"You should not be surprised by the trial of fire, dear ones, that has come upon you, as if this testing were something strange, but it allows us to share in the suffering of Christ, so you may also truly rejoice when His true glory is made evident".
1 Peter 4:12 &13.
These past days have truly been a trial by fire. When the church, never mind the world, closes its doors to essential ministry and worship, and only opens them again under the strictest measures (by which point many feel they can only 'congregate' away from everyone), we encounter a measure of incarceration not seen in our lifetimes.
No doubt many of us find ourselves yearning for an end, or at the very least, a demise, to the crippling 'cloud' of lethargy and general despondency that has gripped the world since 2020, and there may well be moments we find ourselves echoing the words of Elijah amidst the inferno of conflict with the 'powers' of his day:
"It is enough! Now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than those who went before me" (1 Kings 19:4).
This man of God, who had stood so faithful in the fulcrum of the crucible had no strength left in himself - the days had cost him greatly, and he believed the time had come to exit from the fray.
Over the last few weeks of my leave, I have sought to find again what makes it possible for us to endure (notice, in Elijah's case, how it was God taking the common things - sleep, food and drink - that became the means of his renewal).
Back in the start of the 1970's, a rented building in the heart of Sunset Strip in LA, found amidst all the bars, clubs and strip joints, became known as 'His Place', and every night, numerous youngsters from all manner of backgrounds would come and hear a young preacher named Arthur Blessitt tell them the amazing news about Jesus.
The authorities wanted it stopped - the courts ruled to close it down, but what followed was an amazing story of faith and spiritual recovery.
It wasn't easy - Arthur found himself chained to a cross... literally, but the consequences of that were a ministry which took him the world over to share the good news.
The darkness of the hour is great, but the one who takes the common things and causes them to feed and sustain us in unexpected ways is here! He will take us through, and the world will most certainly see something beyond its miserable expectations when that day dawns.
He will aid us in our time of need, so let us find His care and go forward in the majesty of that strength, that His grace may abound.
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