Lay Down Your Life?

There was a knock at the door.  They answered and the search party was there.

As their house was ransacked they heard one of the searchers exclaim, "We found it!"

What was it they were looking for?  A simple Bible.  That's it.  However, the implications were great.  After interrogating everyone who lived in the house, the simple maidservant spoke up and told them it was her Bible and that she had been reading it.

No big deal, right?  Well, for most of us this wouldn't be even a thought.  I mean, honestly, I can't imagine someone knocking on my door and searching my home.  And I certainly can't imagine being interrogated for owning a Bible.

However, this is exactly what happened to the person the children and I read about this evening.  And if that wasn't enough, what happened next is simply unthinkable.

After admitting that she was the owner of the Bible, this woman was sentenced to death by suffocation.  How did this take place?  A place would be hollowed out in the city wall and she was tied in it.  The opening was then bricked over.

This lady was given the option three times to say it was not her Bible, but she refused.  And to show her true character, before the very last brick was placed over her mouth she proclaimed, "O Lord, forgive my murderers."

Someone was so sold out to Christ, that they had nothing but compassion for those who were mistreating them so horribly.

Life can get so busy and distracting and I often wonder if we truly are in tune with doing the work of The Lord with all of our comings and goings.  Have we completely emptied ourselves of our own selfish wishes and desires so that we can be totally filled with Him?  If we were presented with a simple knock at the door would we be so gracious to allow those in, even if would cost us our life?  God hasn't called us to a life of sacrifice only to do the easy and comfortable things.

My only hope and prayer is that if faced with a similar situation, I would be bold enough to stand firm in my faith of The One and True Risen Savior.

~Misti~

**Excerpts from this post were taken from the book Jesus Freaks**