Back in 1990, I was assigned to Fire Station 37 with Los Angeles County Fire Department located in Palmdale, California. I was a firefighter paramedic. There were three paramedics assigned to each shift. We would rotate from the squad to the engine. One day while riding on the engine, we received a dispatch to a non-breathing, unresponsive male. The engine was first on scene. Our squad would be arriving about 15 min. after the engine.
As we made our way into the house, the engineer secured the engine, the captain got pertinent information regarding the patient and I found the male patient unresponsive on the bed. I pulled him off the bed and started CPR. As I was preforming CPR, I was sizing up the patient. From his physical appearance he looked in pretty good shape. The captain arrived, with the medical info and started forced ventilation. I asked how old the patient was and he said he 75 years old. I said, "He's in pretty good shape for 75". The captain replied , "Joe, we're doing CPR on this guy, he's not in that good of shape".
Some time later, when I was doing a Bible reading, I came across a scripture that brought this incident back to me:
"But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7
Another scripture that was brought to mind was from John:
"Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment." - John 7:24
How many people do we look at and think they're in pretty good shape but are really dead on the inside? What needs to be done is to start spiritual CPR. Start by pumping the word of God into them. Follow up with an IV of the Living Water:
"The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him." - John 7:38
The question is, are you the rescuer or the patient?
Thank you for allowing me to serve.
In Jesus' name,
Joe
