Friday, May 13, 2005
When my wife gets a headache I tease her that pain always attacks at the weakest point. What a sensitive guy I am! Actually, a while back she was having headaches every day and burning eyes and stinging eyes. And she attributed it to the long hours that she was working. She barely even noticed that her vision was slowly becoming worse. Well, after some time went by, she did take some time to see the optometrist and he said, "Lady, you need glasses!" That was the day her eyes stopped burning, the headaches stopped, and the road signs suddenly cleared up. She only had one regret. She said, "Why did I wait so long?"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Postponed Relief."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from this incredible incident in Exodus 8:9-10. Here's the scene: God's people, the Jews, have been slaves in Egypt for centuries and God sends Moses to give Pharaoh, who is the ruler of Egypt, the message, "Let my people go." Pharaoh has resisted God's mandate and God has sent a series of plagues on Egypt as a result. As we enter these verses Egypt has been overrun by frogs everywhere, even in their beds! Pharaoh goes to bed at night in his palace bedroom only to find frogs all over his bed. Well, he's had enough! Here's what he says, "Pharaoh summoned Moses ... and said, 'Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord. Moses said to Pharaoh, 'I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs." Listen to Pharaoh's answer: "Tomorrow." What? Pharaoh chooses another night with the frogs!
He's not alone. Many, many people over the years have had a healing offer from God in front of them and they've said, "Tomorrow." They have, in essence, chosen another night, another month, another year with the frogs. Listen to Jesus, "Come to me all you who are weary and heavily burdened and I will give you rest" ( Matthew 11:28). Maybe Jesus has knocked on the door of your heart many times and said, "Give your life to Me and you'll finally have the peace that has eluded you for so long." And you've said, "Tomorrow."
Jesus stands ready to fill that hole in your heart with the relationship with Him that you were made for. He stands ready to replace the death penalty of hell that we all deserve with the eternal life in heaven that none of us deserves. And just like Moses of old, Jesus says, "You pick the time. I will do all of that this day if you will open the door of your heart to let me in to trust me as your personal Savior." And over and over you have picked the time - later. So many who've said "yes" to Jesus have only one regret - why didn't I do this sooner? Why postpone the relief that only Doctor Jesus can give you.
One warning, Pharaoh rejected several more times until, the Bible says, "his heart was hardened" and then he could no longer respond to God's mercy. That's the deadly fate of those who keep saying to Jesus, "tomorrow." Please, don't risk your eternity on one more postponement. This is the day to say, "Jesus I want to belong to you." If that's what you want, I wrote a booklet about beginning your relationship called Yours For Life, which I want to send to you if you'll just let me know that you want it.
God's command from the Bible is so clear. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Are you hearing His voice? Then don't let your heart get harder. One more tomorrow could be one too many.