Page 35 - The Poetic Books - Student Text

clandestine. The Christians were led to a prison yard, where they could expect anything
to happen in Amin’s reign of terror.
But they were each quietly praying and soon one of them started singing the familiar
East African Revival song, Tukutendereza Yesu, in a subdued tone:
Tukutendereza Yesu (We praise you Jesus),
Yesu Omwana gw-endiga (Jesus Lamb of God).
Omusagwo gunaziza (Your blood cleanses me);
Nkwebaza, Omulokozi (I praise you, Savior).
Within no time, the whole prison yard was alive with the resounding song. Prison
wardens and soldiers came to watch in amazement as the prisoners sang joyfully and
openly repented of the fear that had initially gripped them. Soldiers forgot their military
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etiquette, running to buy food and soft drinks for their prisoners.

God’s love has not been in the forefront of any of the discussions. Job acknowledged God’s love in giving
him life (10:12), but in his suffering he has closed his mind to further love. Can we consider the trials of
Job part of God’s love for him? Does God intend better for Job? When we experience trials is faith in
God’s love difficult? Is it essential for mature faith? Must we encourage others to trust in God’s love?

Samuel Rutherford described the connection between heaven and
hardship this way: “If God had told me some time ago that He was
about to make me as happy as I could be in this world, and then
had told me that He should begin by crippling me in arm or limb,
and removing me from all my usual sources of enjoyment, I should
have thought it a very strange mode of accomplishing His purpose.
And yet, how is his wisdom manifest even in this! For if you should
see a man shut up in a closed room, idolizing a set of lamps and
rejoicing in their own light, and you wished to make him truly
happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps; and then
throw open the shutters to let in the light of heaven.” Figure 21:Joni Eareckson Tada
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50 Hanna W. Kinoti, “In the Valley of the Shadow of Idi Amin,” (Christianity Today, 6/12/2000) ?.
51 Joni, Eareckson Tada, Heaven (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 181.
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