Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

"Prepare to meet your God…"¹

I have read how "in 1976, Indiana University's basketball team won the NCAA National Championship, led by Bobby Knight. A short time later, Coach Knight was interviewed on the television show 60 Minutes. The commentator asked him, 'Why is it, Bobby, that your basketball teams at Indiana are always so successful? Is it the will to succeed?'

"'The will to succeed is important,' replied Bobby Knight, 'but I'll tell you what's more important, it's the will to prepare. It's the will to go out there EVERY day, training and building those muscles and sharpening those skills!'

"Whether we are talking about sports, or education or science or business or any worthwhile endeavor in life, success goes to the person who has the will to prepare."

One thing I sought to teach my sons when they were growing up is that they can pretty much do anything they want to do with their lives providing they are willing to prepare well enough and work hard enough. Unfortunately, this principle may not be true in some countries, but it was and still is where we live.

And never is this principle more applicableâ€"no matter where we liveâ€"when it comes to being prepared for life after death. This is because "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."² How tragic it would be to go through life without preparing for eternity, when we have the opportunity today to receive Jesus as our Savior and accept God's full and free pardon for all our sin and, in so doing, receive God's gift of salvation and eternal life.

So whatever you do, don't leave earth without doing this! Remember, too, that "opportunity comes to passâ€"not to pause." And as God has said in His Word, the Bible, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."³

NOTE: For further help, be sure to read, How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for Your Word, the Bible, that shows how to prepare for eternity. And thank You for providing Your great salvation by giving Your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins. Help me to know for certain that my sins are forgiven and that I am prepared for eternity. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Amos 4:12 (NKJV).
2. Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV).
3. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NKJV).

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