~ * LIGHT through Trials !! ~

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him
(ROMANS 8:28).

"THERE is an African Proverb that says, "That which blinds the blind man also feeds him." Its literal meaning is that those who are blind are expected to beg to gain their daily food. FOR me, that proverb has a very precious spiritual application. Difficult things may come to us during our lifetime, and the world may see those things as being very destructive and cruel. IF however, those things are accepted as part of His sovereign will, then, because of the growth and depth we gain in the Lord Jesus, they WILL have an opposite effect!

The husband of a young Christian woman was shot as he fled from their mud house during border disputes in our area of West Africa. He had just completed one month's study in literacy training so that he would be able to read the New Testament in Red Bobo. JUST two days earlier, he had been baptized and had given public testimony that he was a new creature in Christ and was obeying His command to be baptized. WHAT a difficult thing for his family and those village church people to accept the death of this zealous new believer in Christ.

THREE months after his death, his wife attended one of our women's conferences. SHE told of God's sufficiency in her life and of the assurance she had that God loved her, would provide for her and never leave her comfortless!

What a testimony to all of us! Those "blinding" blows that may touch us will, in the hands of our loving Father, nurture and "feed" us and bring new life to those around us.

May God help us to always be fed and not just blinded by our trials and afflictions."
Barbara Sorenson

* A 'SAFE place' !

"SOMETIMES in life's journey we pass through dark valleys of trouble. But in the midst of the darkness we have a refuge, a safe place, the eternal God our Saviour. His loving arms uphold us and shield us all day long. THIS verse ("The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" - Deuteronomy 33:27a.) was a source of strength and comfort to me while I was going through one of the most difficult experiences of my life.

AS my husband was driving our van homeward after an Easter service in a village church in India, a motor scooter with a side car came from the opposite direction. WHILE passing us, he suddenly swerved and collided with our front wheel. The impact pulled our vehicle over to the wrong side. We immediately helped the injured passenger to the hospital and reported the accident to the police.

BUT when the relatives of the scooter's driver saw the position of our car, they decided to bring suit against us. I was falsely accused of causing the accident by reckless driving.

FOLLOWING the initial hearing, I was shocked to discover that my lawyer did not believe I was not driving our vehicle. Soon after, however, he was convinced of the injustice of the case against me and defended me well.

God brought about my acquittal nearly a year later. But during those months, as I stood in the criminal stand and heard false testimony against me, I remembered what my Savior suffered for me. He understood what I was going through and gently drew me close to Him. His purpose was being accomplished as we witnessed of Him to lawyers and people in the court whom we would otherwise never have met. The eternal God was indeed our refuge." MURIEL ENTZ