Gospel News — Mar-May 2012

10

"What do I know of the burdens others have to carry?" We ought to be asking ourselves what efforts we have made to understand the problems of someone else. Do we know about a brother's problem with relatives 100 miles away? Do we know of the nights a sister spends sleepless with worry etc?

Samson judged Israel for 20 years and we do not know anything about most of that time. If we know someone is in difficulty, we may do all our best to help, but it is all too easy to ignore things we don't know about. How thankful we should be that God does not see as we see. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. The Almighty knows our circumstances. His judgement is, and will be, merciful.

These all died in faith

We know that Samson, with others of faith, will be rewarded in the day for which we long. This means that God was willing to forgive Samson's sins that we read about in Judges. In spite of these incidents, Samson died in faith. Few of the details of Samson's prayers are recorded. We can imagine what he prayed when in captivity and they were prayers of faith which God heard.

We fail in our walk to the kingdom of God – and our heavenly Father knows. We daily ask to be forgiven – as we forgive others when they sin against us – and our heavenly Father hears our prayers. The Almighty also knows the efforts we make as we try to serve Him. Jesus wrote to the ecclesias in the first century: "I know your patience. I know your works. I know your love. I know your faith" – just as God knew Samson's.

Let us then never be discouraged when we realise we have fallen down. Let us pick ourselves up and with courage and trust, approach God in prayer – as we can be sure that Samson did. We have a very special blessing of which the apostle

also wrote: "We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and grace to help in time of need" (Heb 4:15-16).

The Weak Are Encouraged

Bro Stephen Siamabi (Lusaka, Zambia)

In one's life there are some ups and downs as one tries to perfect their lives. Though things may seem to be so hard for us in one way or another, God will never leave us nor forsake us because we are His own children. Maybe we tend to lose courage because of the many stumbling- blocks which are being heaped on our way, then we become hopeless or discouraged. Do not worry, God is there for each one of us and do not lose even that little courage we have, since it can be sufficient to enable victory. Sometimes we may have a health problem we have to endure, so that we may be perfected spiritually.

This good news which I have thought to share with you comes from Isaiah when he gave the word of encouragement in order to stand firm for truth, and believe in the God of Israel in whom even today we base our hope: "Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, `Be strong, fear not' behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water --- And a highway