My heart is full and running over with the sights, sounds and memories of three weeks in South Africa. This was our second trip to this dark continent. So many things touched my heart and left lasting impressions there. Both my husband and I long for a call of God to take the gospel to these precious, seeking souls half a world away. As my good husband has said several times now, “If only I could manufacture a call of God to go, we’d be on an airplane headed back to Africa right now!”
Yet…we have returned to our own mission field. Sometimes we fail to recognize our city as the mission field, but it is! There are so many in our own town that do not know that they are truly on their way to Heaven because they have had a life changing, soul converting, salvation experience with the Lord Jesus Christ. We live in a very religious community, but what are most trusting to get them to God’s Heaven? Do they even
know what the Bible says about how to have forgiveness of sin and the promise of a home in Heaven? There are so many good people in our mission field! Many are sincerely trying to live good lives, but just being a good person is not enough to take us to Heaven. We all must be born again…the way the Bible says.
So, what did I learn in Africa?
First of all, I learned that we are privileged and so blessed to financially support some very dedicated missionaries!
The Wyatts
The Kuzels
The Norbergs
We must continue to pray for all these families and to be faithful in our support of them.
Secondly I learned that American Christians are spiritual gluttons. We sit in our beautiful churches week after week and pick through the spiritual feedings that are prepared and presented to us and think nothing of pushing back our spiritual plate of Bible teaching with half eaten food still lying on our plate. We are just not needy enough! We have so much and have heard so much that we can critique and dismiss anything that doesn’t suit our spiritual taste buds. In Africa, I saw neediness and hunger in the eyes of people young and old.
I saw a desire to learn, to be taught and to know more…
I saw appreciation for God’s man in their life and for his teaching to them…
What about us? Have we lost our neediness? Are we satisfied with where we are at spiritually? I think American Christians have a sophisticated blindness that leaves us spiritually anemic. I must ask myself….is this me?
Revelation 3:16-17 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked.”
Perhaps religious persecution or a loss of material possessions would cause us to once again appreciate the simple blessings of having our very own Bible, a comfortable, climate-controlled church building to meet in and a Godly pastor who labors to nourish our souls every week, through the preaching of God’s Word.
Yes….neediness would be very good for us.
3 comments:
Thank you for sharing your heart about Africa. It has been a wonderful journey to go on with you. I am glad that you could go and get a real heart not only for them but for us in America. You are so right. We are anemic Christians here in the USA. We've had it so good for so long we dont even see our true condition or need. It's scary. I'm glad you and Pastor are back. I am praying we will all catch the vision you have not only for those in Africa but for those right here at home as well. I love you a whole lot. Dianne C.
Thanks Sister Shaffer for this devotion. It is wonderful to hear that there are still people who crave to hear the word of the Lord. WE long for that here but have to say the people here too have spiritual deadness due to the control of the Orthodox teaching. We pray for God to raise up people who want to hear and want to be taught. I enjoyed following your posts while you were there. Praise the Lord you were able to go. Love Camille
I need to remember this.
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