An earthquake. A superpower devastated. And 70,000 eternities begin.
Most of us will never forget that terrible 8.0 earthquake that hit the Sichuan province of China a few months ago. The images of thousands of terrified people running from collapsed buildings were incredible.
The images of so many going back are unforgettable.
As calamitous as that day was, it could have been much worse. Many ordinary citizens ended up going back to the wreckage to help. If everyday civilians had just let the "rescue experts" do the rescuing, even more people would have perished.
"Just leave it to the experts." I think I've done that. You know how it is...you know somebody, you meet somebody, it's obvious they need Jesus. And you're pretty sure God's assigned you to tell them that. But something just holds you back. Fear. Time. Or a thought in the back of your mind that some super-evangelist or pastor will tell them. There's just one problem: the only person they'll listen to about Jesus is you.
Maybe you work or go to school with them. You eat with them. You're in the PTA with them. You've witnessed or heard about the rubble of their lives.
They need a person who's an expert at show-and-tell. Someone who's willing to take the time to show them Jesus by taking the time to build a relationship with them, then someone who has guts enough to tell them about their only Hope. Yeah, they might laugh at you. They also might end up in Heaven with you.
"Rescue those being led away to death. Hold back those staggering towards the slaughter" (Proverbs 24:11). I don't know about you, but I've decided to put my name at the beginning of that verse. "Doug, rescue those being led away to death...hold them back!"
God has strategically positioned you to be the somebody in a "staggering" person's life that offers them a chance to be rescued from an unbearable eternity apart from God.
They don't need a "super-rescuer."
They need you.
In Him,
Doug Hutchcraft