“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12
In 2014, the Boko Haram rebel group kidnapped hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls. Many of the girls were Christian. Authors Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson wrote the following in their book “Bring Back Our Girls: The Untold Story of the Global Search for Nigeria’s Missing Schoolgirls”:
“They came of age in captivity, pressured daily to marry fighters and embrace Boko Haram’s creed in return for better food, shelter, clothing, and soap. By their second year, many were badly malnourished. Months of hunger and vanishing rations had left some of the women unable to stand without help. Sometimes they ate tree bark or the sinewy grass called yakuwa, which their mothers used to weave mats and baskets. There were small seeds between the blades, which they plucked out. Some drank hot water, believing the heat would give them energy. At one point, a classmate killed an ant to eat the crumb of food it was carrying.
Their guards had refused to share meals or even jugs of water—except for washing before prayer. Boko Haram itself, though running low on rations, still promised what little food it had to those who agreed to convert and marry into the sect. More than 100 refused. Many of them had been members of choirs in their church, and all of them knew the words to a hymn from Chibok they sang when their guards were out of earshot: ‘We, the children of Israel, will not bow.’”
As Christians, we are called to persevere in Christ. Are you feeling pressured or persecuted for your faith? Today in prayer, give the trials you are facing to the Lord and seek to persevere in Him in all that you do.
"Our motto must continue to be perseverance. And ultimately I trust the Almighty will crown our efforts with success." - William Wilberforce
God’s Word: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Romans 5:3-4
Mostly Cloudy, 61°
