My favourite genre of Christian literature is biographies. I have shelves of books that I cannot part with, filled with testimonies and personal stories of tragedies and triumphs as godly ones walk with the Lord. I have rejoiced over the lives of past and present men and women who have openly shared their struggles. I have also often seen the miraculous touch of God on their lives. What encouragement it has been to me, as I have read of their endurance and faithfulness. Every person becomes a dear and precious friend. Each story renews hope in my own heart.
I have rejoiced with David Green, owner of Hobby Lobby, in seeing God's incredible victory before the United States Supreme Court. I have evidenced the extraordinary connection between prayer and provision as I read of George Mueller's complete dependency on God as he directed several orphanage buildings in Bristol, England. To be honest, I actually cried reading of his death at the conclusion of "Delighted in God" as his life story made such a lasting impression on me. Examples of being a supportive wife are revealed through the life of Susannah Spurgeon, and a beautiful, covenant marriage is highlighted through the missionaries to China, Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth. Other names such as Elisabeth Elliott, Amy Carmichael, Peter Marshall, Eric Liddell along with countless others, fill my bookshelves. But, one couple who may be little known, lived lives that reflect today's verses from Jeremiah so well.
It is rare to read a biography where its pages are filled with hardship, difficulty and perseverance that never seem to be awarded. With anticipation, the reader keeps waiting to see a mighty turn-around by the hand of God, but in the lifetime of these heroes of the faith, it does not come. The unrelentingly harsh and discouraging ministry of Wilda and Arthur Mathews, the last of the missionaries to escape from the merciless hand of Chinese communists, appears unrewarded from chapter to chapter.
Through every page the readers heart is hoping to see a blessing, some ease, a release from the trials, accusations and persecutions this dear couple faced as they served, but every paragraph revealed yet another new burden or hardship. The unbelievable hope and strength that this couple maintained only came from the Lord as they faced every extreme situation they met with a song in their hearts lifted in praise to God. In the biography, "Green Leaf in Drought-time", Wilda and Arthur share how "greenness" is not dependent on the resources that would normally make foliage plentiful, but only by complete dependence on the Lord.
"Drought" can come unexpectedly. When God allows trial upon trial, our response is most often discouragement. We become overwhelmed. We wonder if God is upset with us for some unknown reason, and yet His purpose is for us to "grow green" and display His glory. It is His desire that our lives are never, not for a moment, interrupted from fruit bearing even through difficult seasons.
The famous Muppet, Kermit the Frog, knew this truth well when he would sing, "It's not easy being green." It's hard to thrive amidst continual attack. Finding ourselves suddenly in the middle of situations that threaten to weaken our resolve, what we are speaks louder than what we say. When our message is silenced and our evangelism forbidden. When our ministry is dry and the invitations to speak and serve stop coming. It is in these opportunities that God proves through the life of His children that green leaves are still possible, and that His promises are still true today. "The Lord shall satisfy their soul in drought." (Isaiah 58:11)
God calls us to be leaves that remain green on parched ground. The testimony of a life flourishing in the face of adversity draws attention, not to the thriving survivor, but to the gracious, sustaining hand of God.
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