Carl Sandburg was a great American author who won several Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry. Near the end of his life he was asked, “What’s the ugliest word in the English language?”
Without hesitation, he answered, “Exclusive!”
While it is included in the world’s dictionaries, it is not found in God’s Word. “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord,” said Paul, will be saved!” And anyone includes everyone.
How wonderful it is to know that the God of love and the love of God is not exclusive. No matter who we are or what we have done, He loves us. No matter where we have been or whom we have traveled with, He loves us. No matter how dirty we get or how often we have disappointed Him, He loves us. He loves us when we are at our best and when we are at our worst. Anyone at any time can call on the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will hear and help!
But Paul follows his statement about God’s gracious invitation with the question: “How can they believe in Him and receive Him if they have never heard about Him?” With this critical question, he places a great responsibility on every Christian: We are accountable to God to take the Good News of God’s message of salvation to those who are unsaved. Unless we accept this challenge from Paul, and the Lord Himself, those whom we know that are lost and condemned will never find Christ as their Savior. We must do for others what others have done for us.
Prayer: Father, we are so grateful that someone took Paul at his word and shared Your message of salvation with us. Give us the courage to do the same. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Romans 10:13-14 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
A Word That Is Not In God's Word!
Carl Sandburg was a great American author who won several Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry. Near the end of his life he was asked, “What’s the ugliest word in the English language?”
Without hesitation, he answered, “Exclusive!”
While it is included in the world’s dictionaries, it is not found in God’s Word. “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord,” said Paul, will be saved!” And anyone includes everyone.
How wonderful it is to know that the God of love and the love of God is not exclusive. No matter who we are or what we have done, He loves us. No matter where we have been or whom we have traveled with, He loves us. No matter how dirty we get or how often we have disappointed Him, He loves us. He loves us when we are at our best and when we are at our worst. Anyone at any time can call on the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will hear and help!
But Paul follows his statement about God’s gracious invitation with the question: “How can they believe in Him and receive Him if they have never heard about Him?” With this critical question, he places a great responsibility on every Christian: We are accountable to God to take the Good News of God’s message of salvation to those who are unsaved. Unless we accept this challenge from Paul, and the Lord Himself, those whom we know that are lost and condemned will never find Christ as their Savior. We must do for others what others have done for us.
Prayer: Father, we are so grateful that someone took Paul at his word and shared Your message of salvation with us. Give us the courage to do the same. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Romans 10:13-14 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Without hesitation, he answered, “Exclusive!”
While it is included in the world’s dictionaries, it is not found in God’s Word. “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord,” said Paul, will be saved!” And anyone includes everyone.
How wonderful it is to know that the God of love and the love of God is not exclusive. No matter who we are or what we have done, He loves us. No matter where we have been or whom we have traveled with, He loves us. No matter how dirty we get or how often we have disappointed Him, He loves us. He loves us when we are at our best and when we are at our worst. Anyone at any time can call on the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will hear and help!
But Paul follows his statement about God’s gracious invitation with the question: “How can they believe in Him and receive Him if they have never heard about Him?” With this critical question, he places a great responsibility on every Christian: We are accountable to God to take the Good News of God’s message of salvation to those who are unsaved. Unless we accept this challenge from Paul, and the Lord Himself, those whom we know that are lost and condemned will never find Christ as their Savior. We must do for others what others have done for us.
Prayer: Father, we are so grateful that someone took Paul at his word and shared Your message of salvation with us. Give us the courage to do the same. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Romans 10:13-14 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Out Of Service
Recently, while waiting for a bus to take me to an airport parking lot, bus after bus passed by the “waiting zone” without stopping or even pausing. Tired and exhausted, I was puzzled and frustrated until I noticed that they had signs in their windows that read OUT OF SERVICE!
There I stood waiting and wondering, part of a crowd but still alone, left in the exhaust and noise of empty buses. I waited for quite some time until one came to take me to my vehicle.
While waiting I thought of those standing around me. No doubt they, too, were anxious to get to their destination. Perhaps they had been on a long, lonely journey and were discouraged with the results of their efforts. Maybe they were fearful of what might be awaiting them, knowing that a loved one was sick and in pain. And, of course, some were filled with joy and the expectations of a happy homecoming to a welcoming family or friends.
As I waited with them, I was reminded of all the people that God brings into my life, who like me, are on life’s journey. Everyone faces the same issues at one time or another: good days and bad ones, successes and failures, sickness and health, life and death. Unfortunately, many whom we see every day face their problems alone because no one is willing to provide help or hope. Like the buses, we neglect to recognize their needs; we are “OUT OF SERVICE.”
Jesus said, “Look around you! Vast fields are ready right now for the harvest.”
Prayer: Help us, Father, to willingly serve You by serving others. Open our eyes to see the needs of others, open our ears to hear their cries, and share Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: John 4:34-38 But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.
There I stood waiting and wondering, part of a crowd but still alone, left in the exhaust and noise of empty buses. I waited for quite some time until one came to take me to my vehicle.
While waiting I thought of those standing around me. No doubt they, too, were anxious to get to their destination. Perhaps they had been on a long, lonely journey and were discouraged with the results of their efforts. Maybe they were fearful of what might be awaiting them, knowing that a loved one was sick and in pain. And, of course, some were filled with joy and the expectations of a happy homecoming to a welcoming family or friends.
As I waited with them, I was reminded of all the people that God brings into my life, who like me, are on life’s journey. Everyone faces the same issues at one time or another: good days and bad ones, successes and failures, sickness and health, life and death. Unfortunately, many whom we see every day face their problems alone because no one is willing to provide help or hope. Like the buses, we neglect to recognize their needs; we are “OUT OF SERVICE.”
Jesus said, “Look around you! Vast fields are ready right now for the harvest.”
Prayer: Help us, Father, to willingly serve You by serving others. Open our eyes to see the needs of others, open our ears to hear their cries, and share Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: John 4:34-38 But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.
Out Of Service
Recently, while waiting for a bus to take me to an airport parking lot, bus after bus passed by the “waiting zone” without stopping or even pausing. Tired and exhausted, I was puzzled and frustrated until I noticed that they had signs in their windows that read OUT OF SERVICE!
There I stood waiting and wondering, part of a crowd but still alone, left in the exhaust and noise of empty buses. I waited for quite some time until one came to take me to my vehicle.
While waiting I thought of those standing around me. No doubt they, too, were anxious to get to their destination. Perhaps they had been on a long, lonely journey and were discouraged with the results of their efforts. Maybe they were fearful of what might be awaiting them, knowing that a loved one was sick and in pain. And, of course, some were filled with joy and the expectations of a happy homecoming to a welcoming family or friends.
As I waited with them, I was reminded of all the people that God brings into my life, who like me, are on life’s journey. Everyone faces the same issues at one time or another: good days and bad ones, successes and failures, sickness and health, life and death. Unfortunately, many whom we see every day face their problems alone because no one is willing to provide help or hope. Like the buses, we neglect to recognize their needs; we are “OUT OF SERVICE.”
Jesus said, “Look around you! Vast fields are ready right now for the harvest.”
Prayer: Help us, Father, to willingly serve You by serving others. Open our eyes to see the needs of others, open our ears to hear their cries, and share Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: John 4:34-38 But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.
There I stood waiting and wondering, part of a crowd but still alone, left in the exhaust and noise of empty buses. I waited for quite some time until one came to take me to my vehicle.
While waiting I thought of those standing around me. No doubt they, too, were anxious to get to their destination. Perhaps they had been on a long, lonely journey and were discouraged with the results of their efforts. Maybe they were fearful of what might be awaiting them, knowing that a loved one was sick and in pain. And, of course, some were filled with joy and the expectations of a happy homecoming to a welcoming family or friends.
As I waited with them, I was reminded of all the people that God brings into my life, who like me, are on life’s journey. Everyone faces the same issues at one time or another: good days and bad ones, successes and failures, sickness and health, life and death. Unfortunately, many whom we see every day face their problems alone because no one is willing to provide help or hope. Like the buses, we neglect to recognize their needs; we are “OUT OF SERVICE.”
Jesus said, “Look around you! Vast fields are ready right now for the harvest.”
Prayer: Help us, Father, to willingly serve You by serving others. Open our eyes to see the needs of others, open our ears to hear their cries, and share Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: John 4:34-38 But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.
What Are You Doing With My World?
It was Jim’s sixth birthday, and his father wanted him to begin to understand continents and nations. So, he bought him a lighted globe. He was fascinated with the way it glowed in the dark and gently lit his room. And, he also enjoyed the time his Dad spent in his room telling him stories about the different countries of the world and bodies of water.
One evening his Dad silently slipped into his room thinking that Jim was asleep. He wanted to “borrow” the globe so he could locate the countries that were mentioned during the evening news hour.
As he was leaving, Jim who was not asleep, asked, “Dad, what are you doing with my world?”
What a great question. Surely, God would have each of us answer a similar question: “What are you doing in My world on My behalf?” Or, perhaps, “What are you doing for Me in My world?”
Jesus said that “God loved the world so much that He sent Me into the world to save the people of the world.” We know that Jesus fulfilled God’s plan for His life; He gave His life on the cross for our salvation. We also know that He is now in heaven with His Father. And, we also know that the work that Jesus began is to be carried on by us - His disciples.
As His disciples, it is important, no it is critical, that we ask ourselves constantly, “What are we doing in God’s world today to save the lost for whom my Son, your Savior, died?”
Prayer: Lord, give us an urgency to do Your work in Your world to save the lost. Do not let us know peace or rest until we bring Your message to someone each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
One evening his Dad silently slipped into his room thinking that Jim was asleep. He wanted to “borrow” the globe so he could locate the countries that were mentioned during the evening news hour.
As he was leaving, Jim who was not asleep, asked, “Dad, what are you doing with my world?”
What a great question. Surely, God would have each of us answer a similar question: “What are you doing in My world on My behalf?” Or, perhaps, “What are you doing for Me in My world?”
Jesus said that “God loved the world so much that He sent Me into the world to save the people of the world.” We know that Jesus fulfilled God’s plan for His life; He gave His life on the cross for our salvation. We also know that He is now in heaven with His Father. And, we also know that the work that Jesus began is to be carried on by us - His disciples.
As His disciples, it is important, no it is critical, that we ask ourselves constantly, “What are we doing in God’s world today to save the lost for whom my Son, your Savior, died?”
Prayer: Lord, give us an urgency to do Your work in Your world to save the lost. Do not let us know peace or rest until we bring Your message to someone each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
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