Read: Psalm 97
He guards the lives of his faithful ones. (v. 10 NIV)
Every Wednesday evening we picked up our Tojolabal language helper, Francisco, and any other Tojolabal Christians who wanted to go with us, and joined the ten to twelve Christians in the village of Madero for a service in their chapel. Often a drunk man would wander into the church, drawn by the singing. My husband would usually guide him to a seat at the back and by sitting next to him could keep him fairly quiet.
One night, as we sat in the small slat-walled, dirt-floored chapel, the noise of drunken brawling in the village disrupted the service. As the screams of men and women surrounding the chapel got louder and louder, I became concerned for our safety.
I called on God, in the name of Jesus Christ, to remove the anger and violence from the hearts of the people outside. I asked him to cause them to forget what they were upset about and to send them home. As I continued to pray, the screaming and yelling slowly subsided. Soon it was quiet and we could again hear the preacher. The fear left my heart, and I was filled with a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. God had again used his power to calm the storm and restore the peace. —Helen Hofman
As you pray, praise God for deliverance from evil.
About the Author
Helen Hofman is a retired missionary. She and her husband Sam worked with the Tzeltal and Tojolabal Indians of Chiapas, Mexico for more than forty years. In their work, they helped set up a Bible School to train the Tzeltals, taught in the Bible School, prepared Sunday School materials, textbooks, hymnals and audiovisuals. They also coordinated the translation of the Amatenango Tzeltal New Testament and the revision of the highland Tzeltal Bible.
