“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 see clearly the abyss that sin has dug within us. No true hope can spring from a corrupt heart, marked by the unbelief inherited from Adam’s fall. It is at this moment, when confronted with our true condition, that we begin to look beyond ourselves—in search of a Savior, someone who can do what we could never do on our own.
And then, through 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 merely an idea and becomes our only hope. But as we come to understand this salvation, we also understand that the way to it lies in 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 innocent animal was put to death, the Father today sends to the Lamb those who sincerely follow His ways. May our hearts be willing to obey, so that He may lead us to the source of redemption. —Adapted from J.C. Philpot. Until tomorrow, if the Lord permits.
Pray with me: Holy God, when I look within myself, I see how much I need salvation. No effort of my own could be enough to lift me out of the fallen condition I am in. So I turn my eyes to You, the source of all that is pure and true.
Open my eyes to see the worth of Your Son’s sacrifice, and teach me to walk faithfully in Your ways. May I never try to draw near to Jesus with a rebellious heart, but rather as someone who surrenders to Your will and seeks to please You in everything.
Oh, beloved Lord, I thank You for showing me that salvation is found only in Your Son. Your beloved Son is my eternal Prince and Savior. Your mighty Law is the path that prepares my soul to meet Him. Your commandments are like steps leading me to redemption. I pray in the precious name of Jesus, amen.