Hover over Romans 1:20-22 for proof of God's existence, and over Matthew 5:27-28 for Judgment Day’s perfect standard. Then hover over John 3:16-18 for what God did, and over Acts 17:30-31 for what to do.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Not One Second

You can’t go back one second in time. That’s something that I often think about. It was in the back of my mind recently when our seven grandchildren were running around on our front lawn, as I was about to back my wife’s van out of the driveway. I checked behind the vehicle, then I rolled the window down and asked my grown son if any kids were behind me. They weren’t, so I backed up.

The next morning I found out that a well-known Christian artist lost a five-year-old daughter when his teenage son backed his van up and killed her. What an unspeakable tragedy for the family. It's a horror none of them will ever forget. I'm sure the instant the accident happened, they would have given anything to go back just one second in time.

No doubt the incident shook the faith of some. How could God allow such a thing to happen? Some will even conclude that God must not exist, because of the accident. Yet, being a Christian doesn’t mean that you are immune from the pains of this life. If a Christian is in a tornado, he may be killed, just like a non-Christian. If it rains, he gets wet.

What’s the benefit of trusting in Jesus Christ if we're not protected from the tragedies of this life? I liken it to wearing a parachute in a plane. You experience just as much turbulence as the other passengers. You may even be mocked for wearing a parachute. The flight attendant may spill coffee on you and burn you. But you will see the benefit of wearing it when you jump. One day we all will have to jump--to leave this plane of life and pass through the door of death.

So do as the Bible commands and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” and trust Him as you would trust a parachute to save you. Expect a turbulent life. Expect mockers. Just make sure you are ready for the jump into eternity. It can come at any time.