God Works in Our Difficulties
Years into their time doing mission work in Bolivia, Wally and Emily Herron were living in a small town called Magdalena. The local Catholic church was not pleased to see them there, and so when a famous chest of gold and jewels was stolen from the Catholic church, the word began to spread that the evangelicals had done it. Before long a huge mob had appeared outside Wally’s door, threatening to attack the missionaries who were huddled inside.
They eventually dispersed, but as the days went by, the situation remained tense: a local witch doctor declared that the spirits told him the chest had been buried near Wally’s plane, so a bunch of people dug up holes all around the hangar where he kept it. At one point Wally went out to the police station to complain about the threats and harassment, and another group formed and threated to hang him when he came out. Wally prayed and walked straight out to them, and they all quietened down and let him walk past.
Finding Purpose in Adversity
Wally and Emily had to postpone the furlough that was due them because they couldn’t leave the area. At one point they tried to leave, but the officials confiscated their suitcases to search.
But eventually the two of them managed to leave the area, and the book says this: “As Wally and Emily flew out, they meditated on the reasons why the Lord had permitted the whole affair… For one thing, it had strengthened the believers in their faith, and the congregation had grown in spite of persecution.”
Then the author says this: “The Lord never makes mistakes. Without any doubt the most important result of the robbery was that during the extra year that Wally spent in Bolivia he began his work among the lepers. Many people consider this work one of the outstanding accomplishments of his life.”
Yesterday we spoke of how God calls us places and we need to be willing to go. But what about when we can’t seem to escape a hard situation? When we get stuck and we wonder why God is allowing something bad to happen instead of bringing change?
In Wally’s life, he realised later that the year he had to wait when he wanted to go was the year that God hatched an amazing plan for him to do even greater work among people in need. You see, even if we can’t see it, God is at work. And even when times are tough, God is busy opening doors and making new opportunities for us to do His good work in the world.
Faith in God's Timing
Maybe you’re frustrated that God is not making changes fast enough in your life. Would you be patient even through the hard time? Would you today take a stand in faith and say “I believe God is growing me through this, and is busy preparing something wonderful through all of this?”
Stand in faith, and trust God today. Because He’s a God who uses even difficult situations to bring about good.
