JOYFUL, PATIENT, FAITHFUL
“Be...fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer” (Romans 12:11-12 KJV).
Above my computer is a Scripture verse beautifully cross-stitched by one of my sisters. It says: BRENDY, BE JOYFUL IN HOPE, PATIENT IN AFFLICTION, FAITHFUL IN PRAYER. What a great reminder of what God wants me to be!
Missionary kids like me acquire “aunts: and “uncles” in different places where we have been. I have several (beside my real ones)! Our family met “Uncle Mel” and “Aunt Lola” at Keswick and they became very special, dear friends, spending many happy days together. In a chat about death with Uncle Mel (who is now with the Lord), he commented that as a Christian our hope is not a “hope-so” hope but a “KNOW-so” hope. I love that and think of that often! “I KNOW whom I have believed.” Our hope is in the Lord for today, all year and on through eternity. The blessed hope includes knowing that we will be with Christ forever. What JOY that kind of HOPE and assurance brings.
Now, PATIENT IN AFFLICTION? Easier said than done! There are many kinds of afflictions and the verse doesn’t specify what kind, so it must include ALL. Whether it be physical (my main one), a hurt heart, loneliness or economic stress. “...to added affliction He (God) addeth His mercy. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.” (How I love that hymn and sing it often.) So why should I ever feel hopeless or impatient?? I need to read Romans 12:12 again!
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| Brendy is on left |
FAITHFUL IN PRAYER... Wow! I want to be, but that’s not easy either. On my 15th birthday the students of the Central American Theological Seminary in Guatemala, where I grew up, crowned me their perpetual queen! What an honor, but what a responsibility to pray for Amy subjects, Max, Gustavo, Jaime, Wilfredo, Noemi, Mima, Hilda, Gonzalo, Delwin (my Hispanic pastor in Dallas), to name a few, serving God in different areas of the world. “God, I do want to be faithful to the task, and I am thankful for those who are faithful in prayer for me, too! May I have a patient heart in affliction to show forth Thy sufficiency, and to be joyful in hope always. Amen.”
Brendy Platt recently went home to be with the Lord after a battle with cancer. Despite her physical challenges, Brendy was an amazing woman of God and a great prayer warrior. We love you, Brendy!
Compass Pointers: Combat comes before victory. If God has chosen a special trial for you to endure, be assured He has kept a very special place in His heart just for you. A badly bruised soul is one who is chosen. From Streams in the Desert, June 19th
Anchored to the Rock: You can do more AFTER you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray UNTIL you have prayed. S. D. Gordon
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