Seize the moment

Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Some years ago, a worker in Brighton, England was eating in a restaurant. He felt an urge to speak with his waiter about the condition of the man's soul, but kept putting it off. After he finished eating, the man went outside and decided to wait for his server to finish his shift; he had finally made up his mind that he would speak to the man about Jesus. After he had waited for awhile, the owner approached him and asked, "are you waiting for someone?" "Yes," replied the worker, "I want to speak to the man who waited on me." The owner replied, "You will never speak to that man again. After waiting on you, he shot himself."

Dear reader, there are opportunities to speak of Jesus to others that are open to us today but will be gone tomorrow. Dwight Moody was once preaching in Chicago to a great crowd of people. At one point in his message, he thundered "I give you one day to repent of your sins." That very night the great Chicago fire broke out, and some of those same people who heard Moody’s sermon were burned to death. For years after, Moody said with regret, "I have asked God to forgive me for giving these people one day to repent. I should have said, ‘Now! Now is the accepted time!’"

Now is the accepted time…now is the day of salvation. One of you reading today may not be with us when my next devotion is posted. Do you know that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe that He lived a perfect life to free you from the curse that comes from failing to obey God’s Law? Do you take comfort in knowing that when Jesus died upon the cross, He took the guilt of your sins to the grave with Him? Do you trust that Jesus rose from that grave alive to never die again, alive so that He can forgive you for your sins and lift you from your grave to join Him in heaven?

And to you who say yes, I do believe—who in your life might die unexpectedly tonight and does not share your faith in Jesus? Certainly you want that person to be waiting to greet you in heaven. Have you taken a few minutes to tell him or her about Jesus? Today might be your last chance. You don’t need to be a great preacher like Dwight Moody; if you believe in Jesus as your Savior from sin, death, and the devil, you are qualified to bring the Good News of Christ to another person, just as was that man in the Brighton restaurant. Don’t make his mistake—don’t wait to reach out to a soul that is dying until it is too late.