Deadlines

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 8
 
On the 16th of April most Americans will be facing a deadline-income taxes are due. The completed tax returns have to be in the mail by midnight that night, or a penalty will be assessed for the tardy person.
Everyone in this world is also facing a deadline, but no one except God knows when it will come. Are you prepared for that deadline? We are told in Amos 4:12 to "Prepare to meet thy God."
Preparing to meet the tax deadline is simply a matter of filling out the right forms and, if you owe money, sending the correct amount to the tax office along with the forms.
To prepare to meet God, you must simply put your trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.
Now, if for some reason you can't make the tax deadline, you can fill out another form and mail that in and get an extension that will give you more time after the original deadline has passed.
God's deadline, however, has no extensions. Once that deadline (the coming of the Lord for those who are His) has passed, there will be absolutely no second chance to accept the Lord as your Savior.
If you miss the tax deadline and don't file for an extension, the worst that will probably happen to you when you eventually file, will be the assessment of a small penalty for late filing. But if you miss God's deadline, the penalty is an eternity in hell, and you can never finish paying that penalty.
Also, don't forget that billions of people have passed God's deadline—death. Because of the uncertainty of when you will meet that deadline it is imperative that you accept His offer of mercy NOW. Believe in Him NOW, and you can be assured of having eternal life. You won't have to worry about this deadline any more.
Taxes are usually paid by the head of the household, and when the head of the household pays the taxes for that household, everyone in that family is relieved of any obligation when the tax deadline comes along. Salvation, however, is on an individual basis. Your parents' being saved will do you no good if, when God's deadline comes, your sins haven't been washed away by the blood of His Son. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. Nothing else will do!
You may wait until the last minute to file your income tax return and get by with it, but that won't be the case if you try to wait until the last minute to meet God's deadline since you do not know the exact date of that deadline. "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. The risks of waiting even a minute longer are far too great. Accept Him now!