“Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 82:4 ESV
When I was just a kid growing up in the early 70’s I had two favorite shows; Emergency 51 and Gunsmoke. I can remember all our family gathering around the black and white TV on Saturday evenings to watch these iconic shows. Who can forget Roy and Gage, Rescue 51, Rampart Hospital, and IV’s with “D5W and ringers lactate”? These two Los Angeles County Fire Department Firefighter/Paramedics would be the first to respond to car fires, refinery fires, heart attack victims, and injured climbers often with little regard for their own safety. Then there was Marshal Matt Dillon who along with Festus, Doc, and Miss Kitty kept the peace in Dodge
City. Each week Marshal Dillon would confront the bad guys, look out for the defenseless, and teach us a lesson about virtue in each and every episode.
We need more people like Roy, Gage, and Marshal Dillon. It seems men like that are a rare breed today. We certainly don’t see such role models on TV anymore. We need more men like these who choose to do what is right simply for the sake of doing right and with little regard for themselves. We need men who will do what today’s verse says to do, “rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
It is easy today to neglect those that need help. We have become a nation that is very self absorbed and it is easy to forget there are those outside our immediate sphere that are in desperate need of help. Want to feel like Marshal Dillon? Then volunteer with the International Justice Mission as they seek to set free victims of slavery, forced prostitution and sex trafficking around the world. There are people around the world that are dying because they lack not just food, but more importantly clean water. You can do your part to help by visiting Cause Life and with minimal effort impact numerous lives. Maybe you could volunteer to go on a short term mission trip with your church. Take your entire family one year instead of going to Disney and not only will you change lives, your lives will be changed forever. There are the people here at home that need your help too; people whose homes need repair before the weather turns cold and they cannot do it themselves, veterans who need visiting in hospitals, and kids who need an adult to spend time with afield. Volunteer with a great organization like Kicking Bear and make an impact in the lives of some young people and have fun doing it. James had it right when he wrote, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27). We don’t need to look hard to find a need and we don’t have to work too hard to meet a need. We must first decide to stand and take action. That is often the hardest part.
Everyone wants to be a hero like Roy, Gage, or Marshal Dillon at one point or another, and we certainly need more like them. Here is your chance.
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