Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Acts 2:21
The man seemed beyond redemption. His crimes included eight shootings (killing six) and starting nearly 1,500 fires that terrorized New York City in the 1970s. He left letters at his crime scenes taunting the police, and he was eventually apprehended and given consecutive sentences of twenty-five years to life for each murder.
Yet God reached down to this man. Today he is a believer in Christ who spends time daily in the Scriptures, has expressed deep regret to his victims’ families, and continues to pray for them. Although imprisoned for more than four decades, this man who seemed beyond redemption finds hope in God and claims, “My freedom is found in one word: Jesus.”
Scripture tells of another unlikely conversion. Before he met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, Saul (who later became the apostle Paul) was “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (Acts 9:1). Yet Paul’s heart and life were transformed by Jesus (vv. 17–18), and he became one of the most powerful witnesses for Him in history. The man who once plotted the death of Christians devoted his life to spreading the hope of the gospel.
Redemption is always a miraculous work of God. Some stories are more dramatic, but the underlying truth remains the same: None of us deserve His forgiveness, yet Jesus is a powerful Savior! He “[saves] completely those who come to God through him” (Hebrews 7:25).
I think I’ve seen a movie similar to this about a fugitive criminal who took revenge on his own hands because the world has been unfair to him. No matter how hard life treats you, no matter how bad it hurts, the most important lesson I’ve learned in that movie and from this man is don’t let anybody or anything make you cruel. No matter how bad you want to give the world a taste of it’s own medicine, it is never worth losing yourself. Leave it all to God, lift everything to Him. Remember, we will reap what we sow one day. And it is never too late to change, ask forgiveness and be a better person. It is never too late to know God.
This is beautiful. I am guilty because before I got so badly treated by the people I care that I dedicated years of revenge, and I lost myself entirely. How I interact with people changed. Revenge will surely lead to destruction of one’s self.
Awww. That is very sad @kianna I know how pain changes people. And sometimes pain turns them into the person they hate. Tonight, before I sleep, I pray to God that you and everyone who’s going through the same thing right now, may we all heal from the things that hurt us and stole our peace of mind. May we learn to forgive others and ourselves for not knowing better. For letting them abused and treated us less than what we deserve. May we find reasons to be happy again and always be greatful for everything that happened. It’s all part of God’s bigger plans for us. Keep fighting.
Yes, it was a very rough and dark phase in my life. I am just very happy that I did not stay like that forever. God healed my broken heart. Thank you so so much for the prayer, @Jean! God bless you and always keep safe!
