God wants us to look for mercy instead of judgment. Instead of condemning those in sin and putting judgment on them, give them mercy so that they can come out of that valley of trouble and heartache and be a blessing for God. Judgment will only push them away; love and mercy will draw them close.


Once I was preaching in an outdoor meeting, and a guy came up to the platform and spit right in my face. "That's what I think about your Gospel of Jesus," he said. That spit was just dripping off my face, and the more it dripped the madder I got.

I said, "Lord, You need to save this boy, because his rear end is mine." Then the Lord reminded me, "Keep yourself in My love." I said, "I'm going to kick his head off. Look at this spit in my face, God!"

He said, "They spit in Mine too. That's nothing new, show Me something else. Show Me the scars in your hands. Show Me your pierced side. Show Me your sweat drops of blood. You think you've been in the valley of trouble and persecution. I've been to the Garden of Gethsemane for you."

I looked at that boy and said, "Son, I'm sorry." He said, "What did you do?" I said, "I was thinking bad thoughts. Forgive me." It shook him.

Then the devil said, "He's going to spit on the other side." I said, "Let him spit, I'll just get a cloth and wipe it off."

Instead, that boy got on his knees on the street corner and gave his heart to Jesus.

Now, had I chosen to start fighting him, there would have been little chance of his salvation. But by keeping in the love of God I was able to see God's plan at work. A life was transformed and set free simply because I chose to keep myself in the love of God.

Source: The Ministry Of Cheerfulness by Jesse Duplantis.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers