MARCH 12

Hope in the Word

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:47, 74, 81, 114,147; Romans 15:4

Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

One of my favorite conversion stories is that of Jacob DeShazer.  One of WW2’s “Doolittle Raiders,” Jacob was imprisoned in a Japanese prison camp after being captured in China.  Together with his fellow captives Jacob endured harsh and life-threatening mistreatment and abuse.  Jacob responded in kind to the abuse he suffered.  On one occasion, when commanded by a guard to “Hurry up,” he responded, “Go jump in a lake.”  His response earned him a strike on his head.  Jacob retaliated by kicking the guard in the stomach.  The guard then hit Jacob with a steel scabbard.  So Jacob took a pail of dirty mop water and threw it at the guard.  Jacob was fortunate not to be killed, other men were killed for less.

Some books were brought to the prison camp and amongst them was a Bible. Jacob was told by a guard that he could have the Bible for three weeks. The Hope-imparting Word of God was brought to that dark, foreboding, lifeless and loveless place. Jacob eagerly read its pages. He devoured chapter after chapter. He read from the prophets, and was fascinated by the prophecies which spoke of a coming Redeemer. He read in the New Testament of the birth of Jesus Christ, the One of whom the prophecies spoke. On June 8th, 1944 he was reading through Romans when he came across Romans 10:9. He read of God’s promise of salvation to those who confess and believe in the Lord Jesus. He trusted in Jesus and was saved. God’s Word worked to impart hope to a hopeless man in a hopeless place.

He later wrote of his experience, “How my heart rejoiced in the newness of spiritual life, even though my body was suffering so terribly from the physical beatings and lack of food.  But suddenly I discovered that God had given me new spiritual eyes, and that when I looked at the Japanese officers and guards who had starved and beaten me and my companions so cruelly, I found my bitter hatred for them changed to loving pity…I read in my Bible that while those who crucified Jesus on the cross had beaten him and spit upon him before he was nailed to the cross, he tenderly prayed in his moment of excruciating suffering, ‘Father, forgive them for they know now what they do.’  And now from the depths of my heart, I too prayed for God to forgive my torturers.”

Through the influence of His Word God worked to radically change Jacob.  Jacob learned to love his captors.  Even before his release, he sensed a call from God to return to Japan as a Christian missionary.  And that’s what ultimately happened.  The former captive attended Seattle Pacific College and while there met and married his wife.  Six years and eight months after he had set out to fly to Japan, he returned to Japan to share the good news with the Japanese people.  The DeShazers ministered Christ’s love there for thirty years.  One high spot in his ministry came when Captain Kato (the guard who had given the prisoners a Bible) became a Christian.

One day, in Jacob’s life, the hope imparting Word fell on the good soil of his receptive heart.  Life was thereby imparted to his sin-dead soul.  The good fruit of God’s love blossomed and bore fruit in unimaginable fashion.  The Word of God is powerful to save and transform (1 Thessalonians 2:13).  And powerful to bring hope to the hopeless!  Jacob was proof of that, as are the innumerable souls who have likewise responded to the truth.  Is your soul thirsting for encouragement?  There’s a plentiful supply bound up in God’s inspired Word.

Through the Encouragement of the Scriptures We Have Hope

Lord Jesus.  Praise You for the day when You opened our eyes to the truth of the gospel!  We were without You and without hope in this world, but then You spoke to us through Your Word and it worked to bring hope to our hope-needy souls!  It is as a beacon of light shining forth even into the darkest places.  Forgive us that we’re all too prone to forget the treasure that is ours in its soul-encouraging truth!  Forgive us that we too often times neglect it!  May the Spirit work to lead us to the one sure source whereby our thirst for hope can be fully satiated!  Even as we marvel at its ability to mightily work within us!  Amen!

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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