An Encouraging Note

As I sat down to write my blog for this week, I was having a little trouble thinking of what to share. As of right now, we are STILL waiting on paperwork from the University so that we can apply for our Visas. We are just a few months away. We need our Visas before we can apply for housing and before we feel comfortable purchasing expensive airline tickets. There are a lot of things hanging on these last few documents. Please pray for the school to quickly do their end so we can finish up our part!

That's about it on the update. I wish there were more to tell! We are continuing to put money away of our own and coutinuing to raise support! The Lord has been faithful and I know He will continue to be as we nervously wait for the last few pieces to fall into place.

A few weeks ago I picked up a book in the Briarwood Library entitled: "The Shorter Catechism Illustrated" by John Whitecross

This book as you can guess contains the Westminster Shorter Catechism. After each question and answer, the author has added stories that he has collected from MANY sources. Some of them may be folklore but some of them are definitely true.

As I was reading the second question "Q: What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him?" "A: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him." One of the stories that the author added was as follows:

"During days of war a godly man visited a camp of French soldiers at Toulon, taking with him a number of French New Testaments which he distributed to the men, many of whom seemed pleased with the gift. He had at length exhausted all his store, with the exception of one copy; this he offered to a man standing near him. The man took it, opened it, and turning to a companion said sneeringly, 'Oh, this will do to light my pipe with,' A discouraging enough reception; but the book, having been once given, was beyond recovery.

About a year and a half after this occurence, the distributor of the Testaments was on a short journey through the South of France, and stopped on his way at a roadside inn for refreshment and a night's lodging. On entering the house, he soon perceived that something of a sad nature had happened to the landlady. On inquiring what it was, she informed him that her eldest son had been buried that very week. She went on very naturally to dilate on his many excellencies, and spoke of his happy deathbed. 'And sir,' said she, 'all his happiness was got from a little book that was given him sometime ago,' The traveller inquired further concerning the little book. 'You shall see it,' said the mother, 'it is upstairs.' She soon returned with the book. On opening it, he found it to be a French New Testament, and identified it as the very one he had himself given, so many months before, to that seemingly unpromising solider at Toulon. He discovered that five or six of the early pages had been torn out, thus indicating that the man had actually commenced the fulfilment of his threat to use the book to light his pipe with. This was not all. On the inside cover were written the words: 'Given to me at Toulon on --day; first despised, then read, and finally blessed to the saving of my soul.'"

I just keep thinking about that final phrase. What a perfect summary of God's Word!

First despised, then read, and finally blessed to the saving of my soul

May all of us a Christians view our copies of God's Word in this light!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Sarah