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Do not become weary
in well doing!
worthydevotions
“After
this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and
before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried
with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10
Have
you ever heard how the Karen people of Burma were prepared for the gospel?
This unique people's history
reveals how the Lord had sovereignly preserved, in their traditions,
their yearning for the one true God.
For
centuries, the Karen people rejected the teachings of Buddhism and spiritism
and clung to their ancient understanding of the true God, whom they called
"Y'wa", suggesting the influence of the Hebrew, "Yahweh".
Karen traditions also point to
Adam and Eve and their fall, in the garden of Eden.
According to the tradition,
because of transgressions, they fell from grace.
An ancient poem powerfully
expresses their hope and expectation of redemption:
"O children and grandchildren! If we repent of our sins,
and cease to do evil--restraining our passions--and pray to Y'wa, he will have
mercy on us again. If Y'wa does not have mercy on us, there is no other one who
can. He who saves us is the only one - Y'wa."
Their
stories relate how they negligently lost the ancient books of Y'wa, and were
now anxiously awaiting the "white men", who would restore the ancient
books to them.
Another
Karen poem is virtually "prophetic":
"The sons of Y'wa, the white foreigners, obtained the words
of Y'wa. The white foreigners, the children of Y'wa, obtained the words of Y'wa
anciently."
In
the late 1800's Christian missionaries arrived in Burma bringing the gospel of
Jesus. Their message was overwhelmingly received!
Today the majority of the Karen
people are believers, because God had prepared their hearts to receive the
message over hundreds of years.
The Karen waited expectantly
for the "white man's" message of redemption from "Y'wa,"
and "Y'wa" proved faithful to reach and redeem these Burmese tribes,
in His time.
As
we continue to share the good news, let's remember that the Lord initiates the
work of redemption -- and that we need to stay focused on the job at hand, and
continue to labor in the harvest fields.
The seed we've planted in
patience, will soon bear fruit; so let us not grow weary in well doing, for we
shall reap if we faint not!
Worthy Ministries is a Christian
organization based in Israel with a global outreach to more than 120 countries
on a daily basis.
Though we are an internet ministry, we are
also significantly involved in the land of Israel. Living in Southern part of
Israel near the Dead Sea, we run Worthy News and minister full-time to the many
spiritually hungry people in our region. Learn about our Project Hear O
Israel.
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