Gospel News — Mar-May 2012

in our hearts. And thankful hearts offer, and sacrifice, gladly. Those who are strong in faith accept the word of God with pleasure, and want to do the will of God.

Another sign of a weak faith would be if we were not to take following Christ seriously and decide to put off doing so until later. We must follow now and not hesitate. We must do our best and put everything else off. The Lord Jesus was very clear about this. Let us concentrate on the Lord and His will; that is true discipleship.

Lack of trust in the Lord and His word is a very serious matter. If we lack trust and stop following Christ, then it is a sure sign that our faith is weak. We find a wonderful example of real trust in the book of Daniel. There we read of three men who refused to obey the king's decree to worship a golden idol. The king was infuriated and threatened to have the three men thrown into a fiery furnace. "Let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up". Let us act: it is unlikely that we will be threatened with a fiery furnace, but there are certainly situations in which we have to demonstrate our ability to trust in the Lord and have confidence in Him. We prove that we have confidence in the Lord when we say, "No matter what happens, we will stay with the Lord and His word. We want to have a strong faith".

Separation

Bro David Yelulani (Banket, Zimbabwe)

The disciples were doing what their Lord had instructed them to do, but suddenly they found themselves in grave danger. They were battling against waves and wind and they were afraid. Although they were in the place where the Lord wanted them to be, everything seemed to be

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working against them. This experience is similar to that of many modern Christians. You may be serving God to the best of your ability, and as far as you can ascertain you are doing His will, but things seem to be continually going wrong. Doubts assail you, and you may feel haunted by the fear that even the Master has deserted and failed you.

When the first disciples were struggling with fear the Master saw that they were in serious trouble and made his way, across the water, to them. Then when he was near the boat, it seemed that he was going to pass them. In their fear, he spoke to them. He joined them in the boat and their fears immediately subsided. Whatever may be your trouble or difficulty, the Master knows all about it. To know his guidance and feel the joy of his presence, it is necessary to invite him into the situation in which you are placed at the moment, and ask him to control your life.

Responding to Insult

Bro Isaac Kapa (Tangaron, Kenya)

By internet or television, much of the world one day saw an Iraqi journalist throw both of his shoes at an American president. The shoe incident, however, was a minor embarrassment compared with a public display of contempt described in the Bible. The insult happened on a day that was already one of the lowest moments of king David of Israel. One of David's sons had seized all control of Israel's army and was forcing his father and friends to leave Jerusalem for fear of their lives (2 Sam 15:16). As if that were not enough to be run out or town in tears with head covered and feet bared (2 Sam 15:30). Someone began celebrating at that moment. Somewhere between Jerusalem and Jordan, an angry man began throwing stones and accusing David of