Rescue the Perishing
“Don’t fail to rescue those who are doomed to die.” Proverbs 24:11 CEV
Each time we get a heavy rain, our back porch is covered with plump, slimy worms. I’ve learned if I don’t sweep them off, they dry up and die, their corpses becoming like cement, which takes me hours to scrub off. I also realized that saving their lives not only saves my time but I could also put them into my compost pile. They can use their worminess to help convert my used coffee grounds, egg shells, and banana peels to make rich, organic soil for my garden.
I’ve taken to singing to them the refrain, “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save” from the Hymn “Rescue the Perishing” by Frances Jane (Fanny) Crosby.* She based her song on Jude 1:23 (NLT): “Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”
People are not worms, but they may act like my rainy-day visitors. Every day, we encounter people who are headed to destruction and eternal death. Their behaviors, which they think are a form of escape, are actually the way of destruction. We have the power to offer them the Way of salvation through Jesus. They will benefit from being saved and bring their God-given talents into the Kingdom, and the whole body will be blessed.
Heavenly Father, Creator, and Savior, open our eyes to see everyone we encounter as You see them—as someone You love and want to save. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Amen.