Entrust Your Soul to God

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

What is your reaction when fiery trials come your way? How do you respond when you have to suffer in this life? You have choices; you know that, don’t you? The Apostle Peter told the readers of his first letter [epistle] that the wise choice is to entrust your souls to God.

A modern missionary, Geoffrey Bull [1921-1999], author of When Iron Gates Yield - [Moody Press], epitomized what Peter said. At the age of 29, while serving as a missionary in Tibet, he was branded a spy and spent three years in a Chinese prison. He endured solitary confinement in a dungeon and humiliating questioning. Not only that, he was beaten, brainwashed, starved, and suffered other forms of physical and mental intimidation.

After his release from prison in 1953, he told about how he managed to endure his great suffering. He established a daily routine, which included prayer, reciting the Bible from memory, singing hymns, meditation, and writing poems in his mind, which he later produced.

Here is one of those poems:

O Lord, Thy fingers fashioned Calvary's hill;

Those skull-like stones were surely Thine intent.

Well did'st Thou know, Thy Body dead and still

Would crown its slopes and ev'ry rock be rent.

O Lord, 'twas in Thy mind, the tree was born,


With living strength to point men up to Thee. 


Yet did'st Thou know, Thy members strained and torn


Would hang from lifeless wood, and lifeless be...

O Lord, 'twas Thou, who molded common dust;


Breathed forth Thy life into this house of clay.


Yet did'st Thou know mankind, corrupted, must


Thine own pure vessel mar and cast away.

O Lord, my parts were written with Thy pen,


Ere I was formed within my mother's womb.


Lord of my life, 'twas I who slew Thee then,


My sin and curse inscribed, which sealed Thy tomb... 

Enough O Lord! Thy conquest is complete.


Thy love foreknew yet bore the shame for me.


Mine outpoured soul shall lave [wash] Thy pierced feet;


Thy great forgiveness bind my soul to Thee.

That’s Geoffrey Bull, while in solitude in
 a Chungking prison, 1951.

What does it mean to “entrust?” Peter took an expression from the banking world, a word meaning, to deposit for safe-keeping. Who is better to keep us then the One who created us! We can thoroughly, completely, fully entrust our souls to Him. 

Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. 1 Peter 4:19