Devotionals

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One summer I come home from summer camp with a 1940 12
cylinder Lincoln Zephyr. I was so proud, but my Dad raised the
hood to look at the engine and said, "Ach (he was PA Dutch) --
too much machinery." Dad was not an encourager, but he was
right. Mechanically, the car was junk -- looked fabulous, but it
was junk. Mom was my encourager in the family.

Do you remember when you were little, and you brought home a
project from school and proudly said, "Mommy, I made it all by
myself?" Then she hugged you and bragged about your accom-
plishment. Wasn't that a special moment in your life?

There is one marvelous accomplishment in our lives where we
cannot say, "I did it all by myself," and that is the salvation of our
souls. In Titus 3:5 (nlt) we read, "He saved us, not because of the
good things we have done, but because of His mercy. He washed
away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit."

You are probably a really neat and OK person, but that won't
stand up in the court of God's judgment when He says to you,
"Why should I allow you into my Heaven?" What will your
answer be if you should die before your head hits the pillow
tonight -- that you were a neat and OK person?

The only answer that will work is, "I'm only here because of my
faith in Jesus Christ who loved me and died for me -- I have no
merit of my own." Can you honestly say that? If not, right now
is the perfect opportunity to take care of it.

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