If I say to the wicked, You shall surely die, and you do not give him warning or speak to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand. – Ezekiel 3:18, Amplified Bible (AMP)

What does it take to rescue a soul? Someone willing to go to the rescue.

In early February 2014, then 8-year old Ana Esmeralda was at death’s door. Suffering from severe protein malnutrition, Ana didn’t have much time left. As Dr. Laura Luke*, a medical missionary to the country of Guatemala, describes:

As I lifted Ana Esmeralda into the ambulance, I was struck by her total body swelling and her fragile, peeling skin.  As I examined her, I found that her blood pressure was dangerously low and her heart was beginning to fail.  As we raced to the hospital, I observed her closely – there was no light or hope in her eyes…when we arrived at the hospital…we honestly weren’t sure whether or not she would survive…

Springing into action, Dr. Luke and the hospital staff treated their tiny patient with God’s love, coupled with modern medicine. As Dr. Luke continues:

Over the next six weeks, I watched as Ana Esmeralda’s life was restored.  Initially, she lacked the strength to lift food to her mouth.  Within a couple weeks, she was devouring everything we gave her.  In the beginning, she answered us only with painful cries.  After two weeks, she responded with full sentences and a smile.  When she first arrived, she couldn’t walk.  Once she recovered, she was all over the hospital, often accompanying us from room to room during rounds.  When I first met her, she was lifeless.  As God healed her through medicine and the prayers of His people, Ana Esmeralda came alive again.

Thanks to God’s timing and to God’s people, Ana Esmeralda’s life was saved. But the only reason God’s people were in a position to take advantage of God’s timing was that, at one point, God’s people decided to leave their comfort zone and go to the rescue.  I don’t know the stories of all of the workers who saved little Ana’s life, but I do know the Lukes’ story. Dr. Luke, her husband, and their five girls left behind the comforts, the conveniences, and the wealth of the United States in order to be in the right place at the right time for children like little Ana. Had they not left their home in order to go where God showed them they were needed, then there is no telling where little Ana Esmeralda would be today.

At some point, God will very likely call you to “go to the rescue.”  Whether the rescue call consists of an opportunity to share the Gospel where you are right now or of some more permanent mission to a distant land, the question is, “Are you willing to go to the rescue when God asks you to?” Your answer may be the difference between life or death – either physically or spiritually – for those whom God would have you reach for Him.

Go to the rescue when – and where – you are called. If you don’t, then the sufferings of those you could have helped will be on your hands.

* To learn more about Dr. Laura Luke’s medical mission to Guatemala, please visit HopeBound.org.