Letter from a Missionary

An online friend of mine on another forum posted this letter which she had received from a missionary. With her permission, I have reposted it here without alteration.

An email from a missionary this morning:

When Habakkuk heard that the evil Chaldeans would invade, his stomach trembled, and his lips quivered.  He had to just wait and endure the coming disaster.  He couldn’t understand how a holy God could allow such a thing!

God told him that He was the one putting the Chaldeans in charge (Hab.1:6)!  God’s people needed to be judged, and God used a wicked ruler to correct them.  God often uses evil rulers and the suffering they bring to correct a nation.  He did so many times in the book of Judges.

So God ordained the Chaldeans to rule Israel, but is every ruler put there by God?  Yes.  “There is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1).  He sets over the nations the basest of men (Dan. 4:17).

About 64 ago the Communists took over China—one of the worst things to ever happen in the history of the world.  Millions were killed, and hundreds of millions suffered the disastrous economic policies and virtual slavery.  But the church was purified, the Communists discredited themselves, and in the next few decades more people came to the Lord than any time in history.  Estimates range from 75 million believers and more.  Before the revolution there were less than a million.

So even in really bad times remember:
· Don’t fret because of evil doers (Ps. 37:1,7).

· Even when everything goes bad, we can and should rejoice in the Lord   (Hab. 3:17,18).

· All things really do work together for good (Rom. 8:28).

· All the promises of God still work, such as Ps. 37:4&5:  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  This promise comes right after the command not to fret because of evil doers.  See also vss. 9, 11, 19….

· God is in charge and He knows what He is doing.

The government in this country has followed several ungodly policies, and the people have suffered more financially and a more horrible crime rate, but I have seen more people turning to the Lord here than in any place I’ve ever been.