The Word | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: The Word | Previous Challenge Entry
By Elizabeth White
01/30/07
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The young girl stared in wonder at the book. It was hers. What a privilege, she had finally received a copy for herself. She had dreamt of this day for so long. The day when she would be able to read the word for herself. The word, it was so powerful. It lay there, leather bound, with the tiny gold words HOLY BIBLE written across it. The girl had waited for this day all her life. Later she would read it, memorise it, and share it with her friends and family. She imagined the treasures she would find within it, the word, during the many hours she would spend studying it. Suddenly there was banging on the door. They had practiced this many times; they would all go to the main room, all of her family, where together they would be questioned by the police. She should really go to be with the rest of her family, but she couldn’t take her eyes away from the word, the Sword of the Spirit. A noise at the door to her room made her turn around. Strong arms were holding her. The sting she felt as his hand slapped against her face was enough to reduce her to tears. Another man picked up her book. He opened it, ripped out a page and taking a cigarette lighter from his pocket began to burn it. Slowly, page by page he was destroying it. It was too much for her. Then came the questions: Are you a Christian? Where are secret meetings? Each answer she provided produced another slap across her face. The pain was unbearable. Then, the second man took out his gun. Pointing it at her, he placed the book down at her feet and spat on it. “Renounce your faith, spit on it.” The arms holding her loosened. Ever so slowly she bent down towards her book. It was okay, she was prepared to die for her faith, for her saviour. It had all been worth it, for the few minutes of joy she had received from seeing the word. They couldn’t treat it this way. She knelt down before the word and wiped the spit off it with her hand. The blast from the gun was heard throughout the otherwise silent night.

Sarah awoke abruptly. She had been having the same dream for quite sometime now. Yet, she knew it was so much more than just a dream. Thousands of Christians around the world were called daily to give their lives for their faith in Christ. The persecution was real. It made her think, how much did she value Christ in her own life. Did she live like it was important to her? How much did she value the Word?

The Word, the young girl in her dream was no older than Rachel, Sarah’s younger sister. The girl had died for the Word. It was like a treasure to her. Yet, how little did Sarah herself value it. The Word, the Sword of the Spirit, it was powerful. Spiritual armour, the battle was real. It might not be there like it was in some countries where Christians were persecuted for their faith, but the battle was real.

Where was she? Sarah had been finding her faith so hard for the last few weeks. She couldn’t bring herself to pray or even read her Bible. She didn’t even know what it was anymore. She just couldn’t come to God anymore.

She was on the beach, on a holiday with her friends. The beach was so beautiful, the great expanse of sea and the sand that seemed to continue forever. It was just a reminder to her of God, of how great he is and also of his faithfulness. God, he was the awesome, majesty, creator, and at the same time, he was love, faithfulness, and he cared for her. This seemed to have been the hardest time for her, how could she trust him? Sarah remembered the words her friend had spoken to her that day. “Sarah, always keep on trusting in him. He is faithful to us after all. Don’t forget to read the Word and pray always.”

“Sarah,” the knock on her door forced her back into reality, “I found this downstairs and thought I would bring it up to you,” her mother said handing her her Bible. With tears in her eyes she opened it, the Sword of the Spirit, such a treasure from God.

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