By Beverly Lomosad
The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand, because Jehovah was with him; and that which he did, Jehovah made it to prosper. – Genesis 39:23
This night in 2018, the Black Chamber of Commerce of the Permian Basin, in the state of Texas, celebrated the success of one of its own, Tiki Davis, whom members voted as their Business Person of the Year. “He did not let what happened to him keep him down,” said the organization’s president and CEO, Odel Crawford, during the ceremony, adding that Tiki’s achievements “were a testament to his faith.” Backpedal to Tiki’s growing-up years in Odessa, a city in Texas, then known arguably as the murder capital of the world. With an absentee father and a drug-addicted mother, Tiki was living on the streets from when he was 12. Things got a little better for him after he was placed in the care of a foster family.
Tiki began to excel: he was making good grades, and he was a shoo-in for a football scholarship, which he saw as his way out of poverty. But that dream was shattered when, in his senior year of high school, a girl accused him of rape. A court-appointed lawyer advised Tiki to plead guilty to a lesser charge, and he received a six-month jail sentence. In jail, he committed his life to God. The story of Joseph in the Bible particularly inspired him (Genesis 37-50). “One day he was in jail, and the next he was in the palace,” he told Christian Broadcasting Network. After his release, he went on to graduate high school, got a job washing cars, earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, and start an energy-consulting business. At 35, he was a millionaire and a pillar in the community.
Despite his success, one thing really bothered Tiki: that his name is in the registry of sex offenders. For years, he had been asking God to step in and do something about it. One day, God’s answer came in the form of an unexpected call from the woman who had falsely accused him of rape, seeking forgiveness and wanting to clear his name. On May 17, 2018, Tiki stood before a judge, who expunged his criminal record, declaring him a free man, after the woman had recanted her rape allegation. Whom the Son (Jesus Christ) sets free is free indeed (John 8:36).
CALL TO ACTION
A life with God starts with a relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
- PRAY OUT LOUD: “Father in heaven, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that he died on the cross for my sins. I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins. I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Savior and Lord. Amen.”
- WHAT’S NEXT: Be part of a good, Bible-based church.