Hebrews 11:13, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

Anne Askew came to the knowledge of salvation through reading the Scriptures. She loved to meditate often on the Word of God and soon came to see that many Roman Catholic teachings were false. Anne was not one to be a secret disciple! Her husband disowned her and shortly thereafter she went to London. She was a keen evangelist, distributing books and the Bible. She was arrested for her opposition to the Mass and purgatory. Initially released, but continuing her evangelism she was soon sent to the Tower of London. There she was placed on the rack. Though painfully tortured and ceaselessly questioned she never denied her faith and refused to implicate others.

“I sat two long hours arguing with the Lord Chancellor, upon the bare floor… With many flattering words, he tried to persuade me to leave my opinion… I said that I would rather die than break my faith.”

Anne was martyred this day (16th July) 1546 at 25 years of age. She had to be carried to the stake for she could not walk. The cruel torture had left her crippled. She was unable even to stand on the pile. A small chair was set thereon and she was tied by ankles, wrist, chest and neck to the stake where she sat. The crowd was so great the people had to be forced back before the fire could be lit. Before the fire was applied her torturer Thomas Wriothesley cried out that she could still recant and be pardoned. Anne replied that she ‘came not hither to deny my Lord and Master!’.

“I would sooner read five lines of the Bible than hear five masses in the ‘church.’” (Anne Askew)

Malachi 3:16, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”

God makes it no secret that He hears our conversation. The text says that the Lord listens when believers converse.

God is always near me,
Hearing what I say,

Much that the Lord hears greatly displeases Him but there is a Christian dialogue concerning spiritual things and Christian experience that greatly delights Him. In fact, He causes it to be written down for the great rewards of the judgement day. If Matthew 12:36 is true; “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment;” then it is also true that every God exalting word will go to the same place. The power of godly conversation not only goes into God’s ears and to the judgement day for reward, but it also serves God in time to the edifying of saints and conversion of sinners.

I am reminded of the time when John Bunyan eavesdropped on godly conversation. It served to his awakening and eventually brought about his conversion.

“In one of the streets of Bedford I came to where there were three or four poor women sitting at a door in the sun and talking about the things of God. Willing to listen, I drew near to hear what they said, for I was a brisk talker myself in matters of religion. But I have to say that I heard, but I didn’t understand, for they were far above, out of my reach. They spoke about a new birth, the work of God in their hearts… They said how God had visited their souls with His love in the Lord Jesus, and with what words and promises they had been refreshed, comforted and supported against the temptations of the devil… And it seemed to me they spoke as if joy did make them speak. They spoke with such pleasantness of biblical language, and with such obvious grace in all they said, that they were to me as if they had found a new world.” (Bunyan)

“Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still” (E. M. Bounds).

Talk ye of all His wondrous works. (Psalm 105:2)

Psalms 103:2, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

This is a command impossible to keep if it means to individualise each blessing. The Lord’s benefits are so many that we cannot number them let alone remember them all. We could sooner know and remember the names of the stars than recount all the Lord’s gifts. The Lord however does not expect us to number and name them all. There is a chorus:-

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

This really cannot be done. What the Psalmist means is that he must never forget that the Lord abundantly blesses him; that he has all blessings in Christ. While he cannot name every one, he knows in his heart the basket of blessings is full. That’s what we are to remember. We might paraphrase the text, “and forget not His full basket of blessing.” In the basket there are innumerable grains of blessing, but there are also many jewels and diamonds that stand out. These we can count and remember. They indeed can be named one by one. Always we will remember the jewel of great price, the precious diamond, the unspeakable gift, even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Basil of Caesarea, Cappadocia (326-379) has lovely words on God’s benefits towards us.

“What reward shall we give unto the Lord, for all the benefits he hath bestowed? From the cheerless gloom of non-existence he waked us into being; he ennobled us with understanding; he taught us arts to promote the means of life; he commanded the prolific earth to yield its nurture; he bade the animals to own us as their lords. For us the rains descend; for us the sun sheddeth abroad its creative beams; the mountains rise, the valleys bloom, affording us grateful habitation and a sheltering retreat. For us the rivers flow; for us the fountains murmur; the sea opens its bosom to admit our commerce; the earth exhausts its stores; each new object presents a new enjoyment; all nature pouring her treasures at our feet, through the bounteous grace of him who wills that all be ours”