Psalm 40:14

"Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt!"

I have a dear friend who is an inmate in a Texas state prison. He resides in the unit reserved for the prisoners who are either mentally retarded or mentally ill, or both. Bubba is a diamond hand-polished by God, delivered from his sins and from mental illness and bestowed with an unequaled understanding of Scripture. As Bubba has given me joyful permission to share any of his letters to the glory of God, I will copy a few unexpurgated lines from his April 27th letter:

"Can I cry on your shoulder? Andree, all kind of things are going on right now. Our assit chaplin hired a man over the ushers who don't need too be one. But any way I had trouble with this man and so have others. So I stepped down as a usher and I told the assit chaplin why and he told me he totally understood and he went through the same thing with another man him self. And he told me when I wanted to come back I could.

"Well I went to him and told me we are going too work it out that I am going to stay as a usher. Well he got a lil mad and told me because of my choice too step down wich he said was poor he is going to put me out for two weeks. I dont understand. I step down so I would not argue with this man too keep peace between me and him. But when we all work it out and I try too tell this man I still get punished. I cant understand. If I did not hurt some one but why am I punished? For a bad choice? I told him we all make bad choices but life goes on. This man favores inmates any way. I am tired of all the pride and back biteing one man shows, so maybe I need too just step down. If God says the same I'll leave. . . ."

A week or two later I received the following:

"Hi Andree, How are you? Me I am doing better now thank you. The deal with my ushering is resoveld. I am ok. The Lord corrected me so now I am better. . . . The Lord used this man who is crazy too just now come too me too tell me the Spirit told him too tell me too stay in that Bible too keep doing what I been doing and these men who put me out will call me in too say sorry cause I would help people and did what I was told so the ones who did wrong are going too call me in too say worry cause I draw people too the word. And the best thing is I never spoke too this man at all about what was going on. Just praying Andree.

"Did you get all of what I said, the Spirit of God spoke through a man too tell me too keep my head in the word that I did not do nothing wrong that the man who did will call me in too say sorry. Cause ive been doing what I been told to do. Yes and this all happen as I was writing too you and I get too enjoy this with you! Andree our God is soo good, this man I really never talk too came too me with a word from God. Said I draw men too church! And all this time I thought I was wrong. . . ."

When I had received Bubba's first letter, and read the injustice between the lines, I was angry and tried to think of words of encouragement, telling him that he had done it all right and by the Good Book. Turns out God didn't need me to rescue his servant. God himself raised up deliverance, from the mouth of a "crazy man." God lifted up Bubba and brought to dishonor those who were wilier than he.

To read Andrée Seu's series on Psalm 40, click here.

To hear commentaries by Andrée Seu, click here.