God’s Promises

Sierra Leone, August 1991

“Rain streams down the gutters, over the roads, and digs deep grooves into the dirt roads, converting them into riverbeds. It pounds on the tin roofs and relentlessly pours into all the tiny holes until the old ceilings in our house begin to bow under the weight of their rain-soaked boards. Drips begin and we put containers all around to catch the drips. It beats on the office windows until it flows through, leaving everything in its wake wet or damp. There goes some of each box of computer paper for three up-country teams, some small books are ruined, and a small flood washes the office floors. Rainy season is in full swing.

 I started thinking about what it must have been like for Noah and his family those 40 days when I was grumbling about not being able to dry any of my clothes. Since it is raining outside most of the time I have to hang all the clothes inside and sometimes they sour or mildew. I’m sure it was worse for them hanging things inside the ark. Not only that, but imagine sharing their space with all those animals! I pictured cows with clothes on their horns and goats pulling things off the lines! It made me chuckle to myself!

 We can replace the paper and books, mend or replace the roof. The clothes will eventually dry or will be replaced. All these things are temporal and earthly. God’s promises are ours forever. They will not fade in the sun or be tarnished in any way. We have His promise of a bright future with Him in heaven for eternity.”

The missionaries who wrote this letter didn’t know that they would soon be displaced by wars that raged in Sierra Leone and Liberia. It was a traumatic and stressful time as they had to leave the people and community they had come to love to an uncertain future. With God’s help and the support of family, friends and a tremendous group of prayer and financial partners, they went on to serve in Botswana until their retirement in 2010.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” May this reminder from Psalm 46 bring you comfort during this difficult time. We’re praying for you, our communities, the world, as we work from home to bring God’s Word to those still waiting for His empowering Word.

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