Stories are great. I love stories in any form - books, real life, movies - you name it. Of late I have become much more interested in "real life" stories, ones that you hear from "real" people about their experiences and discoveries. The LORD has been taking me through a "walk by faith, not by sight" tutorial this summer and a sub-point to that could be entitled, "walk by faith, not by feelings". I have felt as though I could not feel. Deep, I know. But seriously, I believe that every Christian goes through phases where no matter how hard you pound the Truth into your brain, you just don't feel it or it doesn't affect you emotionally. You know it's true, but you don't have an emotional reaction to it being true.
So I've been pounding away at my brain God's promises to me that "I will never leave you nor forsake you", "All things work together for good to those that love God", "He has overcome the world", etc. etc. But no matter how much my brain knows that it's true, it doesn't affect my heart. I don't know what the effects of these truths look like in the life of a believer.
Thus I have turned to stories, to real-life enactments of Biblical truths. The story I am about to tell you is a living out of the verse from Philippians: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (4:7). That sounds like some pretty powerful peace there. It's more than I can imagine, but what does it look like? I've felt overwhelming peace before, but what about seeing it in the lives of others?
John Rogers was a preacher and Bible translator during the early 1500's. He was the first English protestant martyr under Queen Mary I ("Bloody Mary") of England. He was imprisoned for several years before finally being burnt at the stake after being unwilling to recant his faith.
All martyr stories make an impression on me, but there was one detail of John Roger's story that stuck in my brain and made that verse from Philippians come to life.
On the morning that John Rogers was to be burned at the stake, he was found fast asleep. So fast asleep that he had to be shook several times to be woken up. Foxe's book of martyrs says, "who [Rogers], being then sound asleep, could scarce be awakened. At length being raised and awakened..." It was only "at length" that he could be awakened.
This is what peace that surpasses all understanding looks like. Such peace, that would keep a man fast asleep as he awaits a painful death, can only come from the Lord of heaven and earth.
Stories encourage us and uplift us, they open our eyes to see and our hearts to feel when the bare Truth does not pierce us. Proverbs 30:5 says, "Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him." Real life stories are the proof of God's Word. Each and every one of His promises will be fulfilled, and even though we may not be able to see them played out yet in our lives, we can see and hear the stories and testimonies of others. Praise God for the saints of old such as John Rogers that were used to give us such an excellent picture of God's Truth! May God use our lives for the same extraordinary purpose!
