Police Devotion 10-7-2016
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
Matthew 9:36 says, “But when he [Jesus] saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” The Lord came from heaven, where He was worshipped as God by angels, and took on human flesh, where He would be known as “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).
The Bible doesn’t say what kind of people Jesus saw, but no doubt He saw rich and poor, old and young, male and female. He knew what they were like deep down in their hearts. John 2:25 says that Jesus “…needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.” The Lord knew what every one of them was all about, and He felt compassion toward all of them. Why? Because He knew what their worst problem was: they were lost. When you’re lost, you don’t know where you are, and you don’t know where you’re headed. These people were spiritually lost, headed for eternity without Jesus. That’s why Jesus had compassion on them. He didn’t want them to die lost.
As a cop, it’s very easy to become uncaring about people. Time after time, day after day, you’re called to help people who’ve made bad decisions and created complicated problems for themselves and those they love, and they show no intent to change course. It’s so easy to think, “These people are hopeless!”
However, when you know Jesus as Saviour, you can look at people with compassion, the way He looks at them. The Lord didn’t condone people’s sin, and you don’t have to either, but He had compassion on them because they were lost without Christ. You can learn to think of people that way, too, even on this job. Even as you deal with people’s wrongdoing, think of them as sinners for whom Jesus died.
You may say, “But so many of these people are idiots!” Maybe they are, but picture this: you’re a witness at the Great White Throne Judgment, where unsaved people are sentenced to eternal hell. A man is called to judgment. You recognize him as an “idiot” that you arrested several times. Now he’s crying. He never accepted Christ. You watch in horror as he’s thrown into the lake of fire. That’s what happens to people who die without Christ. Now regardless of what he was like, if you could go back to one of the times you dealt with him on the street, wouldn’t you want a chance to share Christ with him? Surely you would.
You may say, “I can’t bring myself to feel compassion for these people.” No. You can’t make yourself that way, but GOD CAN make you that way. That’s why the verse says, “For it is God [not you] which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God works INSIDE your heart to change your attitude toward people, in spite of what they are and do. When you faithfully read your Bible, pray, talk honestly with God about the struggles in your life, and serve Him in a Bible-believing church, God will work in your life to help you develop a more Christ-like attitude, even toward difficult people. You may not notice the changes right away, but when you see God working in your life, it’s exciting.
Take time to memorize this verse and ask the Lord to work in your heart to make you see people as He sees them. Even as you deal with people’s wrongdoing, pray for an open door to share the gospel in some way with them.
If you’ve never seen in the Bible how to receive the Lord Jesus as your personal Saviour, please click “Helpful Links” on the top menu and then “How Do I Go to Heaven?” on the dropdown menu.
Brian Miller 10/7/2016
Cleveland Baptist Church | 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 | 216.671.2822