243. The Lord raised up for us a deliverer: The Lord is our rock in whom we take refuge.
22 January 2022
The Lord raised up for them a deliverer.
Judges 3
9 But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.
Psalm 18
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
The God who delivered Margaret Nikol in 1982 from communist oppression in Bulgaria, and who sent an angel to free the apostles from prison (Acts 5:19), can also rescue us from whatever is holding us captive—physically or spiritually. We must never give up hope! God is our great deliverer.
Margaret was born into a pastor’s family in Bulgaria. Her mother and father were murdered for their faith by the communists in the 1960s. Margaret was a brilliant violinist, and in spite of opposition she got an excellent education. She achieved fame throughout Europe and became concertmaster of the Dresden Symphony. But because of her faith in Christ, she was subjected to physical and emotional cruelty. Eventually, she was given a prison sentence—to begin as soon as the concert season was over.
But God had other plans. Margaret was invited to play in Vienna at an Easter concert in 1982. The communists repeatedly denied permission, but finally, because of outside pressure, they relented. “God was faster than they were,” testifies Margaret. In Vienna she requested political asylum, and no less than five free nations offered it!
Published February 23, 2012 | By womenofchristianity
(Originally taken from an article called How Much is the Bible Worth? by Nancy Leigh DeMoss)
When I came here [to the United States], I had two most prized possessions: I had my violin, and I had one page from God’s Bible—only one page. Probably you would ask me why didn’t I buy myself a Bible. In our country, we did not have it.
The Communists took power, and they confiscated God’s Word from churches, and hymnals. They went to houses and confiscated the Bibles available in our country. How did I get my page? A lady from our church, she was reading her Bible one night, and she overheard when the police came talking at the door to her husband that they wanted to confiscate her Bible. And she thought, “No, never my Bible,” and she sat on it.
And they looked for hours in her house, everywhere, but not under her skirt; and there was the Bible. Then she came to church and tearing it page, by page, by page, she shared with us her Bible with tears in her eyes. I had a very good page—Genesis 16 and 17. The promise of God to give Abraham and Sarah a son.
More than anybody, persecuted Christians need our prayers that they, like Margaret Nikol, be delivered from oppression.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
"In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
Lord Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you" (Psalm 18:6; 40:1-3; 84:12). This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
14 March 2018"
May you be blessed with God's Word.
Maraming salamat.
Thankful. I do not only have one Bible but several Bibles. Thankful too that I am going through the Bible page by page now.
ReplyDeleteThe violinist only had a page of the Bible. So precious that she hold unto it, giving her hope that eventually brought her freedom.
The Bible is my refuge because it is all about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my rock and deliverer.