faith of the martyrs

 The whole world is watching what is unfolding in Afghanistan right now--the chaos and heartbreak has caught so many of us off guard. With the Taliban taking complete control, the people are facing an unimaginable future. The reports coming out of the country are almost surreal, and definitely impossible for most of us in the United States to understand.

What has hit me as the most spectacular, though, are the reports we are hearing from the followers of Christ who are in Afghanistan. They are fleeing their homes and trying to protect their families, but at the same time they are saying they plan to meet Jesus face to face within the next couple of weeks.

Planning to meet Jesus.

God, give them strength. Give them peace. Give them mercy.

And give us a small fraction of their faith.

⁹ When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the heavenly altar the souls of those murdered for holding fast to the word of God and their testimony. ¹⁰ They cried out in a great, singular voice.
Martyrs: How much longer, O Lord, the holy One, the true One, until You pronounce judgment on the inhabitants of the earth? Until You avenge our blood?
¹¹ Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest for a little while longer—soon their number would be complete. In a little while, more of their fellow servants, brothers, and sisters would be murdered as they had been."
Revelation 6:9-11