Meditation

Read Romans 1:8-17

As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.—Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

I was raised in a Christian family in Ukraine. Unfortunately, my family and other Christians suffered under Soviet rule. As Christian children, we were persecuted in school. We studied hard but always received lower grades than others. When students began to be recruited for an atheist youth organization, eight of us from Christian families refused to join. As a result, we were locked in a classroom for several hours. A teacher yelled at us and ordered us to sign applications, but we did not bend.

After graduation, I wanted to attend university and passed the entrance exams twice. Because of my faith, my name was deleted from the admissions list both times. Despite our persecution, the examples of our parents and grandparents gave us the courage to stand firm in our faith, and they never ceased to pray for us.

Years later when things had changed in our country, my sister and I were walking in town and met the teacher who had humiliated us the most. We were astonished when he said, “Please forgive me, if you can! I always admired your strong faith but was too afraid to take your side.” I understood then that our lives had given witness to God’s mercy and protection. God’s power made us strong and enabled us to face our trials.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for never forsaking your children, even in the most difficult situations. Amen.

Thought for the day: God’s strength and power help me to live faithfully.

—Mariya Lohinova, Ukraine