Police Devotional

“Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” 2 Corinthians 11:23-27

Paul the apostle was a preacher, a missionary, the author–inspired by God–of at least thirteen books of the New Testament, and a fierce worker in Jesus’ service. Paul had his accusers and his critics. This passage was part of his defense. Here he described some of the obstacles and problems he encountered while serving the Lord. By these accounts, he showed that he was no phony. He was willing to put up with the hardships of the ministry.

As you can see, Paul often worked under adverse conditions. The work itself was often hard, he was often persecuted, he dealt with natural hazards and violent crime, and no doubt many more problems. Yet he didn’t whine or quit. He knew that his work was important, that there were sinners who needed to hear of Christ’s love, and that he had a holy, God-ordained calling to strive to reach them. So he did.

So what does Paul’s ministry have to do with police work? The lesson is this: in police work, like the ministry, adversity is the price of doing business. If you’re a cop, you may already be dealing with lousy, outdated equipment; slackers in the ranks; political apple polishers; bean-counters who care more about money than about officer safety;  media outlets who do anti-police hatchet jobs; criminals who file phony complaints; bureaucrats who take those complaints seriously; and many more obstacles besides.

Regardless the problems, though, when a call goes out for shots fired or a break-in, or a stolen car is spotted,  you’re on the way because you’re the police, and the job isn’t just a paycheck and benefits, like it seems to be to some people. To you it’s a vocation, almost like a sacred calling, and you treat it as such.  And that’s how it should be.

Do you have a church where you hear the word of God preached honestly and plainly? Most importantly, are you 100% sure that your sins are forgiven and that you’ll be in heaven when you die? You can be. Go to www.clevelandbaptist.org and click, “How do I go to Heaven?” or contact the church.

Brian Miller 7/22/2012