It's Not Safe. But . . .

Tell them it’s not safe.

Tell them they may get spit at.

Tell them they may get hit.

Tell them they may get arrested even though they didn’t break any laws.

And tell them if they don’t go, that babies will die and souls will end up in hell.

That’s far more dangerous.

We need to stop being middle-class American sissies, and we need to be willing to fight faithfully with the Gospel to save souls and unborn babies.

~R. C. Sproul, Jr.

(The above was R. C.’s excellent response when asked what to say to people who asked if ministering at abortion mills is safe.)

A Man After God's Heart

“. . . David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.”

 ~Acts 13:22b

I was recently in a Bible topic study where the story of David and Shimei came up. As it was being read, it struck me in a fresh way and I was reminded about why God called David a man after His heart. David’s attitude in this story is INCREDIBLE. When you read this, keep in mind the circumstances surrounding the story: David is fleeing Jerusalem in disgrace from his own son who is taking the throne. How many of us would have felt more like Abishai than David?

“When King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. Thus Shimei said when he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! The Lord has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!

 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head.”  But the king said, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ then who shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him.  Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.” So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him.”  ~2 Samuel 16:5-13

A Reminder

Tonight, God gave me a reminder. It was painful in some ways, but beautiful in others. This reminder came in the form of a person who had no idea that they were being God’s messenger to me. (Ever have one of those?)

Tonight I was at the dress rehearsal of my violin teacher’s end of the year student recital. It was one of the students there that God used to remind me of something very important—thankfulness. She is an adult student and is learning to play the piano, but I discovered something about her that wasn’t true of any of the rest of the students there: she is blind.

When she was introducing herself, she said that she felt like it was her mission in life to show people that handicapped people (her wording) could do things just like everyone else. I almost started to cry. How beautiful that this woman didn’t settle for what people told her was possible. She didn’t give in to the mentality that only certain people whom we think are “normal” can do certain things. She tackled the impossible and it became possible!

That was the beautiful part. Then there was the painful part. How many times have I looked at the circumstances in my life and complained or thought that life wasn’t being fair to me? And yet nothing that I have faced in my life is anything even close to being unable to see. Right then and there I thanked God for my eyesight, which I think I need to do much more often. But I also wondered if this woman isn’t better off than I am. She played her piece beautifully and seemed to have such a positive attitude. She didn’t show any sign of complaint about her situation. Maybe she has learned a secret that I have yet to learn.

I Serve An Amazing God!

Today was an amazing day out at the abortion mill. Not because I like it out there. In fact, I hate it. I wouldn’t go if I didn’t feel compelled to. And not because we saw an extraordinary response, either. There was one woman, all smiles, who left and said that she had changed her mind. We were able to give her a gift bag and phone numbers in case she needed more help. That was exciting and encouraging, but there were still so many hard hearts.

Instead, it was amazing because I saw and felt God’s hand so many times. On the way down, my sister and I prayed and she read Colossians chapter three out loud. That was a blessing. I arrived feeling so much more prepared than I have other weeks. I felt a nearness to God, a quiet, trusting faith and peace in my heart this morning even amidst the utter sinfulness and depravity that was being displayed around me. That is why I said that today was amazing—because I serve a God that never ceases to amaze me!

And before I close, I wanted to share this quote that a friend of mine posted on Facebook recently. It sounds a lot like what I told the women at the mill this morning as I spoke on the microphone: “Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. Right is right even if no one is doing it.” ~Saint Augustine of Hippo

So true. Few are those who find it. But for those who do, they will find that God is truly amazing.