Elisabeth Elliot: If you have a hymnbook in your house, how about looking up "A Mighty Fortress is Our God"? I think you would find it wonderfully faith-strengthening, fortifying, calming.

Lisa Barry: The hymn, "A Mighty Fortress," has been sung in many countries and in many languages for hundreds of years. It has encouraged millions of people who have endured perilous trials and suffering. This remarkable hymn has become the backdrop of our series this week. As we all know, suffering is no respecter of persons. It will inflict marriages, missionaries, clergy and believers in any walk of life.

Today Elisabeth Elliot continues talking about Christians who have suffered and offers help for all of us who find ourselves in trouble. Now here?s Elisabeth to get us started with this Wednesday edition of Gateway to Joy.

Elisabeth Elliot: "You are loved with an everlasting love." That?s what the Bible says. "And underneath are the everlasting arms." This is your friend Elisabeth Elliot, continuing today to refer my talks to that great hymn, "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing."

I read two stories yesterday about the Scottish Covenanters?people who were persecuted by the Anglicans in the 1600?s, when the King of England and Scotland tried to limit illegal and secret meetings for worship, other than those of the established church. It?s amazing to try to imagine the millions, undoubtedly now, who have been and today even are being persecuted because of their love for God.

On Monday, I read a letter from a woman who had had a completely transformed marriage. God turned her whole attitude toward her husband completely around, even though God did not change her husband. In this hymn, we read, "Our helper, He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe."

I don?t know what your particular problem may be today, but I have another very heartening letter from one of my radio listeners. She tells of trials and tribulations in her life and gives me a whole page to begin with that. Then she says, "I had retreated into a corner of fear and stubbornness, not wanting God to invade the area that I could not surrender?trust in His sovereignty. I thought to myself that if God would give anybody on earth answers as to why, it would be you." Well, she flatters me, doesn?t she? I can?t give you answers as to why.

"Then when I understood I could trust Him, you of all people had to have the answers. God would tell you what He wouldn?t tell me. I anticipated with true eagerness your message. Although it was a blessing to hear you, much to my dismay you did not give the type of answers I was seeking. You only had the one thing I lacked?trust in the sovereignty of God. I knew then that God would be satisfied with nothing less than what He has required of godly men and women since time began?my unconditional trust." Have you given to God your unconditional trust today?

She says, "On my way to work the next day, I began talking with God. The whole issue had come to a head, only I found that this time something had changed in my heart. I prayed, ?Father, You don?t owe me any explanations and I don?t need them anymore. I trust You, even though I don?t understand. Yes, I still do wonder why You would call someone to a goal and never allow its attainment. If You ever choose to show me, that?s fine. But I don?t need to know to trust You. I lay it all down.?

In that moment, God spoke to me so clearly in my spirit with the answer. He says, ?It?s the way there. Trust.? In that moment, I understood that the journey itself is the goal of God and what is accomplished in the kingdom along the way. The goal He points us to is His vision. It doesn?t matter whether it is accomplished in our sight on this earth or after we?re gone. We may or may not ever see the end on this earth. The mission goal is fulfilled both for our lives and in the lives of those to whom we have been sent. God's Word does not return void, and our Christ-directed efforts and trust are not in vain.

?Faithful is He who calls you and He also will bring it to pass? (1 Thessalonians 5:24). And in Hebrews 10 it says, ?Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward, for you have need of endurance; so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what was promised.?" Endurance.

The third stanza of "A Mighty Fortress" says, "And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim"?that?s Satan?"we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure; for lo, his doom is sure. One little word will fell him."

I had read to you from a little book called FAIR SUNSHINE, character studies of the Scottish Covenanters. One of them was named Mitchell. I told about his having this terrible method of torture applied to him. Here it tells again some of the details. "Coming forward, the executioner tied Mitchell in a chair. The boot was brought, and he asked the judges which leg had to be taken. They told him to take either, and he took Mitchell?s left leg and put it into the boot. The boot was a steel boot into which a man?s leg was forced. The Covenanter took it out again, saying, ?Since the judges have not determined, take the better of the two, for I freely bestow it in the cause,? and he placed his right leg in the cruel instrument of torture.

Lord Abcott Nesbitt then pompously got up and asked leave from the chairman to say a word or two. He went on at great length on the function of the power of the magistrate. It was an attempt to justify their cruelty. The Covenanter, his right leg still lying in the boot, and he, tied to the chair, entered into a debate with him. Nesbitt came out of it with his crest drooping.

The order was given for the torture to begin. Mitchell said, ?My lords, not knowing that I shall escape this torture with my life, therefore I beseech you to remember what Solomon saith: "He who showeth no mercy shall have judgment without mercy." And now, my lords, I do freely from my heart forgive you who are sitting judges upon the bench, and the men who are appointed to be about this horrible piece of work.? As far as his sins were concerned, he added his trust was in Christ for the full forgiveness of them all.

During this time, upwards of thirty questions were asked of Mitchell in his excruciating torture. Nine times the wedges were driven."

It was Martin Luther who wrote that magnificent hymn, "A Mighty Fortress." Each time I read of the sufferings of people who have been persecuted in the name of Christ, I am aware of the fact that each of them found the strength in that mighty fortress. The word is above all earthly powers. Martin Luther wrote, "Lo, his doom is sure," speaking of Satan, the archenemy of God. "One little word shall fell him." Don?t we hope and pray for that day when that word will be spoken?

Stanza four says, "That word, above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth. The Spirit and the gifts are ours." That?s what I want to remind you of. These letters that I?ve read to you from women whose lives have been changed because of the holy Word of God, they have learned to trust in that mighty fortress. To all of us, the Spirit and the gifts are offered, through Him who with us sides.

Do you know that God is on our side? But we?re not always ready to be on God?s side. Very likely there are some listening to me today who would not say that they are on God?s side, because God did something that they didn?t like or God has failed to do something that they wanted Him to do. You will be in a very dangerous position if you get angry with God, because He is the only fortress for our faith. He is the One who loves us and gave Himself for us.

"Let goods and kindred go; this mortal life also. The body they may kill"?and millions have been killed for the sake of Christ. "God?s truth abideth still, and His kingdom is forever."

One of the verses to which I have clung in the most difficult times in my life is from Isaiah 50:7. "The Lord God will help me; therefore, shall I not be confounded; therefore, have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed."

What is that you need help with today? If you have a hymnbook in your house, how about looking up "A Mighty Fortress is Our God"? I think you would find it wonderfully faith-strengthening, fortifying, calming.

The Lord God will help me. I find myself sometimes just walking around the house, doing one thing after another, sometimes in a great hurry, but just repeating those words, "The Lord God will help me. The Lord God will help me." So if you have not heard anything else that I?ve said this week, I pray that you will remember that we have a mighty fortress. He loves us. He stands beside us. He yearns over us. He wants us to turn to Him and trust Him.

Lisa Barry: If that?s something you?d like to do but don?t know how to get started, let me offer a few suggestions. If you want to trust God, then you must know Him first, and that means you need to start spending time in the Bible, reading and praying and obeying. Choose a version of the Bible that you can understand and begin by reading the New Testament, one chapter at a time.

A good companion book is A LAMP FOR MY FEET, written by Elisabeth Elliot. It will give you a lot of food for thought on a variety of subjects. The cost of the book is $13.50. You can send that, along with your request, to Gateway to Joy, Box 82500, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68501. Or you can call toll-free: 1-800-759-4JOY. Or check out our Web site at gatewaytojoy.org. You can peruse our online product catalog, find upcoming program topics and more. Gateway to Joy is a listener-supported production of Back to the Bible.

Be with us again tomorrow when Elisabeth talks about what it means to be 100% sold out for Christ. That?s next time on Gateway to Joy.