As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (1 Peter 1:14)
One would never have suspected that this handsome, charming young man was dealing drugs. But the cops were on to him, and the next day a local pastor got word that there had been an arrest. For the next eighteen months he became a regular visitor to the county jail, opening his Bible to the prisoner, showing him his need for a Savior, and leaving materials for him to read and study during those long, lonely hours in his cell.
The prisoner was not alone the day of the sentencing. That same pastor stood before the judge as an advocate, requesting that the young man, now a new Christian, be sent to a Christ-centered rehabilitation facility. The request was granted. A bed was waiting for him at a Christian treatment center in another state, separating him by distance from that former life. Fifteen months later, he stepped out that door. It was decision time. Now, on his own and freedom in front of him, which way would he go?
Today, these twenty-some years later, his life reflects the choice he made. He and his wife have made Christ the center of their home and are serving in their local church. How do I know all this? My husband was the pastor who stood before the judge that day, believing that God could change a life. And he did.
Stand with someone who needs an advocate.
Marcy Burke enjoys living in Alabama, being a retired pastor’s wife, former missionary, and worship leader. She enjoys playing the piano and taking long walks with her husband, Larry.
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
