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From the Front Lines: I Have Loved You

by Frank Zeidler, Jr., Executive Director

“I have loved you,” begins God’s message of unequivocal love for Israel (Malachi 1: 2). Israel challenged God and demanded evidence. In response, God offered a history lesson of love:

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

God’s harsh reminder demonstrates His love is shown in what He does…and what He withholds.

God still loves His children today. A novel virus shut the world down for over a year. SPM endured thirteen months of inactivity. No results to report, no news to break. No in-person ministry for this ministry. God’s love might be questioned.

There were no teams to organize and no logistics to prepare a team. Then an invitation to return to action came. The phone was answered. A team was ready to go in 4 weeks. How? How does a ministry focused on evangelizing inmates survive and then spring into action after thirteen months of being unable to carry out their mission? Just as in Malachi, “I have loved you” was God’s reply.

God’s people were faithful throughout the summer of 2020 in anticipation of restarting the softball ministry activity. God’s love was evident when SPM closed the 2020 fiscal year, at the end of September, in the black! However, a challenge loomed. There would be no fall or winter sports, so how would SPM stay afloat?

The challenge was daunting; “I have loved you,” God responded. In November of 2020 a letter from an attorney arrived stating SPM was named in an estate. Not only was God blessing the ministry with a lump sum, but it would to be the largest single gift the ministry has ever received. Naturally, these things take time, but knowing help was on the way afforded a measure of comfort and security. That could be the end of the story – but God wasn’t done.

It would have been easy to say, “thanks to the estate of a supporter, SPM will survive the Covid shutdown and be ready for 2021 when the call comes.” That response, though apparently true, would discount a continuing reliance on God’s simple message; “I have loved you.”

God didn’t stop demonstrating His love with a promissory note from a lawyer about a legacy. The 2020 end-of-year appeal letter – at a time when many were being hurt financially – brought one of the best responses… EVER. Going into 2021 monthly donors and supporting churches never missed a beat in maintaining pre-Covid levels of support. SPM qualified for a payroll protection loan – which was forgiven. A church that annually conducts a crusade under the SPM umbrella opted to “prepay” for their next trip because they thought cash flow problems would exist. These all were reminders that God said, “I have loved you.”

What seemed like a life raft in the form of an estate legacy gave a great level of comfort to facing the ongoing expenses of the ministry. But God had something else in mind – He wanted to show His love is expressed in many ways. He’s not only the God who comforts, He is the God who provides.

“I have loved you,” God clearly confirmed. This is God’s work and so reliance on God must be central. He knew maintaining the ministry would be stressful, given what was looming. He sent a promise, in the form of the estate gift, to relieve that anxiety; then showed His love through more ordinary means. He had an “I love you” purpose for the legacy beyond affording comfort: putting trust in this generous gift wasn’t the right place to trust. God’s love is the place to put our trust.

Pay attention now as the picture comes into focus…that legacy gift has not yet been received by the ministry! Due to the backup in the court systems, the will got tied up in probate court. It is settled and the gift is coming – but not until after God decisively demonstrated His love in sustaining and blessing SPM throughout 2021.

Israel, in Malachi’s day, would have looked at the circumstances during this difficult time and said, “Let’s close the doors. God doesn’t love us.” Thirteen months and not one inmate reached for Christ, not one presentation of the Gospel to lost sinners, would by our human thoughts end this work of God. Yet God spoke clearly through every partner of the Saints Prison Ministry, He said through you, your prayers and support, “I have loved you!”