Did you ever realize that no matter how bad or good things may be going for us now, that if we give our heart to Jesus, we will see that God has a better offer than what life may bring our way. This is wonderfully illustrated by the following story told by Max Lucado about his daughter:
“When my daughter was a toddler, I used to take her to a park not far from our apartment. One day as she was playing in a sandbox, an ice-cream salesman approached us. I purchased her a treat, and when I turned to give it to her, I saw her mouth was full of sand. Where I had intended to put a delicacy, she had put dirt. Did I love her with dirt in her mouth? Absolutely. Was she any less of my daughter with dirt in her mouth? Of course not. Was I going to allow her to keep the dirt in her mouth? No way. I loved her right where she was, but I refused to leave her there. I carried her over to the water fountain and washed out her mouth. Why? Because I love her. God does the same for us. He holds us over the fountain. ‘Spit out the dirt, honey,’ our Father urges. ‘I’ve got something better for you.’ And so he cleanses us of filth; immorality, dishonesty, prejudice, bitterness, greed. We don’t enjoy the cleansing; sometimes we even opt for the dirt over the ice cream. ‘I can eat dirt if I want to!’ we pout and proclaim. Which is true—we can. But if we do, the loss is ours. God has a better offer.”1
The message of the gospel presents us with, not only a better offer than how we are living our lives now, but with the ultimate exchange plan. One day, over thirty years ago, I shared a message with a group of men at a gospel rescue mission in New York City. Many of these men were addicted to drugs and alcohol, homeless, and without hope. I vividly remember sharing with my audience that if they gave their heart to Jesus, He would help them get rid of their lying, cheating, stealing and addiction habits and in exchange receive peace, joy, freedom from addiction, new hope and meaning, and eternal life – and that it was a free exchange! In other words, they could get rid of everything they really didn’t want and in return receive everything they really wanted. And that my friends is what the gospel is all about – freedom from the bondage to sin and a new life in Christ.
While the world may offer us comfort, fame, and even fortune now, without Christ in our lives, we sadly will leave it all behind one day and have to pay the penalty for our lifetime of sin, which will be eternal separation from God in a literal hell. But for those of us who realize that we are indeed sinners that need a Savior – Jesus Christ – we can receive not just a better offer, but the best offer imaginable! Even if life throws us a curveball, through poverty or ill health, we can still experience true joy and wonderful peace now, the knowledge that are sins are forgiven, and the absolute assurance that when physical death knocks at our door, that we will spend eternity alive with Christ, and oh yes, with a glorified body.
May I challenge you to share this devotion with a friend who doesn’t know Christ. In so doing you will be sharing with them the offer of a lifetime!