“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32).
When God’s holiness and justice are revealed to our conscience, we clearly see the abyss that sin has dug within us. No true hope can spring from a corrupted heart, marked by the unbelief inherited from Adam’s fall. It is at this moment of confrontation with our real condition that we begin to look outside ourselves—in search of a Savior, someone who can do what we could never accomplish on our own.
And then, by living faith, we see the Lamb of God—the Son sent as mediator between heaven and earth. The blood shed on the cross becomes real to our eyes, and the atonement He accomplished ceases to be just an idea and becomes our only hope. But as this salvation is understood, we also realize that the way to it involves pleasing the Father—the same Father who leads us to the Son when we choose to live according to the wonderful commandments He has revealed.
Obedience brings us blessings, deliverance, and salvation. Just as the ancient sacrifices required faithfulness to the Law before the death of the innocent animal, the Father today sends to the Lamb those who sincerely follow His ways. May our hearts be willing to obey, so that we may be led by Him to the fountain of redemption. -Adapted from J.C. Philpot. Until tomorrow, if the Lord allows us.
Pray with me: Holy God, when I look within myself, I see how much I need salvation. No effort of my own would be enough to lift me from the fallen state in which I find myself. Therefore, I turn my eyes to You, who are the source of all that is pure and true.
Open my eyes to see the value of Your Son’s sacrifice and teach me to walk in Your ways with faithfulness. May I never try to approach Jesus with a rebellious heart, but rather as one who surrenders to Your will and seeks to please You in everything.
Oh, beloved Lord, I thank You for showing me that there is salvation only in Your Son. Your beloved Son is my eternal Prince and Savior. Your mighty Law is the way that prepares my soul to meet Him. Your commandments are like steps that lead me to redemption. I pray in the precious name of Jesus, amen.
