May 2

Suppose you do die penniless. What will it matter at all? But suppose you die graceless! Heaven and heavenly things are the kind that cannot be recompensed by anything else. Do not let Satan distract you with baubles and toys. While he is entertaining you with his clever illusions, his other hand is in your treasure, robbing you of that which is irreplaceable. It is more necessary to be saved, than to be; better not to be, than to have a being in hell.

No matter how hard you work for material gain, there is no guarantee of success. Men have been doing business for thousands of years, yet no one has come up with a fail-proof plan for getting rich. How few carry away the prize in the world's lottery! Most have only disillusionment and bitter memories for their trouble.

But now for heaven and the things of heaven, the plan is quite clearly laid out in the Bible: "As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them..." (Galatians 6:16). If anyone pursues heavenly things and does not get them, it is because he did not follow God's instruction in the right manner.

If you want heaven but you also want your sins, do not expect to succeed. You must part company with one or the other. If you will not let go of your sins, God will have to let go of you. If you want heaven but insist on purchasing it with your own righteousness, you will fall short of the prize. You are like the near kinsman in Ruth who wanted to buy Elimelech's land but was not willing to marry Ruth as the law required (4:2-4). All the good you do, all the duties you perform, are admirable if they are acts of love that follow your act of repentance. But if you offer them as a price you are willing to pay for heaven, God will not deal with you. You must close with Christ and Him alone, or lose the whole bargain.

Return to Menu
Previous Devotions