TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NKJV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• A couple of days ago, I read an article about a waitress who helped save an 11-year-old boy from abuse; his step-father was convicted this week of aggravated child abuse. The boy’s mother, who did not report the known abuse, still has charges pending.
According to the news report* — the waitress noticed the family didn’t order food for the boy, and she “noticed cuts and bruises on the boy’s face and arms.” She quietly “gained the boy’s attention and quickly passed him a secret note asking if he needed help.” He nodded, and she alerted authorities. It turns out — the boy was routinely abused and tortured by his stepfather while his mother did nothing. The waitress’ observations and quick thinking likely saved his life.
As I thought about what to write this morning, I thought of this story. I could go in a couple of directions… after all, the waitress sagely said, “We need to pay attention for the ones that are in need, and step forward to do something to change the situation.”
She’s 100% right, of course. But I’m not going to write about that. Instead, let’s identify the four primary perspectives in this story and talk about them:
First, there’s THE VICTIM. In many ways, we are all victims of hurt — both intentional and unintentional. To some degree, we all have scars and bruises inflicted at the hands of others. But we also have self-inflicted scars as a result of our own sinful choices.
Next, there’s THE ABUSER. While I hope most of us don’t purposefully hurt our loved ones, it happens. Our words are used as weapons in moments of anger or selfishness… even our neglectfulness can be among the most painful ways we hurt others. But we also abuse ourselves through our poor choices, catering to our flesh, and falling to temptations.
Just as cruel as the abuser, there’s THE OBSERVER. Too often, we don’t get involved or speak up when we see people on the wrong path. We don’t lovingly confront our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ about their sinful behavior, and as a result — hurtful choices with painful consequences continue to grow and fester, leading to destructive patterns. We fail to tell others about Jesus with knowing indifference that those people are destined for hell. We also observe our own sinful cycles but refuse to make changes, convinced there is nothing we can do (or don’t want to).
And then, there’s THE SAVIOR: Deep inside, I believe all people have a deep desire to be rescued. We know we live in an imperfect, broken world. And we want someone to step in and make it right. If you disagree with me — ask yourself why we have so many books and movies with a hero… yeah — it’s something we all long for…
And God, in His goodness, gave us all a Savior. The One who can heal our broken hearts… the One who can change our selfish ways and help us change our abusive ways… the One who can teach us to encourage others to the right path and to be active in our faith… and the One who saves us from our sins and promises us the ultimate rescue story — eternal life with Him.
Peter, the disciple, said of Jesus, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). He also later wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Lord is waiting to rescue us! He wants to intervene in our lives!
In many ways — three people are sitting at the table in need of rescue: the victim, the abuser, and the observer. All three are me. All three are you. And Jesus the Savior has passed the note through His Word — asking us to admit that we need rescuing.
Isn’t God so good?! He provided a Savior before we even knew we needed to be rescued (Romans 5:8). He’s well-aware of our situation. He knows the pain we feel. He knows the hurt we’ve caused. He knows all the sinful choices we’ve made through our selfishness. He knows our hearts. And yet — He offers us the hope of rescue through His Son, Jesus Christ. All we have to do is nod and agree — “Yes, I need Jesus to save me.”
Have you agreed that you, too, need a Savior?
Today, as you pray, praise Jesus for being the Savior of the world. Thank Him for rescuing you from destruction. Ask Him to open the doors for you to share His amazing offer of rescue with others. And if you haven’t accepted Him as your Savior — today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). What are you waiting for?
*Credit: Fox News, “Florida Stepfather Found Guilty After Waitress Uses Secret Note to Save Child Abuse Victim,” published June 8, 2022
SHARING ••• My Grace-Full Life is written by Denise Heidel. You are welcome to share anything I write, but please credit my writing and graphics accordingly. Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. Subscribe through my website to have My Grace-Full Life delivered to your email. You can unsubscribe at any time. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the NKJV translation.
