Better Late Than Never
Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2
Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2
I was late this morning. As I drove too fast, hoping not to be late for my meeting, I thought that I only went through a yellow light at the intersection.
But I soon saw a police car flashing its lights behind me, so I pulled over. The officer came up alongside my car and asked if I knew I had gone through a red light. I tried to explain that I was trying not to be late for a meeting.
He replied politely, “Sir, I am not going to give you a ticket this time, but remember it is always better late than never.”
I reflected a lot on those words: It is always better late than never. It is never too late to accept Jesus as your Savior. The thief who was dying on a cross next to Jesus might have thought it was too late to repent. But he tried anyway and said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him this way: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).
If we already believe in Jesus, we must know too that we continue to struggle with sin and need to repent daily. Peter, for example, was one of Jesus’ closest followers for three years but then pretended not to know him (Luke 22:54-62). Don’t let any sin or guilt draw you away or hold you back; come back to Jesus today!
Dear Lord, help us to remember that you will always accept us as we are, repentant sinners, and it is never too late for us to return to you. In your name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Jimmy Tai-On Lin
Rev. Jimmy Lin is the Chinese ministry leader of The Back to God Hour. With his staff in Palos Heights and Hong Kong, Rev. Lin has ministered to over 1.3 billion Chinese-speaking people around the world for 16 years through radio, literature, CD/DVD, Internet, and text message. His wife, Doris, is one of the translators of Today into the Chinese language, which now has a circulation of more than 45,000 copies.
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