Rescued By Jesus

"Today's Devotion" For November 9, 2005

Read: Romans 2:1-11; I Timothy 1:12-17

RESCUED BY JESUS

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst." (I Tim. 1:15)

A few years ago, out in California, perhaps the most bizarre and incredible search ever in the annals of police work occurred in the quest to recover a stolen automobile. What made this particular event so different from most searches for stolen vehicles was the extraordinarily dangerous situation into which the car thief had unwittingly placed himself. While there was nothing uniquely or extraordinarily dangerous about the car itself, there was something very dangerous about a box of crackers sitting on the front seat. It seems that the owner of the automobile had a rat problem at home. He had purchased a package of saltines and had had them laced with rat poison at a pest control center. He was on his way home to bait the trap for the rats when his car was stolen. If the car thief got hungry and ate any of the crackers - well, it wouldn't be pretty.

In an extraordinarily bizarre attempt to save the thief, the police mounted an enormous, far reaching search for the vehicle. Announcements were run on local radio stations asking people to watch for the car and report it to authorities if they spotted it. The thief was asked to contact the police to at least let them know he'd heard the message and was alright, letting him know they were more concerned with saving his life than recovering the stolen car. I don't recall ever seeing a follow up to this particular story detailing the result. I suspect that since nothing more was reported that the message got through and the thief escaped with his life.

Running from the scene of a crime and trying to escape the consequences of one's actions is an all too common situation in life. People put themselves in mortal jeopardy when they run from God. God's call to repentance and faith in Jesus frequently falls on deaf ears and empty hearts. The message goes out loudly and clearly that God loves sinners and wants all to be saved from the power of Sin, Death, and Satan, and yet people, in their spiritual ignorance hope to escape the judgment that God says is the reality for disobedience to His Will, thus eluding their own rescue.

This picture includes you and me as well. We are certainly not exempt from such behavior ourselves. Even though, as God's redeemed children through faith in Jesus, we know we can't save ourselves or "fix" the brokenness of our lives and our world on our own, we are still subject to turning a deaf ear to God's call to repentance and the safe harbor of His forgiveness in Christ. Yet God's patience is incredible. He continues to call us to repentance and faith no matter how often we fail to heed His calling. By the power of His Word and Spirit He constant calls us to faith in Jesus. He reminds us daily that the solution to Sin's power to kill us and keep us from His love is Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead. Every day our Father in heaven calls us in our Baptisms - as we remember the washing of the Water and the Word - to hear His call, turn away from the destruction of Sin, and live in Him. Just as St. Paul did, each of us is led to acknowledge by faith that "I am the chief of sinners." In that confession we are also led to stop running from God's grace and love so that we might live lives that are filled up with all His blessings and a testimony to those around us of His indescribable love so they, too, might be rescued for eternity.

Prayer: Father, heeding Your call to repentance and faith is always a daily struggle in my life. So many things seek to pull me away from You and Your love for me in Jesus. Help me to repent of my sins each day so that I might fully receive Your forgiveness in Christ and live. Rescue me by the power of Your Word and Spirit that I don't seek my spiritual nourishment from the ways of the world but from You alone. Fill me with Your love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness that I might always hear Your call to me, obey Your will, and serve Your love by reaching out to others in Jesus' name. Keep me from all the temptations and destructive behaviors that would lead me to avoid rescue from my sins. Hear me gracious Father in the name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Boeck

Copyright ©2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.