Suffering Hardship for Christ

The past couple of days I've been reading Commandos for Christ by Bruce Porterfield. He and his family were missionaries many years ago in Bolivia, near the Brazilian border, in the jungle. Reading about the hardships they faced--anacondas, Yoguerrohobobos (deadly snakes), boa constrictors, alligators, army ants, cockroaches, scorpions, intense heat, swamps, river travel (lots of things for a boat to hit), poisonous plants, jungle overgrowth, difficult hiking, humidity, sickness, muck, vampire bats, unfriendly/hostile Indians, angry farmers, spiritual struggles, death of a good friend and fellow missionary--reminded me of the difficulties Paul faced on his missionary journeys that were mentioned in our daily Bible reading yesterday.

"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life; but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God, who raiseth the dead, Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver; in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us." II Corinthians 1:8-10

It also brought to mind an old hymn:

Am I a Soldier of the Cross?

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.