Be sober-minded; be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering
are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9
Have you ever toured France?
If you did, I imagine you didn't stop for any length
of time in LeChambon. The tour guides won't make a big thing of it, but
LeChambon is a very special village. Understand, it is not special because of
its unique architecture or because it produced a great composer or artist.
LeChambon is worthy of note because when many of the
other towns of France handed their Jewish friends and neighbors over to the
Nazis, the citizens of LeChambon did not. The people of that town, operating
independently, refused to betray the Jews.
Sometime after, a reporter went to the village to find
out why the men and women of LeChambon were almost unique.
He quickly discovered it was not because they were
all, by some genetic difference, naturally born heroes. They weren't. They
weren't heroes, nor especially brilliant, nor incredibly discerning. They were
ordinary people.
After extensive investigation the reporter found only
one factor that made them stand out.
At their little church, Sunday after Sunday, they had
heard the sermons of Pastor Trochme. Over time they became, by habit, people who
just knew what to do -- and they tried to do it.
When the Nazis came to town, when it came time for
them to be courageous, they quietly did what was right. They put their fears,
their hopes and their dreams on hold and gave of themselves.
One old woman who had faked a heart attack when the
Nazis came to search her house, said, "Pastor always taught us that there comes
a time in every life when a person is asked to do something for Jesus. When our
time came, we knew what to do."
I think that was the point that Peter was trying to
make in his first letter to the church. Peter knew there would come a day when
the devil would show up on our doorstep. We can be sure of it because he has
shown up on so many other doorsteps.
When that day comes, we need to be committed to the
faith and resist him.
Like the people of LeChambon, like God's good
Christians in every generation, stand firm in Jesus Christ who gave Himself for
us.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You came into this world
to rescue us from our sins and from ourselves. Now we pray that we who have been
redeemed by Your precious blood, may stand firm. Send Your Holy Spirit, so when
the time of testing comes we may stand firm in the faith. In Your Name, I ask
it. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Lutheran Hour Ministries
http://www.lhm.org/
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