January 3, 2023
Free Gifts Are Great
A local radio station has a free giveaway of different items from local businesses as a part of its advertising. The DJ on the radio always says something like, “you can’t win if you don’t enter” as a part of his pitch to get people to enter the drawing for the item to be given away.
One morning they were giving away this device that picks up pine cones. Since we have a lot of pine trees in the yard where the parsonage is located, I thought that would be a great thing to own. I had looked at them in the hardware store and they were a little bit more expensive than I wanted to spend on a tool to pick up pine cones.
So I called the station and entered my name into the drawing. To my shock and surprise, I won the drawing. My luck doesn’t usually run that way. So I went to the business and picked up my pine cone picker-upper. It really is a neat tool with springs on a long handle and it works great to pick up pine cones.
It was a couple of years ago that I won this tool but even now when I use it I kind of smile and think how great it is to use it because I got it for free. I know that it costs the business something to provide it but for me using this item and knowing that it was free makes me even more satisfied.
When we consider the “free” gift of salvation we have to consider that it cost God the life of His only begotten son Jesus – so it wasn’t really free. Jesus paid the price for our sins in full on the cross of Calvary. But we get to enjoy all of the benefits of this salvation. Here on Earth, we get the peace of knowing that we are saved and on the way to Heaven. We get to enjoy being filled with the Holy Spirit and having the peace of God that passes all understanding. Then one day we will be able to enjoy all of the benefits of Heaven.
Of course, like the radio DJ says, “You can’t win if you don’t enter.” In the drawing for the tool, there was only one person’s name drawn from all of the folks whose names were entered. But when you enter your name into the Lamb’s Book of Life by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior YOU WILL get the gift of abundant and eternal life. Everyone who accepts Jesus will get the free gift of abundant life here and then eternal life in Heaven.
So don’t miss out. Make sure that your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life by asking Jesus Christ into your heart and life. “You can’t get to Heaven if you don’t have your name in the book.” In love with Jesus – Gary Mimbs