Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
This year marked my 15th year living and serving in the UK. It’s been 15 years of adventures, joys, trials, hardships, and lessons that I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to experience and receive. One of the lessons I learned early on when it came to trusting God has been foundational to my understanding of who He is.
When I made the decision to commit (initially!) to three years serving in England, I spent my last year of college raising support and set a date to fly six weeks after graduation. The time came that spring to purchase my ticket to travel in June, and I was faced with a difficult decision—I hadn’t raised all that I needed to live while in England. I talked this over with friends and family and the one option was to delay my start date until I had raised more finances.
My parents, who were and are wonderfully supportive Christian parents, thought at the time that the wisest thing to do would be to find a job, save some money, and go at a later date. In some respects, this was the most sensible option, as we had just “plucked” the date out of the air when initially setting it. I spent a few days praying, and I couldn’t shake the belief that I needed to go as planned. This was hard to do as it went against logic and also didn’t fall in line with what my parents thought was wisest. Still, I had a deep sense it was the right thing to do and that God would provide.
I traveled to England as planned, and the money eventually did come in. God did provide for me. This isn’t the amazing part though. The amazing part is the timing.
I arrived in England on June 15th, and within two months, the two ministers at the tiny community church where I was working were both forced to take long-term leave – one from an accident on a building site and another from a long-term illness. I had no idea when I signed up to serve there that I would be in charge of all that happened in that tiny, vibrant, community-based church within two months of arriving.
Early on, I thought I wouldn’t be able to survive. I had to repeat every day, often out loud, that God was in control. That He would provide what I need every day. And do you know what? He did. And He provided for that tiny church.
Looking back, I know now that His timing was perfect. I needed to be there for that season of ministry and service in that local community and church. To serve them, to help them. I also needed to be there to learn some important lessons about God—about his control, his Lordship, how he provides in our time of need. If I would’ve let the fear of not having the initial finances, or if I had accepted the collective wisdom at the time to delay “stepping out,” I would’ve missed this season and this early lesson.
I hate saying it but some of my greatest lessons and foundational forming times have come from truly hard “let’s never repeat again seasons.”
This lesson has echoed almost every year in some way—and this year it’s echoed many, many times.
As this Covid year has progressed, like the whole world, it’s been rough for us here in the UK. It’s been rough for me being away from family; for our students serving in ministries all around the country. It’s been hard for the local youth I work with. It’s just been hard. But in it all, God has been with us, in control.
A song I’ve recently had on repeat is called Even Now by Orphan No More. It references two encounters with Jesus—from Mark 6 when Jesus joins the disciples in the boat and John 11 when Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave.
I can tell you, looking at these encounters and listening to this song has helped me cling afresh to the truth that I know: That even now, God is with me. Even now, God is in control. Even now, God is working in the unknown. Even now, God’s timing is perfect. Even now, we can trust Him in the storm.
It reminds me, too, that sometimes there is pain as we wait for the miracle. Sometimes there is sadness and hardship in the waiting. Even in this, we can rest knowing He hasn’t forgotten us. My prayer is that you are encouraged today to trust God afresh for who He is, even now.
The first missionary from North America was George Liele, a former slave who left the American colonies for Jamaica in 1782 and began a ministry of preaching in 1783, nearly a full decade before William Carey sailed for India from England. Liele was born a slave (circa 1750) in the colony of Virginia. He launched his preaching career in 1773, and a year later, he gathered slaves for what could be considered the first African-American church in America. After the Revolutionary War, the recently freed Liele fled to Jamaica to escape being re-enslaved.
George Liele arrived in Jamaica as an indentured servant but would serve as a missionary-evangelist to the island. Liele became the first Christian to win a significant number of slaves on the Island to Christ and the first to plant a church composed of slaves. He preached in private homes and public settings, drawing crowds of slaves. In a letter written in 1791, Liele reported 500 converts and 400 baptisms. In 1789 Liele’s congregation had organized, and by 1793 they had completed the Windward Road Chapel, the first Baptist church on the island.
Liele achieved these successful evangelistic and church planting efforts despite opposition from a powerful constituency on the island. White slave owners feared the impact upon the slave population if the slaves were to embrace Christianity. Concern arose that “if their minds are considerably enlightened by religion, or otherwise, that it would be attended with the most dangerous consequences.”
Despite Liele’s numerous efforts to appease the slave owners, he still faced stiff opposition. He was charged with sedition and jailed on numerous occasions on trumped-up charges. Despite these obstacles, Liele was able to baptize new converts as well as plant and organize new churches. His evangelistic and church-planting efforts led to the establishment of the Baptist denomination on the island, with slaves, freedmen, and whites joining churches started by Liele. The impact of Liele’s ministry continues to this day; however, Liele himself is buried in an unmarked grave in Jamaica.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “...without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” In view of these two inspiring stories, write out a prayer in your journal asking God to give YOU a fresh vision of what He wants to accomplish through you:
Alysen Merrill: Reign Ministry-EnglandBACK TO WEEKLY DEVOTIONS