“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though
you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with
joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining
the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV
While out in the field working, Mathew heard a voice call his name and say, “Mathew, you must do My work.” Turning to those close by, he asked, “Did you hear that?” Mathew’s co-workers looked at him blankly, perplexed, for they hadn’t heard anything out of the ordinary. So Mathew pressed them, “Did you not hear a voice speaking to me?”
Certain their friend was trying to pull a prank, they snickered, refusing to fall prey to his trick. Mathew shook his head and laughed along but, deep down, he was convinced that he had heard the voice of God. “That was 24 years ago,” Mathew told me with a sheepish grin, “and I have been pastoring now for 21 years.”
Mathew loved the Lord and was eager to serve Him. When his pastoral training was completed, Mathew and his family were led by God to a very difficult region in southern India by the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The day Mathew established the church in this area, an older man from the village approached him and declared that he had cursed their place of worship and the land they were using, as well as Mathew’s family. When nothing happened to Mathew, the old man appeared again and announced: “My witchcraft doesn’t seem to work against you. Maybe we need to kill you.”
Hostility increased from that day on as Mathew and his family were verbally abused whenever they entered the village. In addition, they endured many threats and discrimination from local business operators and authorities. “I remember when I came to this area, and said to the Lord: ‘We do not know anyone here, and we have no support. If You want us here, You will need to provide.’” So, despite the social ostracism, Mathew served the community as best he could with a heart of love. “God called me here because He loves these people, so I too must love them with the love that comes from God.”
Then one day, the man who had cursed Mathew appeared, this time walking with a cane. When Mathew saw how badly the elderly man was limping, he asked what had happened. Mathew discovered that after this villager had threatened to kill him and his family, the man’s hip became displaced. His own medicine did not work, and the community doctor explained that nothing could be done to help him. He was given a cane and told that he would need it for the rest of his life. When Mathew offered to pray for healing, the old man shrugged and replied, “Why not?”
Mathew laughed as he told me the story. “He didn’t believe that my prayer would help him, but the Lord healed him instantly. This old man was so excited that he ran home, gathered his family, and now they are all members of our church!”
As I reflect on Mathew’s story, I am amazed again at the resiliency of love. As Christians, the faith we possess is centred on Jesus, producing abundant love, hope and joy within. When we demonstrate the love of the Father to those around us, it doesn’t go unnoticed. While some will welcome His love through our good works and proclamation of the Gospel, others will respond with hatred and seek to bring suffering to our lives. However, the Bible tells us we can rejoice in such suffering because we have a glorious future awaiting us.
The Holy Spirit, our Comforter, assures us of the boundless love of God and fills us so that we can pour it out upon those who attack us. Our eternal salvation is secured and, therefore, we need not fear the world’s hatred. Instead, we are called to respond in an opposite spirit of love.
“Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter ev’ry trembling heart.”
~ Hymn lyrics by John Wesley
Floyd
Held captive in the Philippines
