And hope does not put us to shame,"); document.writeln("because God\'s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,"); document.writeln("who has been given to us.1
"); document.writeln("In Jim Cymbala\'s book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire,"); document.writeln("there is the story of a woman named Roberta Langella. A story she tells in her"); document.writeln("own words. At the age of 16, she left a broken home to move to New York City where"); document.writeln("she began living with a man twice her age. A man that got her into IV drug"); document.writeln("abuse through heroin and cocaine. One night after shooting up, her boyfriend"); document.writeln("thought she had died. He took off, leaving her on a rooftop where someone"); document.writeln("discovered her and called 911. The paramedics revived her.
"); document.writeln("Her"); document.writeln("feelings of worthlessness led her to one destructive, physically abusive, and"); document.writeln("drug-centered live-in relationship after another. She began going to"); document.writeln("underground clubs where she would shoot up and share needles with 20-30 people"); document.writeln("at a time. Eventually she and her latest boyfriend were out of money, out of"); document.writeln("food, the utilities had been turned off, and they were selling their furniture"); document.writeln("to finance their drug habit."); document.writeln("
"); document.writeln("Faced"); document.writeln("with this impossible situation, she called her mother back in Florida, who let"); document.writeln("her move down, and got her into Narcotics Anonymous where she kicked the drug"); document.writeln("habit and soared with newfound confidence."); document.writeln("
"); document.writeln("But"); document.writeln("then \'“ everything came crashing down. A visit to the doctor unveiled a horrible"); document.writeln("fact. She was HIV positive.
"); document.writeln("After"); document.writeln("2 years of being clean, she returned to cocaine with a vengeance. Wanting the"); document.writeln("drugs like never before. After a week-long cocaine binge, she was truly at the"); document.writeln("end. Faced with an impossible situation. HIV positive. No money. No love"); document.writeln("relationship."); document.writeln("
"); document.writeln("Years"); document.writeln("prior, she had happened to meet a woman in her apartment building who attended"); document.writeln("Brooklyn Tabernacle. And for some reason, that Tuesday night with nowhere else"); document.writeln("to turn, she showed up at that church and went to the altar shedding tears she"); document.writeln("couldn\'t stop. \'God, I need you in my life. Help me please!\'"); document.writeln("
"); document.writeln("That"); document.writeln("night her life was changed. God gave hope when there seemed to be no way out.
"); document.writeln("Even"); document.writeln("though she was sick, she led a ministry at Brooklyn Tabernacle called, \'New"); document.writeln("Beginnings,\" a weekly outreach to drug abusers. God used her life and her"); document.writeln("mistakes for good--bringing hope to others who have none.2"); document.writeln("I am sure that, like us, Roberta\'s life was a"); document.writeln("mixture of ups and downs. No one is perfect, and as mentioned before, we all"); document.writeln("have those sins with which we struggle. However, one thing to remember is that God is ready to change us and help us begin a"); document.writeln("new season in our lives. A season of hope, transformation, and a personal"); document.writeln("relationship with Him that will bring the growth we long to see in ourselves.
"); document.writeln("Suggested prayer: Dear God, I have seen your great grace abound time and time again."); document.writeln("We falter, make mistakes, and stray, yet you love us and welcome us back into"); document.writeln("your arms every time. Change my heart and allow me to submit to your will. Use my mistakes as a testimony to others of"); document.writeln("how you use broken and ordinary people to be part of your perfect plan. Thank"); document.writeln("you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus\' name, Amen.
"); document.writeln("Romans 5:5 (NIV).
Jim Cymbala\'s book, Fresh Wind,"); document.writeln("Fresh Fire.
Today\'s Encounter was written by: Crystal B.
"); document.writeln("
This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.
Copyright © 1990 - 2025
ACTS International