Maktu, a Moro Christian, testified about the truth of
Hebrews 13:5: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." He was caught
by government forces in 1996 and thrown into prison. It is not clear if it was
because of his Christian beliefs or simply because he was a civilian caught up
in the ongoing civil war. Either way, the ordeal was a severe test of his faith.
As he lay in his cell, tied up so tightly that he
could not lie down or sit properly, the pain and discomfort was intense. Then
thoughts of doubt started to creep into his mind. Where was God in this time of
need? Why should he continue in his faith when it only brought him problems?
He was on the verge of denying his faith when he
suddenly heard a voice speaking clearly to him. The voice asked him why he had
those thoughts and continued by saying that many people in the past had suffered
for God's sake. He should not be surprised that this was happening to him as
well. Then he saw a vision: Known and unknown Christians comforted him and
praised God. There was such a joyous worshipping atmosphere that he forgot for a
moment that he was still tied up in a prison cell! In fact, he desired to die so
that he could join their ranks permanently.
God in His great mercy took this man through the
crisis and put new strength in his faith. After he was eventually released from
prison, he continued to follow God with fresh dedication and also blessed many
others with his testimony.
Open Doors, Brother Andrew with John & Elizabeth
Sherrill, The Narrow Road, Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 2001, p. 272.
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