Devotions

“Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted” (Psalm 107:17).

According to the dictionary, a fool is someone who lacks judgment or good sense — one who makes silly mistakes. He does his own thing without thinking of the consequences.

What could be more foolish and unthinkable than indulging in sexual activity with some unknown person? The whole world knows that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are an international problem, yet people all over the world are still contracting them. People simply refuse to be alarmed. And now many are suffering the consequences of their absolutely irrational acts.

A growing number of Christians are paying a high price for past acts of foolishness. Some are sinking into a financial hole because of foolish spending. Others are locked in a terrible marriage because they rushed into it recklessly.

You may be living in regret of some sort, but I want to reassure you that you do not have to live without hope! Don’t give up! God has given you his Word that he does not walk out on fools. “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalm 107:19-20).

The Lord knows there are things we cannot change, words we’ve spoken that we cannot take back. Yet he is not asking us to do penance or make any promises. All he asks is that we cry out to him in our desperation and he will heal, prolong life, and provide supernatural grace.

Be encouraged! God may send someone to you with his Word or perhaps your pastor will deliver a message designed just for you. The Holy Spirit may direct you to a particular healing passage in your daily Bible reading. But you can be assured that when you cry out to God, he will provide a way out.

 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (4:11-13).

In this letter to the Philippians, Paul, this rugged warrior of the cross who went through all kinds of hardship, could speak to the body of believers whom he so deeply loved and say to them, “Brothers and sisters, I want you to be able to rejoice in the Lord the way I am rejoicing in the Lord!”

By his example, Paul showed that he knew how to thrive in any circumstance because he had learned the secret of trusting in the Lord — even rejoicing — independent of his circumstances. Interestingly, Paul is writing to them from a prison in Rome. It was more than a prison, actually; it was a dungeon, a cave, so damp that the condensation collected on the floor and when Paul lay down to sleep at night, water was on his face and body. Such horrible conditions could have made him angry, but the Holy Spirit had worked a gentleness into this man’s character that caused him to give thanks in every situation. Even when battles raged around him, he rejoiced in the goodness of his Lord.

Do you work in a stressful environment, among people with petty attitudes? Your family situation may be difficult, full of strife and anger, and even your neighborhood may be in turmoil. Paul is instructing us on how to react to things we cannot fix: in fact, he was so sure of his message that he repeated it: “Rejoice! Keep your heart focused on the Lord and rejoice!”  

I was just twenty-two when God imparted into my heart his will for me to become an evangelist. He instructed me to use my past and my testimony to draw sinners to salvation, and since that time I’ve remained faithful to that calling. At times I’ve grown tired of telling my story, and I’ve wished God would use me for another purpose. It’s hard to relive the memories over and over again.

Often I’ve thought to myself, “What harm would it be if I simply went into another line of ministry? Maybe I could pastor a church or put together a seminar on marriage and family issues — something that would allow me to use more of my gifts and talents. Or maybe I could go into business!”

But then I remember my calling, and those thoughts quickly subside. There is nothing wrong with any of these professions; they are simply not what God intended for my life. I am an evangelist, an ambassador of God’s grace and forgiveness. I tell people about Jesus and lead them to salvation before his throne. That is my purpose before God as well as my spiritual gift. When God gave me this calling, he not only gave me the ability to carry it out, but he placed in my heart a compassion for the lost. He gave me eyes to see clearly the people who need forgiveness, then he set me on a path to find them. And because I have tried to stay true to that vision, he has been able to use me for his glory. Gloria, my wife, has always felt this same call on her life.

You may have another calling and profession. God has created each of us with different talents and gifts —but all of us are called to reach the lost! We must seek out his direction and vision for our lives and then stay focused and committed to that cause.

Nicky Cruz, internationally known evangelist and prolific author, turned to Jesus Christ from a life of violence and crime after meeting David Wilkerson in New York City in 1958. The story of his dramatic conversion was told first in The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson and then later in his own best-selling book Run, Baby, Run.

A young pastor called me, ready to quit the ministry. The Lord had been using him in a wonderful way, but now he was discouraged, feeling worthless, useless, no good to God at all. When he called me, he was devastated over some decisions he had made and indicated that he was ready to give up. He was angry at God and when he talked with me, I sensed that he expected me to be angry with him. But he was so broken and beaten down that I felt only God’s love and compassion for him.

I didn’t lecture this young pastor or rebuke him. Instead, I silently prayed, “Dear Lord, what can I say to this man that will heal his troubled soul? What do you have for him? What comfort from your Spirit, your Word?”

The Lord impressed me, “Send him to Psalm 107.” I later discovered that this psalm has been called “the Old Testament love feast.” It is one of the most encouraging passages in all of God’s Word and it is meant especially for those needing forgiveness, deliverance, restoration. The final verse promises the reader an understanding of who God truly is:

 “Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord” (107:43).

God is saying, “Observe, read, study this psalm and you will be given a comprehensive understanding of my longsuffering and lovingkindness.” I believe that as you study this entire psalm, you will receive a revelation of God’s great love, even toward the rebellious and disobedient. You see, it is a promise — proof that God will never walk out on any of his children, regardless of how low they may have sunk.

Consider how much you love your own child. Is there anything that precious one could do that would make you reject him? How much more the heavenly Father loves his own and extends love and forgiveness! His ear is always open to our cry.

In John 13, Jesus took a towel and a basin and washed the feet of his disciples.

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). After he had washed their feet, he asked them, “Do you know what I’ve just done for you?” In other words, “Do you understand the spiritual significance of foot washing?”

I believe when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, he was teaching a profound lesson on how to obtain unity of fellowship within the Body of Christ.

When Jesus approached Peter to wash his feet, the disciple drew back in astonishment. “Lord, you aren’t going to wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8). Jesus was saying, in essence, “Peter, if I wash your feet, we have precious grounds for fellowship, a basis for true unity.” He wants his children to serve and submit to one another in the house of God.

What did Jesus do to you when he cleansed you? He wiped away all your guilt and you were made clean, whole. He put gratitude and joy in your soul. He filled you with such love for him that you would follow him anywhere and do anything for him. All you wanted was communion with him because of what he did for you.

Beloved, that is the secret of unity. When you take up the towel of mercy for a hurting, fallen brother, you encourage him by embracing him in his hurt — by submitting in godly fear, washing away his feelings of worthlessness, anguish and despair, and by loving and caring for him.

What have you done to that person by washing his feet, whether in a spiritual or physical sense? You have constructed a firm foundation for true unity and glorious fellowship. You are one by your common experience — that is, by being washed by the water of the Word.