My Son, My Son
Drug addiction seems to have reached epidemic proportions in our region. Recently I prayed, “ Father in Heaven, how do you view drug addicts?”
At that moment I sensed that I was to turn to II Samuel 19:4. Not knowing if this reference had anything to do with my question, I turned to II Samuel 19 :4 and read, “O Absalom, my son, my son; if only I had died instead of you.” (II Sam. 18:23)
I knew immediately that God had heard my prayer and had answered.
But I did not have the same compassion in my spirit. I wanted to ask God to give me his heart but I was not certain that I truly wanted it. So I prayed that He would give me just a bit of his heart.
Later that day as I was interviewing an addict in the prison where I work, I found myself weeping as the young man told me about his life. Though I was surprised and a bit uncomfortable with my show of emotion; the young man responded that he was not used to people caring about him. And I knew that God had again heard my prayer and had given me a bit of His heart for the addicted.
Then I thought of the events of last week: the terrorists who burst into a Christian church near Ukunda, AK 47s blazing, and killed six people and left 17 injured. I recalled that Vaughn had been informed by the police that his church was on the terrorists’ list. I recalled the initial relief when I heard that the suspected terrorists were killed and that the master mind of the terror was gunned down in the streets of Mombassa several days later.
But somehow I know that God’s heart for terrorists is not unlike His heart for the addicted. And that He is crying for them and the addicted and for all of us, “ O my son, my son, because of my love for you I did die for you.”
And I pray, “O God, prepare me to receive a bit more of your heart!”
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