and applying the Word of God, our spiritual health is affected.

Catalyst

God calls us to walk in His light, and we find the admonition in Ephesians chapter 5 to...
(14) ..."Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

We can make sure that our eyes are open to how God wants to work in our lives.  We can learn to rely on Him to show us what He wants to do and then trust Him to provide the necessary resources in order to fulfill our assignment.  We have the equipping of the Spirit, who will enable us to follow in the way that He has directed - we can rely on Him to help us manage that He has entrusted to us, so that His name will be glorified.

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During the concluding section of the book of 1st Thessalonians, in chapter 5, the apostle Paul
highlights the importance of spiritual readiness and response. We can read:
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
25 Brethren, pray for us.

In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus reinforces the element of provision, including the statement, "Give us this day our daily bread."  However, we know that around the world, there are many who go without that daily portion of adequate food.

The Church can be instrumental in making sure that people are fed.  I have spotlighted ministries in the past few weeks that are being used greatly to minister to those who are hungry in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis.  I think of the Dream Center in Los Angeles, where thousands have received food in the name of the Lord.  Or of Convoy of Hope, which has partnered with local churches to bring food to communities across our nation.  We should never take the provision of food for granted, and recognize that in these difficult times, where you have almost 15 percent of Americans unemployed, that Christians have the opportunity to show the love of Christ, providing physical food, combined with spiritual food.

There is a church in Memphis that has taken the concept of food as ministry a step further, combining several elements in an effective strategy. We recognize that seniors are especially vulnerable to the Coronavirus, and visitation in senior care centers has been restricted.  So, this church has stepped up, while bringing economic relief to local restaurants. According to WMC Television, the Senior Pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, J. Lawrence Turner, said: "Our seniors are so precious," adding, "It's a risk if they do go out, if they want to do something special, such as have a meal that's out of the ordinary from what they have access to..."

But, there have been limited restaurant options.  The article goes on to say:

Senior Pastor Turner has seen the impact it has had on members who own restaurants in Memphis. He said some restaurant owners in his congregation have had to close down and some have had to to lay off workers.

So, he and his congregation came up with a plan to help.

"We decided to partner with our Boulevard member-owned and operated restaurants," he said.

One of the restaurants is owned by a church member and provided meals for senior centers in the area. As of the next-to-last week of April, the church had fed about 300 people - residents and members of the facilities' staffs - over a two-week period.

Think about this simple and profound plan: the church saw the need and became the catalyst.  It put the recipients and providers together and presumably provided the funding.  This is efficient management of resources that meets the needs of the community.

We can consider how we have been strategically placed by God into the midst of people we are called to serve.  We can trust God for a plan to meet a need or multiple needs around us and the provision to carry it out.   His Spirit will give us direction and resources to fulfill the call or the assignment that He has given to us.

Hope to be Reunited

There is trouble in this world, but we can know that Christ is with us.  We may face separation from
friends and loved ones, but, for the Christian, we can hope in Him. Romans 8 says:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because we name the name of Christ, we can come to expect suffering in this life; but we can know and trust someone who is present with us in our suffering and is devoted to doing His work out of His great love for us.  We have the promise that we will never be separated from His love, although we may face separation from others, including the pain of a broken relationship, brought about by any number of factors.  We can rejoice in our God who restores.

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We are reminded that persecution can bring separation of family members, such as we have seen in
the case of a young girl who was kidnapped by a terror group in Africa. 1st Peter 5 reminds us:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Mother's Day was observed this past Sunday, and I trust it was a rich time for you to honor your mother, if she is still on this earth, or to reflect on her memory.  The relationship between mother and child is very special, because she was used by God our Creator to bring us into this world.

And, we can realize that sometimes that relationship can be strained, and there may be the pain of separation.  Consider the case of Rebecca Sharibu - over two years ago, her daughter Leah was kidnapped by members of the terror group Boko Haram in Nigeria.  Lela Gilbert of Family Research Council wrote a piece that was published at the Real Clear Religion website; she gives some background here:

Sharibu doesn’t know where her daughter is. She has no idea when or if she’ll see her again. In fact, she’s isn’t even sure whether – as has been reported – her almost 17-year-old daughter is now a mother herself.

Leah Sharibu, Rebecca’s daughter, was one of some 105 female victims kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in February 2018. Leah, a Christian, was abducted in a terrifying raid along with her Muslim classmates at Dapchi Girls' Science and Technical College.

After a month following that raid, most of the girls were released, but not Leah. Why not?  Gilbert shares this insight:

The other girls were all Muslim. And Leah had refused to renounce her Christian faith.

When she heard that her classmates were being set free, Leah asked one of them to carry a note to Rebecca Shirabu. “My mother you should not be disturbed,” she wrote. “I know it is not easy missing me, but I want to assure you that I am fine where I am… I am confident that one day I shall see your face again. If not here, then there at the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Lela Gilbert of FRC writes:

Last summer I met Rebecca Sharibu in Washington D.C. She had come to seek help from the United States. Her heartache was etched on her weary, unsmiling face.

When I asked if she’s been given any information about her daughter’s condition, she shook her head. “We don’t even know where Leah is,” her friend translated. “We have not seen her. We have not heard from her. I have no idea.” She was near tears, but after a moment, she composed herself. “I have come here to plead with your government and with all the people: Please do whatever you can…”

About six months later, on January 26, 2020, a Nigerian news source The Cable reported that Leah Sharibu was “impregnated by one of the commanders of the sect, and she was delivered of a baby four days ago.” Of course it was impossible to confirm the story, although it implied that Leah is probably still alive.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended that Nigeria be designated as a "country of particular concern" and Boko Haram as an "entity of particular concern" due to its religious freedom abuses.  Commission Chairman Tony Perkins, who is President of FRC, has, as Gilbert points out, "personally advocated for Leah Shirabu as a 'prisoner of conscience' for refusing to renounce her faith."

Gilbert encourages a "moment of reflection" for this mother and daughter and writes: "Even those of us who live a world away from Nigeria may not be able to physically welcome home our own children and grandchildren this Mother’s Day. Still, we’ll probably hear their voices on the phone or see their faces on a video feed before the day is over. And we’ll keep reminding ourselves that there’s always next year. Sadly, this is not the case for Leah and Rebecca – and many other moms and daughters around the world."

The Sharibus are experiencing the pain of separation and hopefully, one day, will experience the joy of reconciliation.  We can regard the Lord as our healer and restorer, and He wants to mend broken relationships.  Rebecca essentially has no knowledge of or control over her daughter's whereabouts.  She can certainly pray and trust God for Leah's safe return.  God repairs the broken and in instances where someone may experience a need for restoration of a broken relationship, God is present and may indeed be directing an opportunity to reconcile.

And, you would hope that Leah feels she is not alone - recognizing there are many believers who are standing with her. Christians can remember the persecuted and stand with them in prayer. And, we can develop a heart for justice and cry out to the just Judge, who brings justice for the sake of His name.

The Peace Spreader

We have peace with God and we are called to pursue peace with one another, recognizing that we are
one body in Him. Ephesians chapter 4 says:
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling...

Peace is certainly wrapped up in being kind to one another, which is a powerful external force, but we can also check motives to make sure that we have the right attitude toward others - this can determine our internal perspective, which, of course, can determine our outward actions.  If we are harboring ill will and bitter feelings toward others, we have to make sure that we repent so that we can enjoy the peace of God and be propelled to greater devotion to loving our neighbor.

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Jesus is our Prince of Peace, who came to bring us peace with God; and He enables us to be spreaders of the message of peace with one another. 2nd Thessalonians 3 states:
13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.
15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

We recognize that there are those on the front lines who have a profound opportunity to spread the love and truth of Jesus Christ.  One such individual, Brittany Akinsola, went to New York City to serve as a nurse with Samaritan's Purse in its field hospital there.  On the National Day of Prayer at the White House, according to the White House website, she declared:

I would love to just leave you with a Scripture that has helped me so much through this time. And it’s Galatians 6:9, and what it says is, “Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” And the harvest that I’m believing for our country is one of restoration and hope. I am believing for healing in the name of Jesus, and I am believing that unity — that unity would thrive during this time. So thank you so much, and God bless you all.

God's presence is manifested to people in need of hope by those who are called to serve them.  Those who work in the health care field, first responders, law enforcement, government officials - all of these and more, who know the Lord, have a fabulous opportunity to proclaim God's truth.

That leads me to a unique video out of Guatemala about which ChristianNews.net reported.  The website says:

A video posted to social media shows a police officer with the National Civil Police in Guatemala declaring the name of Jesus to residents who are quarantined in their homes, encouraging them to have faith in God, for “what is impossible with man is possible with God.”

This officer was in one of the vehicles in a parade of police vehicles moving through the city. The article says that the officer declared on a microphone:

“Today, the national civil police department is passing through the city to bring a message of salvation — not with our weapons but with the powerful weapons of God,” he states, holding what appears to be a Bible in his hand. “We declare that in front of this destructive plague, our weapons don’t have power, but there is a power — the power of Jesus Christ.”

He added: "And today, the national civil police is present with the people to be united in faith, to be united in one heart, one purpose — that for God is nothing impossible. He fights our battles..."

Law enforcement officials are described as "peace officers;" that is consistent with the Biblical role of government to maintain order and punish evil - to basically, keep the peace.  This young man is spreading the peace - the peace of God, declaring the Prince of Peace, who is a source of help in times of struggle.

The officer shared appreciation to the people staying at home and encouraged them to "hug their families," according to the article.  He shared: "..Take courage. Take faith in the God that we are bringing praises [to] and saying to Him that He is the greatest in all the world,” adding, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

I think this law enforcement officer in Guatemala can send a message to all of us: we can seek to spread the peace.  In a polarized culture such as we inhabit today, we can continue to seek to reflect the character of Christ.  That means loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbor.  It means not jumping to conclusions on social media and impugning the intent of others.  It means checking what we say before we say it - or write it.  It means not generalizing the acts or attitudes of a people group because of the abuses of certain members of it.  I have been so tempted to respond to even so-called evangelical leaders recently by just tweeting out one word in response: "unhelpful."  But, that wouldn't be helpful, either.  We can embrace causes, but ultimately, we serve the Lord Christ, and we can stand for truth and justice without tearing one another down.

We can also continue to remember the sacrifices of those who serve on the front lines in our culture.  We can remember those in the health care field, the first responders, our law enforcement and government officials - that's what the Ribbons of Hope campaign is all about.  These individuals need our prayers - and of course, the victims of COVID-19 and their families are in need of prayer.

Finally, we can seek to be messengers of hope.  This police officer was dedicated to that, reminding people of the presence of God and the availability of His power.  We need Him today, to intervene in this world being threatened by a deadly virus - and we need His salvation, that enables us to overcome the virus that brings eternal death: the virus of sin.  His love can penetrate the human heart and bring healing, and empower us to combat the virus of division that is rocking our world today.