«Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart» (Psalm 37:4, NIV).
LOIS SECRIST’s story is very inspirational to me, and that’s why I want to share it with you this morning. When Lois was a teenager, she felt a strong desire in her heart to become a missionary. Unfortunately, her endeavors and commitments in life did not allow her to fulfill her dream of going to far-off lands. Lois married Galon Preter, a young farmer who was not known for leading a religious life. Galon became a heavy drinker; therefore, Lois’s true mission field was her own home, as she tried to evangelize her own husband. After many years of praying and being patient, Lois was able to lead Galon to Christ’s feet shortly before he died.
At the age of seventy-six, already a widow, Lois recovered the cherished dream of her youth: to be a missionary abroad. At that age, she traveled to the Philippines, and there felt the Lord was calling her to work for orphaned children in that Southern Asian country. When she returned to the United States, she sold everything she had and, with the help of generous donors, went back to the Philippines to establish the King’s Garden orphanage. Lois was a missionary at home and then a missionary in far-off lands. At the end of her life, she was able to fulfill the dream of her youth.
In Lois’s ministry we see the fulfillment of the promise in Psalm 37:4: «Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart» (NIV). God granted her wish that her husband would accept Jesus as his Savior. Her missionary work at home produced fruits worthy of repentance. And, in the winter of her earthly journey, the Lord granted her wish to become a missionary abroad. There was no selfishness in Lois’s wishes; her goals were focused on God and His work.
Lois understood the meaning of this inspired statement: «Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God.» Lois worked hard on behalf of her husband’s salvation. On whose behalf are we working?
If our wish is in tune with God’s service, the Lord will grant it to us. That was Lois’s experience, and it can also be ours.
www.meditacionesdiarias.com
https://twitter.com/meditacionesdi1
http://www.instagram.com/meditacionesdiarias7
Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate
