27 year old Sudanese Meriam Ibrahim has the world’s attention!

Unless you have been in the Outer Banks somewhere in a tent, out of internet range for a few months, you already know about this pregnant Christian woman of a two year old, who delivered her second child…her new baby…while being in shackles in prison, and was awaiting beatings (as soon as she recovered a bit from the childbirth) REALLY????? WOW!

And we have learned that her “beating” was then to be followed by hanging. They say all she has to do (ALL she has to do?) is to deny her love for her Lord and recant her faith in Him and she will be released. However…She loves the Lord Jesus Christ so much that she is willing to die for her commitment to Him rather than to have temporary safety on this earth.

She loves Jesus the Christ even unto death. Just like He loved her unto death. She knows where her strength comes from. Her strength comes from the Lord Jesus who made Heaven and earth (as the song goes).

Another stunning fact about this woman…

International Christian Concern reports that her Christian husband is in a wheelchair, suffering from muscular dystrophy. I don’t know about you, but I am stunned at the strength of this young woman’s character…the strength of her love for the Lord Jesus, the Christ..and the strength of the love between her and her husband. (It reminds me of the strength of the love between Joni Tada and her husband, only in reverse. Joni (the wife) is the one in the wheelchair, being loved unconditionally. This kind of love is stunning even to those of us in the church.)

On Monday, Meriam and her children were released and had a reunion with her husband/their father. Sadly, that was short-lived. At this writing, she AND her husband and children have been picked up and are being held captive again.

What hard thing is God asking YOU to do?

Likely, you won’t be asked to go to prison for your beliefs/your faith in Christ. But, as I think of Meriam’s story, I am also reminded of the sermon series Pastor Kirk Wilkie is preaching at my church in Clear Lake. He is teaching about idols and the power they have to keep us from God’s BEST plan for our lives. Total surrender to Him. That’s what God means by His “jealous love”. He wants our WHOLE heart. Like He has Meriam’s WHOLE heart!

This news about Meriam Ibrahim has me thinking: I doubt that Meriam has any idols in her life. She has purged her life of idols, or she would not have the strength to withstand what she has. She has chosen the high ground of “whatever it takes”. Nothing will stand between her and her Lord Jesus.

But what if you are not so much like Meriam and in prison and tortured for your faith…, but rather

Like Gideon of ancient Biblical history…

Maybe your heart is telling you: ENOUGH of this sitting on the fence between two worlds. ENOUGH of trying to fit into the mold of the world. ENOUGH of sitting in front of the TV and other media, passively letting it be the “molder” of your character.

Maybe it is time for us to be willing to be different…

To stand strong in the face of opposition. To change family “tradition” by knocking down the altars and destroying all that pulls your heart away from the Only REAL Reality.

Jesus Christ must be LORD of all or He is not LORD at all!

Onward Christian soldier. What say ye? Ready? Forgetting what is behind? Reaching toward what is ahead? Pressing on with the GOAL in mind?

You CAN do this!

The Apostle Paul wrote about it in the book of Philippians. If he (Saul turned into Paul by his experience with Jesus) can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens him, so can you. So can I. So does Meriam. Let’s keep praying for each other to be strong and stay strong by knowing where our strength comes from.

So, that is what has been stirring up inside of me as a result of all the news about Meriam. Please leave a comment. I’d really like to know what you are thinking about all this…