As I have been studying for our Wednesday night youth service, a question kept coming to my mind. “How much do I truly
hunger and thirst for God’s Word?” As I thought about this question, to be
honest, I wonder sometimes if I hunger and thirst for God’s Word like I should.
I live in America where we have the freedom to study God’s Word and Worship
Him. Although many times, we busy our lives so much that God’s Word is often
the last thing we think about. If we compare this to other places in the world
we see a much different result. There are places in the world where the study
of God’s Word and/or worshiping Him can cause someone to be thrown into jail
or even killed. Does this stop believers in those countries? No. They continue
to study God’s Word and worship Him for multiple hours a day. As I thought
about this, I was reminded of an excerpt of a book that I had read. It has
challenged me in my walk with God. I would like to share it with you, and pray
it challenges you as well.
“Just imagine going to a worship gathering in one of
those house churches. Not an all day training in the Word. Just a normal-three
hour worship service late in the evening. The Asian believer who is taking you
gives you the instructions. ‘Put on dark pants and a jacket with a hood on it.
We will put you in the back of our car and drive you into the village. Please
keep your hood on and your face down.’
When you arrive in the
village under the cover of night another Asian believer meets you at the door
of the car. ‘Follow me,’ he says.
With your hood over
your head, you crawl out of the car, keeping your face toward the ground. You
begin to walk with your eyes on the feet of the man in front of you as he leads
you down a long and winding path with a small flashlight. You hear more and
more footsteps around you as you progress down the trail. Then finally you
round the corner and walk into a small room.
Despite its size,
sixty believers have crammed into it. They are all ages, from precious little girls
to seventy-year-old men. They are sitting either on the floor or on a small
stools, lined shoulder to shoulder, huddled together with their Bibles in their
laps, The roof is low, and one light bulb dangles from the ceiling as the sole
source of illumination.
No sound system.
No band.
No guitar.
No entertainment.
No cushioned chairs.
No heated or
air-conditioned building.
Noting but the people
of God and the Word of God.
And strangely, that’s
enough.
God’s Word is enough
for millions of believers who gather in house churches just like this one. His
Word is enough for millions of other believers who huddle in African jungles,
South American rain forests, and Middle Eastern cities.
BUT IS HIS WORD ENOUGH FOR US?”
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