EVANGELISM THROUGH STORMS 1
4TH APRIL,2025
TEXT: Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Psalms 82:4
One night, James was walking home when he heard screams and saw flames engulfing a nearby house. Without hesitation, he ran toward the burning building, determined to help. Inside, he spotted a woman in the corner, cowering in fear. Calling out her name, he grabbed her hand and led her through the smoke and heat towards the door.
As they rushed through the burning house, James prayed under his breath:
“Dear God, I call upon your name, the same name that has brought me through many storms. As I stand here in the face of this raging fire, I ask that you give me the strength and courage to help this woman escape. I know that nothing is impossible for you, and that you can part the seas and calm the winds at your command. Please grant us protection and safe passage. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, I pray.”
With each step, James guided the woman closer to the door, his faith growing stronger with every word of his prayer. Finally, they burst out into the cool night air, the smell of smoke and ash still lingering around them.
As James and the woman emerged from the flames, the fire began to subside. Neighbors and passersby gathered around, amazed at the sight of the two survivors.
The woman, still shaken from her ordeal, sank to the ground and began to sob. James knelt down beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“You are safe now,” he assured her. “God protected us both. Even in the darkest moments, His light shines through. You have experienced His grace firsthand.”
Beloved reader, as you’ve consider this story, my hope is that you too might see the parallels in your own life. For just as James was willing to risk his own life to save another, so too is Jesus willing to risk everything to save us from our sins.
And just as James was moved by the Holy Spirit to act in this woman’s time of need, so too can each of us be moved to reach out to those who are lost and in need of God’s love.
But we must be willing to make ourselves available to God, to listen for His voice and follow where He leads. It may be a neighbor in need, a co-worker struggling with addiction, or a family member who has lost their way. Whoever it is, we are called to extend the hand of God’s grace and mercy to them, just as James did on that fateful night.
For when we do so, we not only fulfill our call to evangelism, but we also become a part of something far greater than ourselves—the redemptive work of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Let us remember that God is ever present, even in the darkest of storms. He is ready to guide us, protect us, and use us as instruments of His grace and mercy in the lives of those around us.
But we must remain vigilant, keeping our eyes open to the needs of others and our hearts attuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
So, let us go forth into the world, ready to face the storms of life with faith and courage, knowing that God is with us every step of the way. And as we do, let us be ready to extend His love and salvation to those who are still lost in the darkness.
For in the end, it is not the storms that define us, but our response to them—and when we respond with faith and compassion, we become agents of God’s grace, His light shining in the midst of the darkness.
SEARCHLIGHT: God can use us as instruments of His grace and mercy, even in unexpected or challenging circumstances.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, give me the strength to persevere through life’s difficulties, that I may continue to share your message of hope with those who need it most.
BIBLE READING:1 Kings 22-2 Kings 2, 1 Corinthians 10*
PASTOR MICHAEL OMOLE
