Genesis 4:7
“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
Yesterday I wrote about having Bible study with inmates at the Idaho State Penitentiary back when I was Deputy Director of the Idaho Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Planning Commission. It was refreshing to be around offenders willing to admit their crimes and be able to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives.
There was one inmate that I will always remember. His name was Virgil. My wife, Joyce, worked for the Warden and Virgil was assigned to clean their office area. She always remarked about how impressed she was with this older man. One day Virgil asked if I might be able to help him get a parole. When I asked him why I should help him, he replied that he did not want to die in prison. Now in his sixties, this man had been in jail or prison for almost all of his life. I did help Virgil and after his release he was hired to clean our building in downtown Boise.
I made a point of inviting Virgil to drop by my office at lunch time, and we discussed eternity. I pray that Virgil truly made a decision for Christ because only a few months after his release from prison, he died in his sleep.
Sometimes the opportunities of sharing the Gospel of Jesus with the lost may take unexpected turns. While we are not responsible for the way people will react to our message, we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. There are many reasons why formerly hard hearts may suddenly be open to the Word. Lead on, Lord Jesus, and give us wise discernment.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil