Daily Devotions
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1 Timothy 1:15
Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV — how’s that for a nasty threesome?
All of us would agree that those are three viruses we do our best to avoid. Maybe so, but last week Ottawa Public Health sent out 7,000 letters to people telling them they might have been exposed to those very illnesses.
Maybe. Possibly. Nobody’s sure.
The registered letter is going to explain that these folks may have been exposed because a publicly unnamed hospital at which they had undergone a procedure had not been practicing safe cleaning and sterilization.
Probably.
They also say that nobody has become sick yet, and they’re pretty sure the risk of infection is minimal. Still, they want people to know so they can — if they wish — get tested for the three illnesses to which they may have been exposed.
Now I applaud Ottawa Public Health for following up as completely as they have in this matter. Even so, had I received one of those letters I might have wanted something more, well, something more definite. All those “maybes” and “possiblys” and “probablys” would have left me incredibly frustrated and frightened.
Maybe that’s because I, like most of you, prefer to work with the facts and not remote possibilities.
If that sums up your attitude, have I got a sentence for you. Listen again to what Paul wrote to Timothy: “This saying is TRUSTWORTHY and deserving of FULL ACCEPTANCE. Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.”
Now that’s a sentence we can hold on to.
We are sinners and Jesus came to save us.
Period.
End of the reading.
No further discussion necessary.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, this world is filled with things which may or may not be true or ever happen. That means there is little of which I can be absolutely sure. In contrast to the world I have been given a Savior who is absolutely trustworthy. Accept this prayer of thanks which is given in my Savior’s Name. Amen.