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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A MANUAL

FOR 2020

BY PETER STOFFBERG
id you ever get one of those
frustrating Christmas presents which
Drequires ‘some assembly’ and comes
with a manual in a language resembling
English, but not quite? Manuals are useful Your WORD
if they’re understandable, and provided we
actually use them. They tell us how things is a LAMP
are designed to work and, sometimes, what
to do when they don’t. It’s possible to do to guide my feet
without them and go by trial and error, but and a LIGHT
as you may know, a good manual saves a
lot of pain and frustration. for my path
If you have children, you may have wished
that they came with a manual. If you have a PSALM 119 v 105
car, you probably haven’t read the manual
that it came with. If you’re looking into the
new year wondering how you’re going to
handle 2020, you may be pleased to know
that there is a relevant manual that also
works for children.

Before that though, I want to share a true
story. Stories can be powerful, they can
make us question, and they have the 4WAYS UNITED CHURCH
potential to change our hearts. This one is
recounted by Ravi Zacharias and concerns INDABA HOTEL
a young Vietnamese translator named Hien AUDITORIUM
Pham. Hien was imprisoned under suspicion
of spying for the CIA during the war with
America. His fluency in English was the every Sunday @ 9h30
main reason for the charges. full children’s & youth ministry

He was subjected to constant Marxist www.4waysunited.org.za
brainwashing, aimed at destroying his belief
in God, and he eventually succumbed.
He decided to live as if there was no God. pages to use as toilet paper. Day after day, Hien
The morning following this decision, he was collected the soiled pages, cleaned them and
assigned to the putrid prison latrines. Hien treasured every word they delivered.
wrapped rags around his mouth and nose, and
was mopping his way through the filth, when he This makes me wonder. How did God get an
noticed a soiled, crumpled English Bible into a Vietnamese prison camp?
page covered in English How did He use someone’s utter disdain for
text. He quickly thrust it it, to give Hien the right words on exactly the
into his pocket. right day? What made Hien collect excrement-
covered pages, and what would draw him back
Later when nobody was to a latrine day after day, just for the chance to
around, he gently cleaned find more?
the page and settled
down to read it. It was Perhaps the Bible really is a Divine Manual,
a page from the Bible, perhaps it contains what we need to live the
Romans chapter eight. He best 2020, and the best life? If you’re also
read the words in tears wondering, then maybe start by reading
and pleaded for God to Romans chapter eight.
forgive him. He asked the
camp commander if he
could remain on latrine
duty, because apparently
someone had an English
Bible and was tearing out

We'd love to hear from you on family@4waysunited.org.za.
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