You wouldn’t get on a plane headed across the Atlantic Ocean if you knew that it didn’t have enough fuel to reach Europe.
And, hopefully, you would warn people at the terminal gate that they would be throwing their lives away if they stepped onto the plane.
You see, not having enough fuel to reach the other side is a disaster waiting to happen.
This sort of thing happens spiritually to too many people.
I call it “dangerous faith.”
If we think that we can get to “the other side” in terms of heaven without the fuel of God’s mercy, we’re destined for destruction just as those who get onto the airliner that will run out of fuel before it reaches land.
If we want the fountain of God’s mercy to fuel our lives and souls until we reach heaven, then we are to be people of mercy during our days on earth.
To be careless about the mercy needs of others is to show God that mercy isn’t valued by us.
And if we show no mercy to others, guess what will be shown to us when we really need it?
Read the following verse in today’s devotional reading from the One-Year Bible and you’ll pick up on the answer to that question.
“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” (I John 3:17)
It’s Christmas time. Gift-giving time.
Please look for someone needing the blessing of a paid electric bill or an anonymous bag of groceries or a set of good, used tires or a new shoes for his or her kids or help with a medical bill not covered by health insurance.
Please help them to the point that you have to really sacrifice something in order to help them.
I need to do the same.
We want to have more of God’s love flowing into us.
As we let that love flow out of us into the lives of others, we’ll get what we want, I’m sure.
And we’ll be getting on the right “plane” to heaven.
As always, I love you
Martin
