JULY 14 – IN THE VILLAGES!

“Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the villages” (Song of Solomon 7:11).

The life of the nation depends on the life of its villages. The revival of the villages is the revival of the nation. Is it not our responsibility to prepare the village people also for the Coming of God?

In the early days of my father’s ministry, his concentration was more on the villages. He will be visiting several villages from morning to evening, sing, proclaim the Gospel and guide the people towards God. There were instances when he had no other option other than staying on the roads and streets during the night. But, staying in the villages will make him feel that as though he was staying with Jesus Christ.

See how Shulamite calls her lover. The Scripture says, “Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the villages” (Song of Solomon 7:11). Will you also call Him in the same way?

The people in the villages are innocent; they show love and hospitality to the strangers; they are illiterate; they are the ones to accept fully what you say. But, so far, they have been living in false beliefs and darkness. Is it not your responsibility to bring all these people who live without knowing the difference between right and left hands, towards God?

If one sermon of Jonah could make lakhs of people repent, lakhs of villagers will surely repent on hearing your message too.

Once, during the war in Sri Lanka, people were terrified. Most of the villages will not even have power connection. The army will arrive suddenly, arrest all the youth and take them away. Certain representatives of movements will forcibly take the youth boys to fight in the war as their supporters. The parents struggled as they were helpless to protect their young children.

There were not sufficient people to preach God’s love, support and refuge to them. Transport facilities were also not there. Many missionaries who were doing God’s work in those villages migrated to the cities. Some other missionaries shifted to foreign countries to do God’s work. Just imagine how precarious the condition of these people would have been!

So, every church should give importance to village ministry. Every believer should visit villages, stay with Jesus and do God’s work there. Jesus said, ‘This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to them’ (Mathew 24:14). Is it not?

To meditate: “Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7).