April 15, 2022
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
As I read Romans chapter one this morning I recalled a story once told during a Youth revival I attended with my youth several years back. The story went something like this:
During the late eighteen hundreds, there was a famous fighting regiment in Scotland called the Gordon Highlanders. They were formidable men skilled in combat and killing; professional soldiers that were feared by everyone. One evening a recruit joined this regiment. As he arrived at the barracks it was late in the evening, before settling in, and before climbing into bed he knelt to pray. The other men mocked him. Those tough battle-scarred soldiers had no place for religion in their lives.
That night the regiments’ sergeant came back to the barracks drunk from the pub. He was an older man with the scars of battle etched on his face. He saw the young soldier on his knees praying. He sat down and took off his heavy boots. Then he stood up and threw his boot at the young boy, hitting him on the side of his head. There was a gash on his head and blood started running down his neck. Not satisfied the sergeant threw the other boot as he did he called the young man a coward. He shouted at him that they were men in the Gordon Highlanders, and with that, the sergeant passed out.
The following morning the sergeant woke up, and before he got out of bed he remembered his boots. He recalled what had happened the night before. He swung his legs out of bed intending to go and retrieve his boots. As he sat on the side of his bed, there right in front of him were his boots. They were spotlessly polished nicely lined up ready for him to put on. The young soldier had got up in the middle of the night and polished the staff sergeant’s boots. That big, tough soldier stood up calling to the boy. He asked him to tell him about his Jesus. The staff sergeant accepted Christ as his Savior. The young soldier was not ashamed of the gospel.
Friends, as Christ’s ambassadors should we do likewise. Would you pray with me?
Dear Heavenly Father, I hang my head in shame as I think of the many times I have either avoided standing up for the gospel or silently prayed that the situation would go away so that it would not be necessary to take a stand. Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit, give me boldness to declare Your Name for all to hear. For it is in Your Precious Name I ask. Amen.
God Bless and have a Blessed Day, Friends <><
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