8/3/21 Day 17

TODAY'S VERSE: 8/3/21 Day 17

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” - Ephesians 2:8-9

 

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

A high school friend of mine called several years ago and wanted to meet for lunch. After spending much of our time reminiscing about the humorous (and not so humorous) times of high school, he suddenly became serious. He said, “I have been fighting cancer now for about ten years, I think this bout is going to get me. So, I am planning for my funeral, and would like for you to give the homily.”

Since such a conversation is uncomfortable, my first response was typical, “I am sure you will outlive me.”  “No,” he insisted,” I can sense it is soon time for me, and it is important for me to be ready.”

I asked him, “What do you want me to say?” He said, “two themes.” First, I want you to tell everyone that I knew where I was going when I died. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, I know that I will live with him. Say this right up front. And then I would like for you to talk about my favorite hymn, which is Amazing Grace.”

So, we began to study the hymn together, meeting every couple of months. We found that the hymn was written by one of the most despicable people in history, a slave trader named John Newton. He would kidnap people from their homes and take them across the ocean and sell them as commodities. There was no grace in his life.

But, then one day he was caught in a terrible storm on the high seas, the boat was in danger of swamping. He cried out in panic, “Jesus if you save me from this storm, I will become a priest.”  It took a while, but eventually he became an Anglican priest.  

One day he was writing a sermon and he coined these words, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, twas blind but now I see.”  But the verse that spoke most directly to Tom, who had lived a rather turbulent life, was the third stanza, “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

So that became his funeral sermon, he knew where he was going because of the cross of Christ, and the same grace which brought him safe thus far, would soon also lead him home.

It is by God’s amazing grace that we are kept safe and that will eventually lead us home. Praise God!

Pastor Merv Thompson



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