Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 28:18-19, Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
In verse fifteen, Saul inquired of Samuel about what he should do about the Philistines, since God was not answering him. Samuel answered Saul, but did not tell him what he should do, but rather plainly told him what would happen to him, Jonathan, and the nation of Israel, as a result of Saul’s disobedience. It was too late for Saul to do anything except deal with the consequences of his rebellion. Note that Saul’s sin did not just affect Saul. His sin affected his son, who was innocent in the matter of David’s persecution, and the entire nation that was under Saul’s leadership. The fact is that when we sin, the consequences do not just affect us. Saul had fifteen plus years to get right with God. Now, as he searches for answers, his time has run out. Far too many of us wait until it is too late to turn to the Lord. For the unsaved the time to call upon Jesus as Savior and accept his free gift of salvation, by faith and His grace, is now. Jesus clearly promised and warned us in John 3:16-18, “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. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” If we reject God’s free gift today, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Therefore, when we reject Jesus, we are condemned until the time we turn to Him. Some of us have the mindset that we can always do it tomorrow, or next week, because we are too busy enjoying the pleasures of the flesh, but James 4:13-14 warn, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” What is so valuable to us in this lifetime that we would be willing to risk going into eternity condemned? Matthew 16:26 asks, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” If we are not guaranteed tomorrow, then what are we waiting for? 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 answers that question, “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior and surrendered your life to Him, NOW is the time. If we already know Him, but find ourselves far from Him because of our refusal to repent and confess some sin that is putting a wall between us and our Savior; today, right NOW is the time to go before Him. Like the father in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15), Jesus waits, with open arms, to welcome us back into fellowship with Him. Do not wait until tomorrow, for tomorrow may never come, and it will then be too late.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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