I have on the desk before me a collection of short biographies “Every Christian Should Know,” by the late Warren W. Wiersbe. I attended the Moody Church in Chicago when Wiersbe was the pastor there.
I have beside me under the window a collection of short biographies by Faith Cook and a biography of an ordinary pastor by Don Carson. Also under window is a biography by Steve Saint, whose father was among the five young missionaries spears by the Waodani tribe in January of 1956.
Outside the room where I am writing is one of my favorite rooms in the house. It is actually not a room, it is a landing that includes the staircase and I have turned into a personal library. Most of my favorite books are shelved there. I could putter among them for hours and here is why: Most of them are biographies or autobiographies. They are stories, faith-inspiring, faith-building stories, and they make good reading because in every case God helped men and women, often common men and women overcome death, disease, enemies, war, hunger, misunderstanding, abuse, hardship or opposition of some kind. The books make good reading because they have very hard chapters in the middle.
We are in a “hard chapter” right now. Your story and the story of our beloved Bethel Church is passing through a hard chapter or two right now. Some of us may not live through these chapters. Most of us will suffer some kind of loss. All of us will experience a measure of anxiety or fear in the “hard chapters” that are being written right now.
In the book of Hebrews and chapter eleven there are a series of stories given in a staccato manner of people who passed through great hardship, but their lives made good reading because of their faith. The Bible says; “They obtained a good report.” In other words, their lives made good reading. They won a record of commendation in the end because of their faith.
I wonder, when we have passed through these “hard chapters” will our story make good reading? It will if we continue to trust the Lord and open our hearts to ways to obey the voice of the Spirit.
Stories are being written right now. We are passing through the hard chapters. By God grace and with his help may they make inspiring reading one day.
