Your Word Hidden In My Heart

I heard a pastor speak who had just gotten back from a mission trip in China. While in China he spoke to a group of 22 people who were church leaders. As they sat on the hardwood floor they were so grateful that he came to speak. He asked them, “so if we get caught today by the authorities, having church, what would happen to us.” They told him that he would be deported back to the US immediately and they would go to jail. So, he then asked, how many of you have been to prison for your faith. 18 out of the 22 raised their hands.

 He had 15 bibles that he handed out. As he turned to a certain book and verse, he noticed one lady gave her bible to the person next to her, but as he read, he realized that she had it memorized. After the reading he asked her how she memorized the whole book. She said she did it in prison, “you have much time to read in prison”. He asked, “don’t they take the bibles away?” She replied, “yes, that’s why people smuggle it in on small pieces of paper, and you learn to memorize fast before they confiscate it!” 

When he was getting ready to leave them to return to the US, they asked him to pray for them to get the opportunity to gather & read freely like in the US. He replied that he would not. He told them that in the US people will not come if they have to drive more than 1 hour. They had been on a train for 37 hrs to see him. They sat on the hard floor with no air conditioning for 3 days but in the US, people will not come back if the pews are not comfy or there is no A/C. They cherish the opportunity to learn, read, worship and come before God. We take it for granted. 

Psalm 119:  I have hidden your word in my heart

    that I might not sin against you.

I am not good at memorization, but thankfully I have a few verses hidden in my heart from my childhood. If there comes a day when we cannot read our bibles, we will need these in our minds and hearts.

This country was formed because of religious freedom. Our forefathers were not allowed to worship as they wished. We fought with Britain over the right to be independent, and to worship as we please. If you study history, you will see that they wanted the option to go to church or not go. To go to any faith that they wished. And we as a country have thrived because we did pursue God in our own ways. But as most children do, we got lazy and complacent. We take these freedoms for granted. We use any excuse to not go to church or not spend time in the word. I know I am guilty. Would I be so willing to go to church if I knew that I could end up in jail, and I assume their prisons are not as clean and decent as ours are.

I think our forefathers would be disappointed if not appalled at where we are today. We have given up much in the name of “tolerance”. 

Rev 2:2 But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immorality and ...

Paul says similar things about “tolerance” in his letter to Corinth.

Today, we should pray for our nation. We need to pray for revival, for grace and mercy for where we have taken this country and we need to pray for healing.

2 Chron 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Lord, Forgive us today for going our own way, for allowing this nation that you have blessed endlessly to have fallen so far. Direct us Lord that we might be forgiven and guided to do better. In your Most Holy Name, Amen.

Shirlene Peterson