This week it feels like the Lord has got me thinking about age and the blessings He gives us as His children. Two chance encounters this week piqued my interest on the importance of staying involved in ministry irrespective of our age. I have been meditating on the scripture in Psalms 91:16, that promises that the Lord will satisfy us with long life, and how vital it is to give our time and extend God’s kingdom. I was reminded of this scripture when a couple that volunteers here at The Voice of the Martyrs shared with me that the husband had celebrated his 80th birthday this past weekend. Wow! What a blessing. This precious couple has served persecuted believers for years, while they continue to live active, full lives. After speaking to them, I was struck by their commitment to VOM and serving persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. I personally know that, apart from coming into the office and volunteering in different capacities, they pray for persecuted believers and have a heart for suffering Christians around the world.
The day after reflecting on this couple, I met an amazing 85-year-old lady who has mailed 300 Bibles to China through VOM’s Bibles Unbound program, since March of 2006. When I asked her what led her to get involved with the program, she recalled, with tears in her eyes, attending a missions meeting and hearing someone share she could ship Bibles overseas for only $30. What touched her heart was that she would provide God’s Word to people who had no access to Bibles, because either their governments did not allow them to have Bibles or Bibles were not easily accessible. She said as soon as she heard the 10-minute talk she knew the Lord was leading her to commit herself to sending Bibles to China. As I spoke to this wonderful lady, I was touched by her genuineness and desire to serve the Lord, to be His hands and feet and play a part in serving persecuted believers who do not have access to Bibles in China. She also told me that as she watched the Olympics during the past two weeks and saw the 91,000 people in the “Birds Nest” stadium in Beijing, she wondered whether any of the people in the stadium were the individuals to whom she had sent Bibles. Another incredible thing about this lady is her commitment to pray every night for the people who received her Bibles. She acknowledges that her time on this earth is short, but she believes one day when she gets to heaven, she will meet the many believers she blessed with Bibles. To her it is all worthwhile. She is blessed to do it and to be involved with VOM.
These chance encounters this week have encouraged me and reiterated the statement that age is nothing but a number. I want to be as active as these precious believers, serving the Lord in my 80s. If you are not involved in serving our persecuted brothers around the world, I encourage you to be inspired by these believers, who in their senior years are still part of Christ’s Great Commission to preach the gospel into the ends of the earth. Visit www.persecution.com to learn how you can become involved in serving the persecuted church.
