Never forget what’s been done for you

Lenten Devotional- Day 35

God's Word: And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. (Luke 11:15-17)

Story: A severe potato famine occurred in the 19th century motivating many of the Irish to come to the New World to find new opportunities. One of the stories that came out of these events is about a little boy who did not have the money to pay his fare to board a ship to the New World. But, he secretly boarded the ship anyway becoming a stow-away.

As the ship was traveling on the high seas it ran into an iceberg and began to sink. Passengers began filling the lifeboats to escape to safety. At first the little boy, who had been hiding in the hull of the ship, was not aware of what was going on. When he realized what was happening, he rushed up to the deck and saw the captain taking the last seat in the last lifeboat. In the highest tradition of the sea, the captain got out of the lifeboat and gave the boy his seat. As the lifeboat pulled away the captain said to the boy, “Never forget what’s been done for you.”

The boy became successful in the New World and was asked the secret of his motivation. He said, “Whenever I begin to doubt myself or let up from what I ought to be doing, I always remember a captain standing on a deck and saying, “ Never forget what’s been done for you.”

Meditation: YOU and I are much like that little boy! ALL of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and the “ship” onto which we have boarded is sinking, headed for destruction (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Noticing our plight, the “Captain” of the Universe- - Jesus Christ, the Son of God – willingly and lovingly gave His life that we might be saved (1 Thessalonians 5:10).

Steps to follow: Because of His death on the cross, WE can be saved from our sins when: we place our trust in Him (Hebrews 11:6), repent of our sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). “And He died for ALL, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Jesus will continue to cleanse those who continue to live for Him.

Prayer: The call from the cross of Calvary upon which Jesus died is, “Never forget what’s been done for you.” May each of us gratefully respond to that wonderful gift by submitting our lives to the One who died for us.