By
Elin Henderson
“But a certain
Samaritan….came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him…and
bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine…”
Luke 10:33-34 (NKJV)
This story is a familiar one. Three men passed by the
wounded man in this parable told by Jesus, but only one was ready and willing
to help. The other two had neither the supplies nor the heart to reach out to a
fellow human being in need. The third man, however, was not only moved with
compassion but was also ready and able to serve. He had bandages and medicine
on hand and that, coupled with his willing and generous heart, brought healing
and hope for this stranger.
How about us? Sometimes it isn’t enough to just have
compassion for another suffering soul, we have to have our first aid kits
metaphorically ready to be of use. Do we travel prepared and looking for the
wounded and hurting? Our first aid kits may not have literal bandages and
medicine in them, but we can stock them with ample amounts of God’s promises
and His Word. That, coupled with a liberal dose of prayer and the power of His
Spirit, can bring healing to the physically, emotionally or even spiritually
battered and torn that lie strewn across our paths.
So, the next time you are getting ready for a trip down
the road from your Jerusalem to Jericho, be sure and pack your first aid kit!
You never know whom God might place in your path. Keep your physical and
spiritual eyes open, your compassion in ample supply, and your first aid kit
ready!
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
What kind of things would you pack in your spiritual “first aid kit”? Are there
ways we can be preparing ourselves to be more aware of the hurting around us
and more efficient in the use of our first aid?
2.
Have you ever been on the receiving end of a “first aid kit”? What help did you
receive and how can that propel you as you pack your own kit?
FURTHER READING:
Oakwood’s
missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as
church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to
fourteen-year-old Callie and twelve-year-old Elias.
