I find the letter to the church in Smyrna very encouraging because of my mission work. The Lord has put me with some very poor populations, the homeless, prostitutes, inner city single moms, and the Roma (Gypsies) overseas.

There are people out there who come to Christ and have no Scripture access, even no church access in some cases. What do you do? How can they stand when they have so little?

To whom much has been given, much is required. On the one hand, we’ve been given everything in Christ and perfect righteousness and blamelessness is required of us, much.

But on the other hand, people like this have been given very little and God doesn’t require much from them. They just have to hold on. There are no accusations here about listening to false teachers.

They may be missing a whole lot in terms of Bible knowledge and doctrine, but they are saved through their suffering. They are going to be tested. Their requirement is just to hold onto Jesus through it.

They just have to keep faith. Hang in there.

It gives me a lot of hope for some that I have wondered how I could possibly help. Even in America where there is access to Scripture and churches, I still think there is a church like this. I have wondered about the women I know with several kids and they are each from a different man. I have wondered how God could set it right. I have wondered if there was a ”right” even to be found in the messiness of all that. These are women who maybe never finished high school. They aren’t going to be students of Scripture in the same way as me.

I think they fit into this church. It’s hard. Life is hard. They love God. They may not know tons, but they want to know and love God. They know they need God.

He’ll be there for them and with them. They just need to hold on.