Too often we care too little about them. Fortunately, they are never nameless. They are never faceless. They are never worthless in God's eyes. Though we may struggle to see it, they are of great value to our Lord.

Rudolpho had very few teeth left. His hair seemed made of ordinary table spices. Life and age had been hard on him, and his appearance seemed to reflect every scar from every discouragement. He stood inside his corner property, in front of his house made of plywood. Around the perimeter of what was his, stood a fence made of pallet wood, stacked on end, two tiers high.

As he watched our team, he looked to be in prison rather than safe at home. We were working the Colonia Victoria, one of the poorest drug regions of Nuevo Laredo. Rudolpho was entranced, seemingly lashed to the fence, unable to leave.

He peered from behind a broken slat that enabled his view. Farm animals called from inside his compound, more land than one would expect for this poor neighborhood. The buildings on it hardly qualified as such. Most were made of scrap wood, sheet metal, cardboard and any other materials handy to form enclosures.

The Lord called me to him. He was unworthy of the King, but needed to hear the gospel. His worthiness did not stem from his position in life, his lack of wealth, nor the country he resided in. For his current reservation in eternity stood beside the rich mans down the road. His undesirable qualities were evenly matched with the wealthiest man in the city...they both were separated from God because of sin in their lives.

Sharing the gospel with Rudolpho was like giving a tall glass of water to marathon runner who just crossed the finish line. His thirst was deep. Drinking of it slaked his need.

He was uneducated. His spouse hid just inside the decaying front door of their home. Did this man struggle with drugs? Was alcohol his foe? It did not matter. He clearly was a victim of Satan's attacks.

Rudolpho gave his heart to Jesus! He was now a son of God, a prince in His Kingdom. For him was now reserved a place in Heaven. His righteousness now was complete. The Father would see him as pure and holy, because of who he belonged to. The lack of running water in a compound such as this no longer mattered, for he had the Water of Life.

His possessions matter not. His earthly plight carries no weight in the eternal realm. His inheritance is assured by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What he has cannot be taken from him. He is now worthy in the sight of the King...because of the Lamb that died for him.

Please pray for Rudolpho as he begins life anew.

dad


Deanna and I will be participating in the Go Celebration at First Baptist Church Broken Arrow, Oklahoma this weekend. It begins today, and ends Sunday evening. I will be speaking to the students of this body on Sunday morning, after briefly addressing them on Saturday evening. Please lift them up, that they would let go of the world, and cling to the one who has set them free.