Daily Devotional #1,447

He was 16 when he was kidnapped from his wealthy parent’s home in Great Britain. His captors were Irish pirates who were plundering the British coast. He was taken to Ireland and ended up as a sheep herder. His faith in this Jesus of the Bible blossomed in the isolation and deprivation. It has been said that he would pray as much as a hundred times a day. Six years into his captivity God gave him a dream that he would return to his homeland…that there was a ship waiting for him. He got up and walked for 200 miles and found a ship that would take him home. He eventually returned to his family in Great Britain and his parents begged him to never leave them again. He heard not only God’s call but the voice of the Irish call out “We beg you to come and walk again among us”. He was trained and ordained and in 432 AD was consecrated as a bishop and given the name Patricius…or Patrick. He asked for an assignment as a missionary to Ireland. He returned to the pagan island and his knowledge of Ireland’s language and customs facilitated his work in converting and baptizing Druid priests, chieftains and aristocrats as well as the common folk of that country by the thousands before his death on March 17, 461 AD. Sunday will be celebrated as St. Patick’s Day with food, drink and song…and the wearing of green over much of the world. But don’t forget Patrick the slave shepherd who went back to his slave owners and shared with them the most precious of all gifts…the love and forgiveness of this Jesus of the Bible who went to the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead on that third day. And always remember that this same God may have a place for you, close by or somewhere far away…where he wants you to share what you know of this savior who changes individuals, families and even nations who accept him.

Here’s our Bible verse for today…

Mark 16:15 NLT And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone."

Remember I’m praying for you…
With love, PJ