Have Faith That Is Steadfast & Without Fear Of Reprisal
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(5) Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. (6) Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. (7) They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. (8) Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.’ (Psalm 112:5-8)
Eva Edl is an 88-year-old woman, who emigrated to the US as a young woman to escape the death camp she and her family was sent to in Communist Yugoslavia. Since the 1980’s she has been arrested 46 times for protesting abortion at clinics in the United States, and as she awaits sentencing for her most recent arrest, she believes she will be sentenced to what is effectively a ‘death sentence’, as she may likely die in prison if the sentence is long. Nevertheless, Eva remains committed to the Lord and the preservation of life, and though resigned to her earthly fate, she exudes Faith in Christ, living through Proverbs 31:8-9, ‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.’
Eva is who I describe as a ‘Psalm 112‘ Christian. Psalm 112 is a psalm of wisdom and teaching; its primary message is that in being Righteous and trusting the Lord, His blessings will never leave. This does not mean that there will not be trials or tribulations for the Believer, as we are also told we who are Christians will be persecuted and condemned by the world.
Those who ‘live’ Psalm 112 are similar to Paul, whose ministry was filled with what many of us would consider ‘woe’; he was beaten, jailed, shackled, ridiculed, shamed and later without freedom; his last ‘home’ was a Roman prison cell that was likely dank, dark, and probably smelled like a cesspool. Yet, as described in Psalm 112:5-8, Paul’s Faith was not shaken but secured and steadfast, and though he was executed for his Faith he had no fear of death. Peter, John, and the other Apostles have similar attributes, where their Faith led to their eventual persecution and death, though that did not stop them from proclaiming the Gospel to the people they faced.
Throughout the world, many who are unknown to us are ‘Psalm 112’ Christians; a priest in North Korea, a Bible study group in China, Abortion clinic protesters in the US and Great Britain, pastors and congregation members in Canada. Though they risk their freedom and lives, their Faith is steadfast and without fear of reprisal they stand for the cause of Christ, to be ‘Great Commission’ Christians in their evangelism of the Gospel message, educating and encouraging those who see them.
We may, with God’s grace, never be tested to the degree that Eva, Paul, and many other martyrs have been. What we can do to honor those who have lived as ‘Psalm 112’ Christians is to be fearless in sharing the Gospel and living as Christ’s ambassadors; to be Righteous and trusting in the Lord’s provisions in all we face daily.
