From Fugitive to Faithful

God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 1:6 (CEV)

Trapped. Zhang Boli had ducked bullets and dodged tanks, while shocked that the Chinese government killed their own people for demanding freedom. He escaped Tiananmen Square and the city of Beijing, landing on their government’s most wanted list in 1989. Fleeing to a remote part of the country, he left his wife and daughter. There, he was stuck, dependent on an old farming woman to hide him.

But she had a secret, too. Even though she couldn’t read, she had a hand-written copy of the book of John from the Bible, which was strictly forbidden by the Chinese government. She asked Zhang to read it aloud, and the words changed his life.

His attempt at escaping got him lost in a blizzard, where he nearly died. He prayed to God, promising to always serve him if he could just make it through the night. He collapsed in the snow, where the Russian border guards found him unconscious and put him in jail. They forced him to go right back where he started.

Despite the circumstances, God was working for Zhang. He continued to trust God through the hardships. And he finally made it to America, where he became a pastor and continued to help Chinese people around the world know Jesus.

Do you feel stuck? Are you not seeing any way forward for God to work in your life—or the life of someone you are praying for? Stay faithful. The God who started you on this journey will keep working on your spiritual growth. He will not fail you!

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

Map your spiritual journey. Write out some of the key experiences in your life. Haven’t made it to a step yet? Consider making a plan now!

INSPIRATION

“I feel like God used what happened in 1989 to help us recognize what’s going on in China. If the Tiananmen massacre had not occurred, for the Chinese people, the Communist Party would have been their god.”

—Zhang Boli, Chinese American pastor

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help you expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Psalm 40:5

Isaiah 55:10–11

1 Corinthians 1:7-8

Philippians 1:9-10