“…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

My dearest friends in Christ! Greetings in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

God has been so kind to have led us beautifully over the last two months of this New Year 2024! What an amazing, awesome and all-knowing God we serve!

I wanted to share a thought which intrigued me so much as our Pastor at our local church shared this verse in today’s service.  

Mark 8:34,35 says, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.’ ”

As I heard this verse, I was reminded of an incident that happened in one of legendary Apostle’s life – Sadhu Sunder Singh. On one of his mission trips in the Himalayas there was time when he came across a man who laid unconscious amidst the snow in the freezing cold. Aghast by what could be the outcome if the man was left there by himself, Sadhu waited to see if anyone else would cross by so they can help the man get to a nearby hut. And as an answer to his prayer, a man did cross by in a while. But to the Sadhu’s dismay the man politely denied to help him carry that man as he thought that expending energy carrying him would make it all the more difficult in completing his journey. Having said this he left Sadhu to decide what he would do further.

Sadhu couldn’t bear to think of leaving the unconscious man behind and decided to carry him alone even if it meant death to both of them at some point. Determined , he exactly did what he thought.

Along the way since it was freezing cold Sadhu had to stop and retire for the night. He hugged the man he helped carry a long way and slept by his side thinking if both of them were alive the next day he would continue the journey. Lo and behold, they were! Thanking the Lord for sustaining him and his unknown companion he continued his journey. Along the way he saw another person amidst the snow, lying still and ran to his side to assist him. But to his dismay the person had already passed away due to the dreadful cold. What surprised Sadhu was that it was the same man who had encountered him yesterday who had denied him help carry his unconscious companion!

To Sadhu’s amazement at that instant, this verse came across his mind, ‘whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it’. A small act of love towards the unknown person had saved him unknowingly through the dreadful cold night as they had kept each other warm

My dear friends, what are we to decide today?

As this story came to my remembrance and listening to my Pastor’s sermon simultaneously, I cried out to the Lord from my heart for mercy to never love myself more than I can ever give for Christ! It’s worth it all!

The great missionary to Ecuador – Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.”

May this be our prayer as well this day. May the Lord grant us wisdom to give what we cannot keep so we may gain what we cannot loose for eternity!

Wishing you all a blessed and Christ filled new month!

With loads of love & prayers,

God’s Love Missions Family