Scripture Verse: Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Ezekiel 18:27 ESV
Bible Reading: Ezekiel 33:19; Psalm 55:22; Luke 23:42-43
This week’s set of devotionals is taken from Mind Gum: Devotions for Men by Todd Stahl and Joe Amaral. Used with permission.
If I were to ask for a list of people who were truly wicked, I wonder what names would come up?
Maybe Pharaoh, the man who enslaved the Hebrews and kept them captive for over 400 years.
What about the Roman emperor Nero? He slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people and declared himself a god.
Surely this third name would be unanimous: Hitler. I don’t even have to tell you what he did; his wickedness is so well known that the mention of his name is enough.
Let me tell you about a man named Joshua Blahyi. I’m willing to wager that his name means nothing to 99.9% of you.
Joshua had another name once. He was a warlord during the civil wars in the African nation of Liberia. This country is close to my heart as I have spent years providing humanitarian aid there.
Joshua went by the warlord name of “General Butt Naked.” His name might seem comical, but there was nothing funny about what he did.
Joshua was appointed as a high priest of his tribe at the young age of 11. He was taught to be brutal, and fighting for survival was a way of life. He talks about having a personal deity who visited him on a regular basis since childhood, and this deity once told him that nakedness would give him victory over his enemies.
So, Joshua and his men would fight naked during the war…hence the name “General Butt Naked.”
Joshua confessed to his crimes and estimates he and his men are responsible for more than 20,000 deaths during the civil wars.
Can such a man be forgiven?
According to today’s text, the answer is “yes.”
If a man like Joshua can find forgiveness and redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus, how much more can each of us be forgiven?
Today, Joshua is a Christian, and is one of my best friends in Africa, and we minister together in the jungles and most violent ghettos in Liberia.
What can we take away from today’s Bible passage?
None of us are beyond the reach of God’s love and forgiveness.
If He can forgive Joshua, He can forgive me and you.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your great grace! Thank You for what You did in Joshua’s life. I pray that You forgive me of my sins, and transform me entirely into someone new. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Reflection: Take a moment today to take stock of your own life and ask God to search your heart and see if there is anything in you that is unclean and needs to be brought to the foot of the Cross.
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