LIFE!

But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. —John 20:31

As I was swimming along this morning I came into some shallows where I could see the bottom of the lake. A painted turtle was swimming under me and then burrowed itself under leaves. It is amazing how these creatures can live in and out of the water. Gary, a dear brother and friend was telling me how his wife called him one time and told him that there was a large snapping turtle on their deck. They don’t live anywhere near the water! When she looked out on the deck again it was gone and not to be seen. The life the Lord has given these creatures is awesome.

But real life, life the Lord intended people to have, only comes through Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…” (John 14:6). “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4). “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:40).

According to the verse above, what was written down for us in God’s Word, the Bible, is there that we might believe in Jesus and by belief in Him have eternal life. Romans 10:17 tell us that “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” and ““Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Before I called on the Name of Jesus for salvation back in February of 1979, I had many questions— Where did I come from? Where was I going? What is my purpose in life? Is there anything after death? What is death like? Is there a heaven? Is there a hell? It wasn’t until 7 years after I started asking those questions that a pastor shared the gospel with me which started to help me understand the answers to those questions. I wonder how many people around us are asking those questions but we are not listening to them?

Dear Father, help me to be sensitive to the people I come into contact with and share the good news about Jesus with them that their questions can begin to be answered. May it be so!