Proofreading: A Spiritual Battle

The proofreading work of the New Testament Recovery Version in four Indian languages has been a battleground for fighting a spiritual battle all along. The saints all over the world have been faithfully praying for this too. We, on the battle field, have been facing the direct frontal attack of the enemy. Tried however much he might, Satan is the defeated foe and Christ is the victorious Jesus General. And we are the army of our Victor Jesus Christ!

The peak of the battle as I understood was in the second week when many saints have fallen sick with few serious cases. But within a day or two, all have been recovered. In fact, the first to be touched was myself among five of us who were coordinating. I was down for two days. Then all the other four serving ones with me became ill one after the other. In fact, one of them negatively tested positive for a viral flu that has been spreading disastrously, of course with self test and not clinical. Therefore, to avoid further spread, we quarantined whoever fell sick. During the peak of the attack I had been busy caring for the sick, for their medicine supply and food supply as well. For one entire week I had the honor of serving some of the saints in coordination, with three meals a day. It was a privilege to me, and I joyfully served them. It was for this need that I had to cancel my week-long home visit in between the project. 

Though the outward pressure was high, deep within I enjoyed the presence of the Lord. I felt the Lord leading me step by step in every minute detail. Not one bit I had a doubt that we would not make it to the end. To me, the trials were testaments to the genuineness of the work we were involved in; the work of God, therefore, the enemy's attack was just obvious.

As the battle was fought, a misbehavior of a serving sister added to an emotional attack as she had to be sent home after the first stage of the project. Another serving sister was diagnosed with TB, and yet another sister was diagnosed with cancer on careful investigationof her past medical report. Mysteriously, a brother was literally immovable as he has sudden body pain. He was on bed rest for about three days. Even doctors could not diagnose the root cause of the problem. The only way out was just prayer and a brother's foot therapy that eventually healed him. Inspite of all these, the Lord led us through from stage to stage. Christ has been experienced as the Victor in every minute detail. We were on a heavenly team! Hymn 909

In the stream! In the stream!
Let us work in the stream!
In the stream! In the stream!
We'll work as in the heav'nly team!

Our prayers were all heavenly and we touched the throne of God directly in this battle. Through thick and thin, we braved the enemy's attack. The grace of God was bountiful and we have been led from victory to victory! Hallelujah!

Even as we inquired from a brother who has been involved in at least a score of this kind of proofreading work globally, he testified that this one in India with four languages was the toughest and also the longest. By the way, this also transpired in the midst of pandemic. All the other works had been on just one language, but this was in four languages combined. No wonder the work load was fourfold. The greater the need, the greater the grace too!

This proofreading work will go down in the history of the Lord’s move, especially in India, as one significant event contributing to the carrying our of God’s economy. 

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ and manifests the savor of the knowledge of Him through us in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14, RecVer)