Daily Devotional for December 31, 2018
Thick or Thin
When Grandpa pulled up some photos of his recent ice-fishing trip on his phone, Naomi could hardly believe her eyes. “You mean you drove right out onto the ice, Grandpa?”
“Yes, I did,” Grandpa replied. “I drove out onto the lake and fished through a hole in the ice.”
“But you said Dad almost lost his life one time because he trusted the ice. He walked out onto a frozen river when he was a kid and fell through!”
Naomi’s dad smiled. “The difference between my danger on that river and Grandpa’s safety on the lake was the thickness of the ice. Unlike the river ice that day, the lake ice was very thick, and Grandpa was in no danger.”
“Right!” Grandpa raised an eyebrow. “Do you know what this reminds me of?”
Naomi’s dad laughed. “Knowing you, I expect you’re thinking of something taught in the Bible, right?”
Grandpa chuckled. “Yes. It reminds me of our faith in Jesus. You see, Naomi, no matter how much faith your father had in the river ice, it wouldn’t hold him up. On the other hand, even if I were nervous and doubtful, the lake ice would support me. No matter how I felt about it, it was thick and strong.”
“So what’s the lesson?” Naomi asked.
“That our feelings are not as important as what we’re putting our faith in,” explained Grandpa. “Some people feel sure doing good things will get them to heaven—but that’s like trusting thin ice that won’t hold. Other people know they’re sinners who are unworthy of God’s love. They know God loves them anyway and that Jesus died to save them, so they put their trust in Him. But sometimes, when they do something wrong, they wonder if they’re really saved. Jesus is like the thick, strong ice. When you trust in Him, you’re safe.”
“Even though you may not always feel like a Christian?” Naomi asked. “Sometimes I feel that way when I’ve done something wrong. But God says I’m a Christian because I trust Jesus as my Savior, and He’ll forgive me for all my sins, right?”
“Exactly!” said Grandpa. “Even when your faith is weak, Jesus is strong. He’ll always support you and keep you safe.” – Susan S. Arcand
How about you?
What are you putting your faith in? Do you think the good things you do will get you into heaven? That’s like trusting thin ice that can’t hold you up. God says your good deeds won’t save you. Jesus died to pay the price for your sin, and only He can save you and give you eternal life. Put your faith in Him. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.)
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