Spiritual Perspectives
God’s Power to Transform Good from Evil

By Ronnie Hill
Special to the Independent

Sandra was a 17-year-old girl who was with her mom and dad on a fall vacation visiting family friends. The friends that they were visiting had an 18-year-old son. One evening both families decided to go down and look at the beautiful pond, but the son asked Sandra to stay back at the house. When all the family members were gone, he lured her into the utility room of their home where he raped her. Sandra did not tell anyone about this because she thought it was her fault. As a result of the rape, she became pregnant. Many people in our society would say, “You need to have an abortion! You do not need to go through this, you are only 17!” Even though Sandra had been violated and raped, she did not want to kill the life living inside her. She chose to have the baby. Nine months later, she had a six and a half pound baby boy. I am that baby boy. My name is Ronnie Hill.

My life verse is Gen. 50:20 (NIV) which says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery, but God used that evil deed to place Joseph second in command during the seven years of famine in Egypt to save thousands of lives. As God showed Joseph, he has also revealed to me and my mom that God can trump individuals’ evil deeds to carry out his purpose and will. Satan tried to stop my birth and harm me. He desired for me to be aborted, but God had other plans!

I gave my life to Jesus when I was eight years old and surrendered to the call God placed on my life at the age of 14 to preach the gospel. I am a full-time evangelist with a B.A. degree from the University of Mobile, a Master of Divinity with Biblical Language degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Evangelism from Southwestern as well. I have been traveling in evangelism now for 20 years telling people all over the world about Jesus. I have been all over the United States, Africa, Brazil, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Honduras, Canada, and Germany. Our ministry leads out in church revivals, area-wide crusades, student events, NASCAR races, rodeos, Sturgis Bike Week, etc. for the sole purpose of telling people about Jesus. We see thousands of people come to Christ every year in our ministry from moms and dads to students to boys and girls. Individual lives being changed all over the world would not be taking place if my mother would have chosen to have an abortion.

I am not here on this planet by accident, and neither are the people we share with every week. We all exist for a purpose and a reason, and that reason is for a relationship with Jesus! The Bible says in Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” The word also says in Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Every embryo that is conceived was formed and created by a loving God. We are valuable to Him, and He has an incredible plan for each life. Life should not and must not be stopped by a selfish human being because God has a greater purpose.

God did not cause that evil deed to happen to my mom. That was man’s depraved mind and willful sin, but God turned it for the good in my life and my mom’s life. I know there are many people that feel this statement is a cliché, especially when you are in the midst of tremendous pain, but the Bible says in Romans 8:28 (NIV) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” My wife and I lost our set of twins due to an early miscarriage in April. When you see their little eyes, hands and feet, it is hard to hear someone quote you that verse in the midst of the storm. I don’t understand it, but I know it is true. The Bible doesn’t say that everything that happens to us will be good, but that God will turn every circumstance around for our long-term good to fulfill His purpose.

My mom married a man named Jamie when I was three who adopted me and my brother, Allen. Jamie is my dad, and I would have no other! Two years later, they had my youngest brother, Peyton. Longing for peace in her life, my mom found it in Jesus at the age of 26. A month later, I invited Christ into my life. As an eight-year-old boy, I began to pray for my dad to be saved. I did not want my dad to go to hell. Two years later, God orchestrated some events that brought my dad to church with us four Sundays in a row. The final Sunday he gave his life to Christ. God began to move and work in his life. Our family life changed for the good. Another two years later, God called my dad to preach. My dad is now a pastor of Cowboy Church of Brazoria, Texas where hundreds of people have been saved under my parents’ ministry, not to mention the fact that God called me to preach under my dad’s ministry when I was 14. God turns everything around for his good and perfect will.

If it would not have been for my incredible mother who had a heart to go against society’s “justified abortion,” I would not be here, and my little boy Jake would not be here. As a result of my mom, Sandra, giving me life, I have shared my testimony all over the world with many women and girls who have been touched by me and my mom’s story. Many have come up to me and shared that they were pregnant and were thinking about having an abortion, but changed their minds because God spoke to them through my story to have the courage to continue the pregnancy. Women that have been raped and become pregnant as a result of the rape, like my mother, have introduced me to their little boy or girl that came out of that horrible experience. They were encouraged when I prayed over their little boy or girl that God has a plan for them, and He is going to use them for His purpose and will. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). God is good! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Ronnie Hill is an evangelist from Fort Worth, Texas. For information on his ministry, go to www.ronniehill.com. This article first appeared in SBC Life and is being reprinted with permission of the author.