A few years back I wrote about a Muslim friend of mine who trusted Christ through reading the Gospel of John for two years. We have been meeting pretty much each week online for the past six years. He is pastoring underground churches in eight of the cities in his country.
For the past several weeks we have been working through Psalm 119 (here @ Bible Gateway) together. This week were looking at Psalm 119:97 – 112 (here @ Bible Gateway). He stopped me when we got to verse 103 (here @ Bible Gateway). He told me that it was literal, not just figurative. I asked him to explain.
Until now I did not know that he was the 4th of 11 children. He is currently the only believer in that Muslim family. As I mentioned earlier he came to Christ after listening to a broadcast from a Christian station in Monte Carlo. When he responded to them, they sent him a copy of the Gospel of John which he spent two years working through. He was then convinced of the claims of Christ on his life and gave his life to Him.
He was living with two of his brothers at the time. They were working on a business idea together. When they found out about his commitment to Christ, they kicked him out. He was essentially out of work, out of money, etc. He told me that he only had tea and bread to eat.
He said that during that time he had an insatiable appetite, hunger, for God’s Word. He could not get enough. He read and prayed. It was practically his complete focus. He told me that he could actually taste the Word, and that Psalm 119:103 (here @ Bible Gateway) described his experience exactly. Ezekiel had the same response in Ezekiel 3:3 (here @ Bible Gateway). But for my friend this was not a symbolic, but real experience.
Further – well tea and bread are not much on which to live. My friend told me that during that time he would go to bed and dream about eating. In the morning when he woke, he felt full, had no need to eat breakfast.
When he told me this, my first reaction was, “You need to share that story more often.” My second reaction was to remember that Job 23:12 (here @ Bible Gateway), says that Job treasured the Word of God more than his necessary food.
Think of what God did for this man. He has placed his faith in one whom throughout his life has been told was not the last word on how we are to have a relationship with God. As a result he is now against his family and shunned by them. He has no real means of supporting himself, nothing really to eat. God feeds him, literally, with His Word.
Is it any wonder that he holds the Word of God in high regard? Is it any wonder that he wants to equip those in the underground churches he serves with the ability and hunger to be fed in the same way?
Until now I did not know that he was the 4th of 11 children. He is currently the only believer in that Muslim family. As I mentioned earlier he came to Christ after listening to a broadcast from a Christian station in Monte Carlo. When he responded to them, they sent him a copy of the Gospel of John which he spent two years working through. He was then convinced of the claims of Christ on his life and gave his life to Him.
He was living with two of his brothers at the time. They were working on a business idea together. When they found out about his commitment to Christ, they kicked him out. He was essentially out of work, out of money, etc. He told me that he only had tea and bread to eat.
He said that during that time he had an insatiable appetite, hunger, for God’s Word. He could not get enough. He read and prayed. It was practically his complete focus. He told me that he could actually taste the Word, and that Psalm 119:103 (here @ Bible Gateway) described his experience exactly. Ezekiel had the same response in Ezekiel 3:3 (here @ Bible Gateway). But for my friend this was not a symbolic, but real experience.
Further – well tea and bread are not much on which to live. My friend told me that during that time he would go to bed and dream about eating. In the morning when he woke, he felt full, had no need to eat breakfast.
When he told me this, my first reaction was, “You need to share that story more often.” My second reaction was to remember that Job 23:12 (here @ Bible Gateway), says that Job treasured the Word of God more than his necessary food.
Think of what God did for this man. He has placed his faith in one whom throughout his life has been told was not the last word on how we are to have a relationship with God. As a result he is now against his family and shunned by them. He has no real means of supporting himself, nothing really to eat. God feeds him, literally, with His Word.
Is it any wonder that he holds the Word of God in high regard? Is it any wonder that he wants to equip those in the underground churches he serves with the ability and hunger to be fed in the same way?
Its hard to have any response other than a certain awe and shame. We in the current West can have no real grasp on how sufficient the Word of God is to most who have followed Christ through the ages.
ReplyDeleteOur chance may be coming....