"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
2 Corinthians 4:4
Every St. Patrick's Day, I am nettled by the beer-swilling revelers in green. Do they even know who St. Patrick was?, I wonder.
At age 16, Patrick was captured by Irish pirates. Abruptly taken from all that was familiar to him, he was enslaved in a foreign land as a shepherd for six years. Though he could have allowed this experience to embitter him, he used this time to strengthen his relationship with God through prayer. After this time, he went home, but he eventually returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary, leading many to salvation in Christ. He used the shamrock as a visual illustration of the Holy Trinity.
Satan is a consumate counterfeiter who loves to warp anything that points to Jesus. He'd rather have people exalt the Easter Bunny than see the empty grave. He loves it when we herald the generosity of Santa Claus rather than kneel before the Babe of Bethlehem.
Perhaps this St. Patrick's Day, we can thank God for selfless missionaries who risk life and limb to bring the gospel to dark places. There are numerous Patricks out there today who are being persecuted and executed for the Christian faith. Stop and pray for them. It will result in more abounding, powerful ways than drinking green beer and donning silly shirts.
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