August 24
“Actions,” the saying goes, “speak louder than words.” Ungodly actions can muffle the sounds of righteous words. That’s what happened in Stephanie’s home.
Stephanie grew up in church and regularly heard the claims of the gospel, but never experienced a life transformation until she was eighteen. She didn’t just need to hear the gospel, she needed to see it. She couldn’t see it, at least not at home. During the week, her Mom went from one man’s bed to another, but on Sunday she would get dressed up and sit in church, pretending to be something she wasn’t.
Personally, I’m glad Stephanie’s Mom attended church-that’s where she needed to be. Sinners need to hear the gospel. But I don’t think that was Stephanie’s point of view.
Unfortunately, Stephanie made a choice to emulate the Mom she saw at home-the real Mom-not the Mom she saw at church. Stephanie’s promiscuity wasn’t her only problem, she became rebellious and starting running away from home and spent most of her teenage years in and out of trouble.
When she reached the bottom, she turned to Christ. “All these things [the gospel] I heard, but never quite experienced them until I was desperate and cried out.” Stephanie said. “When I did, He was there.”
After Stephanie “cried out to God,” her life was transformed. Her spirit of rebellion was gone, and so was her foul mouth. Her attitude changed too. She went from roughness to sweetness overnight. Today she is twenty-six and is still walking by faith and serving the Lord. In her desperation, she found hope-she found God.
Jim L. Wilson, Fresh Start Devotionals (Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009).
Stephanie
“Actions,” the saying goes, “speak louder than words.” Ungodly actions can muffle the sounds of righteous words. That’s what happened in Stephanie’s home.
Stephanie grew up in church and regularly heard the claims of the gospel, but never experienced a life transformation until she was eighteen. She didn’t just need to hear the gospel, she needed to see it. She couldn’t see it, at least not at home. During the week, her Mom went from one man’s bed to another, but on Sunday she would get dressed up and sit in church, pretending to be something she wasn’t.
Personally, I’m glad Stephanie’s Mom attended church-that’s where she needed to be. Sinners need to hear the gospel. But I don’t think that was Stephanie’s point of view.
Unfortunately, Stephanie made a choice to emulate the Mom she saw at home-the real Mom-not the Mom she saw at church. Stephanie’s promiscuity wasn’t her only problem, she became rebellious and starting running away from home and spent most of her teenage years in and out of trouble.
When she reached the bottom, she turned to Christ. “All these things [the gospel] I heard, but never quite experienced them until I was desperate and cried out.” Stephanie said. “When I did, He was there.”
After Stephanie “cried out to God,” her life was transformed. Her spirit of rebellion was gone, and so was her foul mouth. Her attitude changed too. She went from roughness to sweetness overnight. Today she is twenty-six and is still walking by faith and serving the Lord. In her desperation, she found hope-she found God.
Jim L. Wilson, Fresh Start Devotionals (Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009).
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