Archive
Subscribe
Weather
 |
|
 |
|
Inspiration Point: Wondering how you will fare on your day of
reckoning? |
The young man glanced
toward his daughter and girlfriend and then he focused his attention
on the judge who had just sentenced him. He was out on bond, but a
police officer was waiting to take the guilty man directly from
court to jail.
With an anguished look he could barely speak, “I, I need to take
care of some things.” Without emotion, the judge replied: “Today is
the day of reckoning.” With a help-save-me look the man lowered his
head and left with the officer.
As I drove from court to home I picked up a hitchhiker.
Tim had been in court that day also. His sentencing had been
delayed because of impending heart surgery. Our rapid fire
discussion soon spilled over into what might happen if the surgery
turned tragic: “Are you ready to go?”
Tim appeared to be in his 50s: “I need to go see Sister Maxine.”
Why’s that? “I think she’s close to God.”
Tim didn’t know if he was ready to go, but he wanted to take care
of spiritual business.
The Bible states, “Man is destined to die once and after that face
judgment.” A day of reckoning.
Tim had a bag full of spiritual experiences; he kept pulling them
out during our 10-minute drive. Baptism, vacation Bible school, a
godly mother and intermittent church attendance.
Still he was reaching for more. Facing heart surgery and the
what-if possibility, he was also experiencing spiritual heart
surgery. Tim concluded his life would eventually terminate with a
gavel thumping, that’s-it, final judgment.
The judge in court that day wearily looked down at a stack of
paperwork. Looking up, he gave his final remark to the guilty man:
“People are never ready to go.”
I disagree. A person can be ready, confidently ready and worry
free. With Jesus ... there’s hope, Tim.
Syndicated columnist Rick Leland is
pastor of The Free Church in Three Rivers, Mich. |
|
From
May 26, 2007,
Newberg Graphic
Click Here to Subscribe |
|
|
|
 |
|
