Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. (Jer. 17:14)

TROUBLE WAS HIS NAME. Jim was standing before the juvenile court judge once again. He heard the judge’s words, “He must be removed from the environment. Mrs. Ackler, search for a safe place for this youngster.” The social worker found a church camp that accepted troubled children from the inner city. Jim would stay there for a minimum of four weeks. That summer changed his life. The people at the camp treated him with kindness, discipline, firmness, and care. They saw who he could be, not just who he was. Jim learned about a God who created him, who loved him as His own all the time.

Summer after summer Jim returned to that church camp, not as a troubled youth but as a confident counselor to other boys. He saw himself reflected in them. He shared the story of his days as a delinquent kid on the city streets. Jim praised God for the change in his life. They related to his story, and, slowly, with God’s help, their lives began to change. The boys prayed for healing and rescuing in their own words. Then they praised God for His goodness.

Be confident in God’s saving power, and trust Him.

Viola Gommer and her husband live in Dallas, Pennsylvania. Their lives are enriched through family, church, community, and supporting world missions.

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