I once heard a minister say that in the secular world, surrender means defeat - but in God's world, surrender means victory. Such was the case of Ron.

Ron Suden listened with interest as the evangelist read text after Bible text proving that God's ten commandment laws are valid and important to mankind today. "If ye love me, keep my commandments," he read in John 14:15.

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:17-18

For a while, the idea of following God lifted Ron's spirits. Something deep within him yearned for a relationship with the Creator of the universe. To be at peace, complete peace, would be the ultimate experience, he thought.

During the next four weeks this young man delved deeper into the Bible, discovering scriptures that had been obscure and meaningless before. He came to the conclusion that God's laws had been pushed aside by man. Particularly the fourth commandment.

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Exodus 20:8

Having been raised a Catholic, Ron knew the Roman Church had instituted Sunday as the day of worship in place of Saturday. That was explained clearly in the Catechism. To confirm the fact that Saturday is the Bible Sabbath, he looked up the word "Saturday" in the dictionary. "The seventh day of the week," it read.

How could he go to church on Saturday? He loved his job as a mail carrier. The U.S. Postal Service's motto promised that not even rain, sleet, or snow prevents the mail from being delivered. He had never heard of a mail carrier receiving Saturdays off. What was he to do?

For weeks Ron agonized and prayed that somehow God would work a miracle. His wife and two small children depended on him to make the house payments and provide food and clothes. How could he let them down? Was poverty the reward for obedience?

As he agonized on his knees, the parable of the treasure hidden in the field came into his mind. In the story, a man, who was probably leasing the field, found a treasure buried in the ground. He sold all that he had to purchase the field so that the treasure could be lawfully his. In Ron's mind, the Sabbath was the treasure and he would have to sell everything in order to keep it. Yet he wondered, would God honor His word and feed His children? How could God cause this postal carrier to ride on the high places of the earth as promised in Isaiah 58:13-14?

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

"Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

Stepping forward in faith, Ron approached his superior and informed him of his decision to honor the Sabbath.

"If you don't work on Saturday, you will lose your job," came the tart reply.

Ron said nothing but went home to pray. He reminded his boss on Friday that he would not work the following day.

"Suden, you know that the mail has to be delivered on Saturdays," he answered. "You've delivered mail faithfully for 13 years. Why are you forcing me to dismiss you now?"

A hard punch in the nose wouldn't have felt any worse.

Ron couldn't eat at the dinner table that night. Instead, he sat quietly surveying the scene before him. Their house was spacious and well built. Three-year-old Jenni sat on the carpet dressing a doll while the baby slept peacefully in his bassinet. His children never lacked food, clothes, or toys. What would become of them if the house payments couldn't be met? What would they do if it took a month to get another job - or longer?

"Honey, we are all in this together," his wife told him. "It will be all right. I'm behind you all the way."

"Faith is believing in something that you can't see," said Ron, quoting the evangelist. "Right now I know how a blind man must feel. How can you walk forward when you can't see anything but darkness?"

Ron spent the next three weeks using vacation time so he could worship on Sabbath. The devil stayed on one shoulder to discourage him, but the Holy Spirit kept leading him from one Bible text to another that answered his questions. Isaiah 48:18 clinched his decision.

"O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea."

He needed the peace of God more than anything. Somehow God would provide for his family. He couldn't enjoy his material success if he were willfully disobeying God's word. He fasted and prayed for God to intercede. In the process, he lost 30 pounds.

Concerned, the evangelist phoned the postmaster general, who arranged a district meeting to decide the case. Ron was asked to appear before the committee when the meeting was ended.

The chairperson motioned for him to sit down. "Your records show that you've been faithful with your work," he began. "But as you know, the mail has to be delivered on Saturday. I'm afraid that mail carriers aren't exempt. We'll have to find someone to take your place. I'm sorry, but this is one job that you can't keep if you persist to worship on Saturday."

"I understand," Ron replied. He held his head high and breathed deeply. So it had come to this. What now?

The chairperson cleared his throat and smiled. "There is a little post office in the western part of the state that needs a postmaster. You know, they don't have to work on Saturdays. We'd be honored if you would accept that position."

Epilogue: Ron continues to serve the U.S. Postal Service today as a postmaster.

Crystal Earnhardt, Trials and Triumphs - Miraculous Stories of Sabbath Victories (Roseville CA: Amazing Facts, 1999). Order this Book