How Do I Now Worship?

For Mission10:14, as long as God makes a way, we will keep going and telling and making Christ known among this people, that they may Hear, Understand, and Believe. (Romans 10:14-15)

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”—Revelation 5:6-10

At the age of 83, and the oldest man in his village, Amadou had many questions following his conversion and his new life in Christ. “How do I tell others?” and “How do I now worship?” Such questions were understandable from one who had spent his entire life following another religion before coming to know the Son of God, personally.

Each time we were together over the past couple of years, Amadou expressed his heart-felt joy through his expressions and words. At his age, he had obvious eye problems, but wanted to be able to read God’s Word for himself. Therefore, we were able to help him get a simple pair of glasses that allowed him to see better. For this little act of kindness, he was so grateful and could not thank us enough. And earlier this year he expressed his desire to tell his story in other villages, proclaiming what God’s work of grace had done in his life.

This morning, we received news that Amadou had died following several months of illness. My immediate thought was, “He now has no questions about how to worship.” Although he was never able to go from village to village and share the Good News, we pray that many others will come to receive the Son and make him known among their people—fulfilling Amadou’s desire for his people to know the one true God who alone brings salvation.