Terry George, director of ACTS work in Australia told how, at a special community fire safety meeting, the attendees were reminded that they live in one of the highest fire risk areas in Australia. Because of this, they needed to be well prepared ahead of time should their area be consumed by a bush (forest) fire. This was particularly pertinent at a time when so much of Australia was experiencing extreme drought conditions.

Terry and Lynne live right on the edge of Adelaide’s bush land in a delightful natural setting where they often see koalas, kangaroos, echidna, rosella parrots and many other birds and small creatures in their back yard. During a time of severe drought Terry was actually giving a kangaroo a drink from his garden hose. All of these things are a thrilling experience and, as such, it is all too easy to forget the dangers of their surroundings.

The first question the rural fire officers asked was, “Do you have an action plan in case of a bush fire?” Terry realized that he didn’t and was determined to make sure that he did for the protection of their home but especially for the safety and survival of himself and Lynne.

He was also reminded of the vital importance for all of us to have an action plan in place for when we come to the end of our life’s journey. God’s reminder to ancient Israel to prepare to meet God also applies to each of us. God’s Word also reminds us that “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”²

“Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank You that Your Word not only reminds me that I need to prepare now for when I meet You face to face, but also that it shows me just how I can prepare by accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Help me to make sure that I have done this and am fully prepared to meet You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

NOTE: For help to make sure you are prepared to meet God read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. Amos 4:12 (NIV).

2. Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV).

Now I knew the reason why Toni was a prostitute. She was craving a father’s and mother’s love which she had never received. She was also acting out her inner hurt, anger, and self-hatred in self-destructive ways. She was desperately craving for love and acceptance—obviously in all the wrong ways and places.

Apparently there was another couple involved in this “business.” They could see that things weren’t going too well for them. They were closing in on Toni and trying to get her away.

I reached around to block them for a moment, put my arm around Toni’s shoulder and said, “Toni, I will probably never ever see you again, but there is something very important that I want to tell you. I hope you will never forget this as long as you live. It is this: no matter what you have ever done or have failed to do—and no matter what it is, and no matter how you ever feel or don’t feel, please remember that God loves you and so do I.”

And with that I let go of Toni and she was taken away.

As I sat down again I felt deeply moved in my spirit. Two people had related—heart-to-heart and not merely head-to-head as in so many conversations. Then I was struck with the thought that in God’s sight there wasn’t that much difference between Toni and me; the only difference being that, to overcome the voice of her inner pain and emptiness, Toni became a sexaholic. To overcome my inner pain and emptiness I became a workaholic—”for God,” no less! But with God, who looks on the heart and not merely on the outward appearance, there wasn’t any difference—Toni and I had both sinned and come short of the perfection (wholeness) that God had envisioned for us both.²

In God’s sight we were both equally sinners. And then as I sat there in deep contemplation, waiting for my friend to get off work, another truth hit me. It was this: It was a lack of love that drove Toni into acts of sin. Only love will ever take her out again!

Love, understanding, acceptance and forgiveness. That’s the message of Christ and true Christianity. It’s the message that we all need to hear—and experience. And it’s the message that Christ has for you and me today (and the message He wants you and me to give to everyone else in need). As another has said, “Christianity is experiencing divine love, divine acceptance and divine forgiveness and communicating this to every life we touch.”

So, dear reader, God wants you to know, too, that no matter what you have ever done or have failed to do, He loves you and has the gift of acceptance and forgiveness for you. It’s yours for the taking. Why not respond to God’s love today by confessing your need and asking for His forgiveness and healing?

For help be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—without having to be religious at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me always to be accepting and non-judgmental of fellow sinners and be one to whom they feel safe to confess their sins—and help them to turn to You for Your forgiveness. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. John 1:9 (NIV).

2. Romans 3:23.

Continuing our series on “Lady of the Night” … I was saying how, when traveling out East, I was approached by a young lady in the lobby of a large hotel whose name was Toni (not her real name).

After asking her various questions about her background, Toni seemed to get suspicious and blurted out, “Hey, Dick, wait a minute. Nobody in my whole life has ever talked to me like this before. By the way, who are you? What do you do?”

Oh, no, I thought to myself, if I tell her who I am and what I do, she’ll really clam up and that’ll be the end of our conversation.

I didn’t want to answer Toni’s question so I stood there and grinned rather foolishly. I probably learned that technique early in life in order to disarm my mother when she was mad at me. It used to work then. It didn’t now. I decided to tell Toni the truth.

“You’ll never believe me,” I finally replied, “but I’m a minister of religion,” to which I fully expected her to give some lame excuse and leave.

But Toni never batted an eyelid. As quick as a flash she responded, “You mean you believe in the Lord?”

“Yes,” I said, relieved that my reply didn’t make her turn and run.

“So do I,” she said positively, and continued, “I often pray in the shower and ask God to forgive my sins.”

Interesting, I thought to myself. That’s pretty common. Like Pilate of old who washed his hands after he had Jesus condemned to be crucified, people still try to wash away their guilt—which neither water nor the symbolic act of washing can do. Only God can take and wash our guilt away.

But Toni didn’t give me a chance to reply again. She just opened up to me. She told me all about her family and her work, how much she despised what she was doing, how unhappy she had always been, how she felt that her father had rejected and deserted her and moved a thousand miles away. She hadn’t seen him since she was a little girl. She had been deeply hurt by him. She also told me in no uncertain terms how much she hated her mother.

And then came the “crunch” line. I knew there would be one, but wasn’t sure what it would be. “Dick,” she said with tears brimming in her eyes, “in my whole life I have never ever felt that anyone ever loved me. I am terribly lonely all of the time.”

I got a little watery-eyed myself. “I can understand how you feel,” I genuinely said. “I came from a broken home too. My parents were divorced. And I hated my father because I felt that he rejected me. I know what it’s like to feel lonely—like you’re all alone in the world and nobody loves you or even cares that you exist. I know exactly what that feels like—only too well.”

To be concluded…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from ‘casting stones’ at those whom I feel aren’t living up to ‘my’ standards. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. John 8:7 (NLT).

“Excuse me, Sir,” I heard somebody say. I turned to see who was speaking. I was taken by surprise. A young, reasonably attractive woman was standing behind me.

She paused a moment, just long enough to get my attention, and continued, “Would you like some female company?”

I’d flown into town and had been waiting for a couple of hours in the lobby of a large Eastern hotel to meet an old friend from college days. Suddenly I was awakened out of my day-dreaming. Would I like some female company? An interesting question, to say the least, I mused to myself and then repeated the question out loud to the young woman looking at me.

I was somewhat taken aback by this rather unusual confrontation. However, it didn’t take too much insight to realize that this lady of the day happened to be a “lady of the night.”

But somehow I sensed as I looked into her eyes a feeling of sadness … in spite of the brave front. So I introduced myself and asked her for her name. I’ll call her Toni. I knew that here was a young lady who was undoubtedly hurting in one way or another. So I began to ask Toni questions. “Why are you in this business?” I queried.

“Because I need the money,” she replied.

Undoubtedly her reply was a poor attempt to rationalize what she was doing. I didn’t disagree outwardly.

“Well, tell me about yourself,” I continued. “Do you have brothers and sisters? What do they do? Do you still live at home? What does your father do? And what about your mother?”

Toni began to open up and we were having an interesting conversation when suddenly she stopped, as if suspicion had caused an instant freeze on her flow of words. She blurted out, “Hey, Dick, wait a minute. Nobody in my whole life has ever talked to me like this before. By the way, who are you? What do you do?”

To be continued…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me an understanding heart and be willing to listen to a person—and not judge or reject them because of their particular lifestyle and behavior. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. Colossians 4:6 (NIV).