“As we’ve talked about several times,” Stan commented one morning, “I love to hear other people talk about how they came to and have grown in their faith.”
“Yeah,” I replied, “personal testimonies can really help in adding perspective for those who have yet to come to faith.”
“Exactly,” Stan said. “The more testimonies I hear and can add to what I might say to other people helps me in possibly making a difference in their eternal destination, along with their life on this side of eternity before then.”
Continuing, he added, “I had another chance at that last Sunday when I was talking with a fellow after the church service.”
“In what way?” I asked. “What’d he have to say?”
“How he came to avoid the regret of being foolish,” Stan replied.
“The regret of being foolish? How so?”
“He said that at one point in his life, he was a long distance from believing, but he was earnest in seeking to know the truth. One night while he was waiting for sleep, he was thinking about whether or not he believed, when he was jarred awake with a question.”
“What question?” I asked.
“What if it’s all true? What if he stepped into eternity to be separated from God forever? What if he had to spend eternity regretting being foolish in not believing?”
“Big questions,” I responded. “What’d he do with them?”
“He said that he got out of bed, got on his knees and prayed.”
“About what?”
“He said that he frankly admitted that he didn’t know if there was anyone at the other end of his prayer listening to what he prayed. But if there was Someone listening, to please let him know by opening him to the truth.”
“Then what?” I asked.
“He said that he had the most amazing sense of peace as the voice of God responded by saying, in essence, that He was in fact listening and that it was all true. Further, that it was time to settle forever the possibility of having to spend eternity regretting being foolish.”
“And he came to faith right then?” I asked.
“He did,” Stan replied, “and he tells everyone he can about not being foolish.”
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Bible verses to consider:
Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is good will. Proverbs 14:9.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:3.
Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed in Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the truth of your provision of life eternally with you through the finished work of the cross of Christ. Thank you, too, for your provision of the eternal life of knowing you and Him on this side of eternity. I pray for each person who is ignorant of your provision. Please open them to want to know you and the truth so they do not have to spend eternity regretting being foolish in not pursuing and accepting the truth. Please help me in following every step of your lead in being used by you to present the truth to those who do not know. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious gift of salvation and redemption so you do not have spend eternity regretting being foolish? If no, why? Eternity is a long time to have to regret being foolish. Do you agree with that? Why or why not? If you can look forward to an eternity without that regret, how are you doing in helping others to not have that regret? As well as you would like? As well as God would like? If you sense changes are needed, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 
Just the other day, I received a report from the ministry I work with demonstrating the love of God in a supernatural way in the midst of war in Ukraine.
Bread of Life
Andrii, a staff member in Ukraine, grew up in Kharkov, a town near the Eastern border to Russia. In partnership with one of his volunteer coaches, Oleg, Andrii coordinated humanitarian aid drop offs to Kharkov through Zolotonosha, a midpoint between their warehouse and Kharkov. Oleg went to Kharkov regularly while Andrii supplied him with food, supplies and vans.
One day as Oleg made the journey to Kharkov, he was stopped by a mother of three small children who he remembered from a previous trip. She said they had run out of food and she could not buy anymore because the stores in the war zones were closed. But even if they were open, she had run out of money.
Oleg hurried to her as best he could, but he did not have time to reach her before the curfew, and at the next checkpoint the military did not let him through. They told him to spend the night in the village where this checkpoint was. Oleg was very upset because, before this incident, he was always allowed to go through with his volunteer ID.
He asked God why this had to happen right now when there was a family waiting for him. He asked the military where he could find a church. They told him they didn’t know, but to ask around in the center of the village. He did what they suggested and found the house where a leader of the local Baptist church lived. When Oleg entered the house, he saw the deacon sitting at his dinner table, as if he were waiting for him.
Before Oleg had the chance to say anything, the Deacon said to him, “Greetings, we prayed for you.”
“I don’t understand what you are praying for,” Oleg replied.
The owner continued, “You are going to Kharkov, and today we baked 200 loaves of bread with our church for people who are starving there. But we can’t take them there because our church car broke down. So, we prayed that God would send us a person who could take bread there.”
Oleg was shocked by the work of God, especially by the fact that he had a place in the minibus for exactly 200 loaves of bread. After this incident, Oleg returned more than once to take bread from this church and bring it to Kharkov.
God knows the needs of the Ukrainian people and is working through faithful people like Oleg to bring His provision.
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