An old preacher told us that when he was a young man, he and his brother moved away from home to each learn a trade. The two brothers found a room in the city to rent. They moved a few things in, including a big alarm clock.
A clock was very necessary, because one of them had to be at work at 6:00 a.m. while the other did not begin until 9:00 a.m. The preacher telling us the story was the one who began work at 9:00.
The alarm was set for 5:00 a.m., and the old preacher could still remember those first few mornings. The alarm went off with such an awful clang that it nearly scared them out of their wits, and he could not get back to sleep at all. This continued for several mornings, but gradually it became easier for him to get back to sleep. And do you know that by the end of the first month he no longer heard that clanging alarm clock or his brother getting up and getting dressed for work. He slept right through all of it!
Boys and girls, this is exactly what happens when we go to Sunday school and read and hear about Jesus loving us and coming to die for us. We sing, “Hear Christ calling, Come unto Me, I will give you rest,” and we ignore Him and go away forgetting about Him. Over and over we are invited to “Come to the Saviour, make no delay.” We read in the Bible that “Whosoever will may come,” and we know a decision must be made, either to come to Christ or to reject Him. God allows us to hear the message often, because He is “long-suffering . . . , not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). But the truth is, the more often we hear the message and ignore it, the sooner we no longer hear the call at all. Then we finally sing the words and hear the message, but our minds are closed to it.
It’s an awful thing for any who have rejected or ignored the only Saviour of sinners and His gift of eternal life, and no longer hear the warning of danger. Yet, still today He stands at your heart’s door, knocking, sometimes gently, but often loudly and urgently. Listen to what He is saying: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man [woman, boy or girl] hear My voice, and open the door, I WILL COME IN to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
But only you can open the door to let Him in. Will you receive Him today?
ML-12/24/1995