“IF I AM GUILTY” let God take one of my children!” Musa challenged, standing before the other members of the investigating church committee.

The members gasped.  They knew the life Musa had been living.

Over the past year, SIM missionary Harvey had wondered about the spiritual coldness in the church at Gusau.  There were no conversions, few attended the weekly prayer meeting, several members had gone back into worldly ways, and some were openly living in sin.  As Harvey counseled with them, they became only more rebellious and antagonistic.

Elder Musa was a leading member of the church committee.  He had one boy and two girls — one of the girls being mentally ill and sickly.  Musa seemed indifferent at times, but Harvey had no idea he was keeping a harlot in another house, and was secretly drinking.  When he finally did hear, he went in surprise to the elder to ask if it were true.

“Me keep a harlot!” shouted Musa indignantly.  “Why, I’ll sue that man for libel — alleging such a thing!”

The rumors persisted.  Harvey prayed and counseled with Musa, but he would admit nothing.  The church committee felt they should face Musa with the matter.  The elder jumped to his feet and accused the other of believing malicious rumors and making up charges to hurt him.

“I tell you I am innocent.  If I’m not, may God take one of my children!” he shouted.

That was Monday night.  Thursday morning his little boy died.

The believes were hushed as they gathered that afternoon for the funeral service.  Beside the casket stood Musa, head bowed but face still defiant.  Harvey led the simple service, his heart broken for the man beside him.

Then as Harvey stepped back for the laborers to lower the coffin into the hole in the hard laterite, there was a cry and rush of feet.  Harvey looked up to see Musa throw himself across the casket, his body convulsed with sobbing.

“I have sinned against God!” he confessed.  “I have been living a sinful life.  God has judged me.  I want to come back to God.”

There were tears among the mourners as they returned along the trail to their homes.  Harvey took Musa and his wife home for prayer.

Musa confessed, “I was very wicked.  I thought I could get away with my sin.  When I challenged God, I thought that if He did judge me, He would surely take my sick little girl.  But He took my only son.  You cannot argue with God and win.”

That same night Musa went to see another church member living in sin.  The friend repented, and the two of them went to talk with a third backslidden member.  There was a new atmosphere in the church next Sunday.  Prayer meeting attendance has gone up.  And the people of Gusau notice the difference.  Now they are saying, “You can’t argue with God and win.”

–“Africa Now”