Playing Pranks on a Prison Trip

“Sin is a result of choosing something else besides God to fill a void in your heart.” – Os Hillman

About 20 years ago, I was leading a group of Christian softball players on a prison ministry trip throughout Michigan. To save the expense of renting multiple vans, one of our players who had a CDL drove our 24-passenger bus from New Jersey to Detroit where he picked up the rest of our team at the airport. From there, we traveled to various correctional institutions from Saginaw to Muskegon, playing more than 20 softball games and sharing the gospel with several thousand inmates over the course of a single week.

One day, just outside Ypsilanti, our bus broke down and we had to be towed to a nearby dealership. I forget what the problem turned out to be, but I decided to play a prank on our bus driver. And so, I convinced the service manager to come out of the garage with a stern look on his face and to ask for the driver of the vehicle, which he did. Then, as instructed, he asked, “What made you think it was a good idea to put regular gas into a diesel engine?”

Well, all the color drained out of our driver’s face until the service manager busted out laughing and our driver realized that we were just playing a prank on him.

My friend, just like a diesel engine requires diesel fuel to run properly or it will seize up, our hearts have a God-sized hole that only He can fill. We can try to fill that void with wealth and material goods, sex, fame, and fortune – but we will come up empty every time. Only God, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, truly satisfies the soul.

Putting regular gas into a diesel engine causes the following problems: decreased power and acceleration; excessive smoke from the exhaust; stalling or difficulty starting; and overall poor performance including rough running and unusual noises. Think of your soul as an engine… and make sure you only put quality fuel in it, starting with Jesus and then adding prayer, Bible study, regular church attendance, and Christian fellowship.

Pretty soon, you’ll be firing on all cylinders!

“Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (BSB)

“Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men. For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President