Salvation — Thursday
TODAY’S VERSE
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (ESV)
If you’re over the age of 30, you probably have a pretty good memory of 9/11. I can remember where I was, what I was doing, and the horror that followed throughout that day and the weeks to come. Even though I had no personal ties to anyone in either of the Twin Towers or any of the planes, it was really easy to put yourself in their friends’ and families’ shoes. I’ve heard story after story of “what-ifs.” I’ve heard stories of people who weren’t supposed to be there that day but ended up in one of the towers. And I’ve heard stories of people who were supposed to be there, and through various circumstances, weren’t. Little decisions made that day had major consequences.
Now, suppose you were given special knowledge on 9/10 of what was going to happen the next day. What would you do? Who would you call? Would you shrug it off and just let the day unfold? Or would you be standing outside the World Trade Center trying to convince everyone walking in to take the next day off? Would you risk sounding like a crazy person just to potentially save a few people? Regardless of how you answer that question, you would have a very different outlook on 9/11. You might be grieving for every person you tried to help but turned you down. You might be guilt-ridden over the people you could have saved, but chose not to. And you might be rejoicing over the people who believed you and took a vacation day or chose to work from home.
That’s not too far off from the responsibility we’ve been given. We have foreknowledge of what will happen to every person on this planet. We know that the second they take their last breath, they are going to have to account for their life. And that account has nothing to do with how good they were or how often they went to church. Instead, it has everything to do with whether they know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Now with that knowledge, what are you going to do with it? Are you going to choose to keep it to yourself? Are you going to let whatever happens happen? Or are you willing to sound a little crazy to a few in order to save as many people as you can?
This isn’t just a heavy thought—it’s a clear calling. Jesus didn’t suggest we share this message. He commanded it. So don’t let this stay theoretical. Think of one person in your life right now—someone who doesn’t know Jesus or has drifted away. That’s your one more.
Pray for them.
Look for an opportunity.
Start a conversation.
Invite them to church.
Because if we truly believe what we say we believe, we won’t stay silent.
APPLICATION
Don’t let this stop at reading—take a step today.
Write down the name of your one more.
Reach out to them this week—text, call, or have a conversation.
PRAYER
Ask God to place one person clearly on your heart. Pray for boldness to reach out, the right opportunity to invite them, and for their heart to be open to the message of Jesus.