October 16 | Hebrews 9:11-14; John 2:13-25

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DAILY READING

Hebrews 9:11-14

John 2:13-25

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REFLECTION

There is a Deadline

By Judy Webb

Jesus knew the heart of humanity and yet He still loved us…died for us.

Life in our world can seem very iffy. Things have changed yet remain the same. People live, people die, and still, we are here, living out each moment hoping something will get better. Heroes come and go; a few impact on us personally, while others are only a blip in our memories.

There are days when things seem hopeless, but if you are one who reads your Bible every day and then digs in to understand what you read and do everything to apply those truths to your life, the feeling of hopelessness disappears, and a sense of peace takes over. My small group is working our way through the Book of Revelation and while this book can be confusing, it can also be encouraging. When we look at our world today and all the things that are happening around us, Jesus’ revelation offers a look at our future with Him. This book gives glimpses of pain and suffering, but it also shines a light on God’s goodness and mercy.

“During the Passover feast in Jerusalem, the crowds were watching Jesus closely; and many began to believe in Him because of the signs He was doing. But Jesus saw through to the heart of humankind, and He chose not to give them what they requested. He didn’t need anyone to prove to Him the character of humanity. He knew what man was made of.” (John 2:23-25 VOICE)

They chose to believe in Him at that moment, but never truly gave Him their lives in trust and obedience. They claimed to believe but then, ‘out of sight-out of mind’. God knows us so well, and yet He still loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him. He understands that we are weak and need His strength daily. He loves us enough to give us second and third chances to embrace Him and walk in His way. He continues to chase us down…but one day all that will end, either because we die, or He returns. Either way His mercy and forgiveness do have expiration dates. Let’s not wait to find out…let us turn to Him today, right now! We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow.

PRAYER

Father God,

Open our eyes to your goodness and open our hearts to accept you so we can spend eternity in your presence. Give us understanding when we open Your Word and read and apply it to lives. What a wonderful world it would be! Amen

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JUDY WEBB

I have been a member of UALC for 26 years and have been writing devotions for this site for about 17 of them. Writing is my passion. As retired staff I still love everything about UALC and its members including my small group.