"And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God...
Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb."
(Deuteronomy 28:1,4)
Image courtesy/ proznanie.ru via Twitter.com
I thought about this promise of God when I read the second volume
of "The Gulag Archipelago" by Russian writer and Nobel Prize winner
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Solzhenitsyn, who was expelled from the Soviet Union by the Communist
government, tells the story of 10 year old Zoya Leshcheva, whose parents,
grandparents and brothers were sent to concentration camps because of
their Christian faith. The Leshcheva children had been richly blessed with
parents who harkened to the voice of God even when it meant heavy suffering.
Zoya was first placed in a home for children whom the government
thought needed "re-education". Refusing to part with the cross pendant
her mother had given her just before being taken away, Zoya tightened the
cord of her necklace at night to prevent the Communist authorities from taking it.
As a result of her stubbornness, she was sent to a home for
developmentally disabled children, where she continued to fight
for her cross and the Savior it symbolized. When other children
encouraged her to blaspheme and steal, she replied,
"My mother should not have a criminal child."
Sentenced to death at age 14, Zoya' punishment was later
reduced to a long imprisonment. Her parents and brothers
had long since been freed while she remained in prison.
When we read in the Bible that blessings are promised to the
children of the faithful, some of us expect a good position at work,
a happy marriage, academic success or some position of honor.
But the Bible often defines "blessing" another way.
The Lord Jesus said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed
are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all
kinds of evil against you falsely on my account."
(Matthew 5:10-11)
As parents and grandparents, we search our hearts to determine
what is best for our children and grandchildren. But what we
should desire most for them is that they would "share His
sufferings" and become "like Him in His death" so they
"may attain the resurrection from the dead."
(Philippians 3:10-11)
Obviously, not everyone will go to prison for his or her faith.
But as Christians, we must remember our family members
like Zoya Lescheva "as though in prison with them."
(Hebrews 13:3)
Do you wish for your children earthly possessions, fun,
enjoyment, and good careers, none of which are to be
entirely despised? Or do you think primarily about
preparing them for the highest blessing-to become
like Zoya and thousands of others,
partakers of Christ's Passion?
It is not enough to take children to Sunday school and
church or to have devotions with them in the home.
They must come to understand what it means to be
a Christian, a cross bearer who views suffering
with Christ as pure joy.
Obey the Word of God and prepare real blessings for
your children. Instead of giving them riches and recreation,
prepare them to endure sufferings gladly while sharing in
the sorrows of Christ. There is no higher blessing than this.
This is the path to glory.
Photograph courtesy/Wikipedia
"Prepare Your Children To Be Cross Bearers"
Pastor Richard Wurmbrand
(1909-2001)
Pastor Wurmbrand and his wife, Sabina (1913-2000) were
imprisoned in Communist Romania for their faith in Christ.
After their release, they sought ways to serve persecuted
Christians and , in 1967, founded The Voice of the Martyrs.
You can read Richard and Sabina's story in the book,
"Tortured For Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand.
or at TorturedForChrist.com
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