Steadfast Hope

Job 13:15 (NIV)

Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;

    I will surely defend my ways to his face.

In May 1998, the Voice of the Martyrs staff carried relief aid to the Sudanese Christians in the village of Ayien. Abraham Yac Deng, a deacon at the Episcopal Church, was overjoyed by the missionaries' gift of 600 Bibles. As the pastor for some 400 people, he owned the only Bible in the congregation. With extreme care, he took it out of his shirt pocket and showed it to the staff. It was a well-worn Bible, with one page in particular that was especially worn away. It was chapter 8 of Romans. The words from verses 35-39 brought Abraham comfort: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." On June 3, 1998, National Islamic Front troops entered the town of Ayien. They assassinated Abraham Yac Deng and then burned the 600 Bibles that had just been delivered. But they could not extinguish the hope of Abraham Yac Deng.

We are more than conquerors through Christ who has loved us. Even death will not separate us from our hope and His love. Today in prayer, pray for Christians in Sudan and other areas of the world that face persecution.

Dear Lord we pray that we would all stay steadfast in our hope in Christ. We thank You that we can put our whole hope in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.