Hope in the Heartland

A rescue offered

By LARRY TIMM

Gacepoint Church, Peabody

Two men survived a shipwreck and climbed into a life raft. They floated in the ocean for a couple of days, slowly feeling their sense of hope draining away.

Finally one of them prayed, “Oh, dear God, I am in desperate need of Your help. I know I haven’t been a good person, and it’s been a long time since I have been to church, but please spare my life. In fact, if You will deliver me from this terrible situation, I promise that — ”

“Hold on!” his friend interrupted. “Don’t make any commitments. I think I see land!”

The world counsels us not to make commitments to God. Instead we are encouraged to just keep drifting through life until we see a way out of whatever hopeless situation we’re in.

The fact is that God is not waiting for us to make deals with Him. We simply have nothing to offer Him that can swing the negotiations in our favor. But because He loves us, He made an offer to us: Accept my Son and be saved.

But this is a limited time offer. We can take it or leave it. What have you decided to do with God’s offer?