"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 3:7-8
In a burned-out house, where a little boy lost his life, two unused smoke detectors were found on a closet shelf. Had they been installed they might have sounded the alarm, and the boy’s life might have been spared. Perhaps the parents wanted to install the smoke detectors at some vague, future time.
A tragedy is all the more painful when we have reason to think it might have been avoided. So it is in our spiritual lives. The Lord doesn’t want anyone to perish. It is His good and gracious will that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4). To that end He took measures to prepare salvation for all. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, among us to give His life to save us all from sin and its consequences. Salvation is a gift God wants every person to have. He wants the Gospel proclaimed – the Good News that is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
But God’s gift of salvation does us no good if we refuse to accept it or let it function in our lives – like those smoke detectors left lying on a closet shelf. Look what we are missing when we pass up so great a salvation! We forfeit peace with God, a good conscience, the assurance of God’s presence in our hearts and homes, the daily access to God in prayer.
God’s blessings are like a delicious, nourishing banquet meal. The sumptuous wedding dinner has been prepared, and the heavenly Host declares: “Everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet” (Matthew 22:4). What a pity that many go spiritually hungry or even starve to death when all this food for the soul is available without cost!
There is an urgency about all this – the need to act now, as the Scripture says: “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Now is the time to let Christ direct our lives so that the power of His love might bless us.
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord God, for leading me to say yes to Your promise of full and free salvation in Christ Jesus, Your Son, my Savior. Amen
(Devotions from "With Jesus Every Day" copyright 1997, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: 1 Kings 10-11 Acts 8:26-40
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