They're Seeking, He's Coming.

You know, I’ve heard it said before that during this time, during Ramadan, Ms-lms have shown more devotion to their god than Believers ever have. I’ve heard from the mouths of Believers that during this time, X-ians are put to shame in their belief and desire for the Lord.

For the next 30 days, Ms-lms all over the world will be separating themselves from foods of all kind from sun up to sun down in hopes of pursuing and finding A-llah more fully. They will roll out their mats, if they’re in their homes, and bow to their knees and begin answering the call to prayer. They will dress their sons in pants, their young girls in head coverings if they’re old enough; they’ll pack them up in the car and they’ll step into their local mos-que where their I-mam will lead them in prayer after prayer crying out for A-llah to reveal himself. They will petition before him their case, making penance for their sins, pleading for forgiveness. And when the sun finally sets, they’ll gather together in celebration and eat a feast like we’ve never imagined. Finally, when the children’s eyes grow heavy and the women have served all the chai they made for the night, they will call it a day, only to repeat the process all over the following day. Their devotion truly is great.

But you see, I don’t think we, the believers in the true Bread of Life have got it right. I don’t think that their devotion outshines ours at all. I would not even consider what they’ll be pouring their all into as “devotion.” Because for the next 30 days they're not pursuing A-llah out of a full heart of love or out of pure desire. They’re setting their faces to seek their god out of the uninsured hope that they will make it to heaven with him. You see, for the next 30 days they are seeking him because they are trying to prove their worth, trying to make their case before him.  And in all of their doing there remains a void in their souls.

It’s for this reason that my heart is heavy and my eyes are full of tears, even as I write this --Because I have hope and because you have hope, but they don’t. Because I’ve been promised everlasting life with a God who loves me unconditionally, but they haven’t. So friend, I challenge you, I challenge your congregations and your families to put aside any distractions this month, and set your heart to stand in the gap. Pray in the morning, pray in the noon, and pray at dinner time. Pray that as they cry out to their god that our Father would hear their cries and answer swiftly. That in their sleep they would have dreams and visions, that our Savior would appear to them and bear witness that He is the living God. That workers who have set their feet on foreign soil would be empowered all the more to speak up on buses, in markets, and in homes. Ask God that as Ms-lms invite workers into their homes for the various meals that mighty opportunities for witnessing would ensue. It’s happened before, it can happen now. Their minds are clear, their ears our open. Let’s pray.