When Later Never Comes
Last Christmas, I went shopping for toys for my kids. Now you might not
think there's anything unusual about that - unless you happen to know
that all my kids are all grown up now. But that doesn't mean they can't
have one little spark of childhood left in them. For example, I always
buy my daughter a doll for Christmas - always have, always will. And
we've got one son who was always a big fan of a certain Sesame Street
character - and he still has a collection of everything Ernie. But
recently a certain Ernie toy was one of the hottest Christmas items on
the market. I wanted one for my son, the Ernie enthusiast. I discovered
the toy in September in a store - before it became an officially hot
item. I held it in my hand . . . I could have bought it. But I said,
"Naw. I can always get it later." Wrong. When "later" came, there were
none to be found.
When it's a toy you miss because you waited, no big deal. When it's God
you miss - when it's eternity in heaven you miss, that's huge.
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from II Corinthians 6:2.
God says, "In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of
salvation I helped you." God says there's a time of His favor, a day of
His salvation - and that's when you have to grab Him. Then He clearly
spells out the time to respond to Him . . . "I tell you, NOW is the
time of God's favor, NOW is the day of salvation."
When God talks about salvation, He's talking about rescuing us from the
death sentence we're all headed for - because of our sin, the self-rule
of a life that was created to be run by our Creator. This "salvation"
came at a very high price for God - someone had to die as your
Substitute, paying for your sin.
The only Someone who was qualified to pay that awful price was God's
one and only Son, Jesus Christ. So, believe me, it really matters to
God what you do with His Son. The only response that can change a
person's eternal address from hell to heaven? Putting your total trust
in Jesus as your only hope of belonging to God, of being with God
forever.
But so many of us are like I was the day I held the purchase I wanted
in my hand - we decide to put off making it ours. I chose to get it
later - but later was too late. It was no longer available to me.
That's the awful risk you take when you put off Jesus one more day.
Maybe you've been around the message of Jesus a lot. Maybe most folks
think you belong to Him. But deep in your heart, you know there's never
been a time when you have really committed yourself to Him. It could be
you've said, "I will give myself to Jesus - when I'm ready." You need
to hear the words of Jesus, recorded in John 6:44. "No one can come to
Me unless the Father . . . draws him." You don't come to Jesus when
you're ready - you come when God's ready. It's God who MAKES you ready
to trust Jesus. And if you feel that tug in your heart right now, this
is the only time you can be SURE God is readying you to come. There are
no guarantees of one more opportunity. That's why the Bible says, "Seek
the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah
55:7). He may not always be findable. He may not ever be this close
again.
If you've never said yes to Jesus, please - do it now. Saying "later"
to God's Son is eternally dangerous . . . when God says the day of
salvation is now. It's almost yours now . . . later may be forever too
late.
Today's Daily Wisdom is written by Ron Hutchcraft, based on his popular
"A Word With You" broadcast (Available in transcripts or RealAudio
format.)
(http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/awwy/awwymenu.htm)
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries has been on-line with Gospelcom since
February, 1996, providing practical answers to real life issues.
(http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm)
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