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Claiming the Will - Part 5 - The Benefactor
by Jerry Ousley There's a story of a fellow we'll call "Old Joe." Old Joe lived a life of poverty. His home, if you could call it that, was made in an old abandoned shack located on the grounds of a factory that had closed many years before. Joe had a very bad attitude. Because of his poverty he felt like everyone hated him and so he in turn hated everyone else. If you spoke to Joe he'd more than likely return conversation with an onslaught of profanity and insults. Joe made his living by stealing. He stole small items that most people wouldn't report. Sometimes he'd steal food and sometimes things that he could sell to raise a little money with which to buy food. One day a man knocked on Joe's door. Joe greeted the man with "What do you want! Just get out of here and leave me alone!" The man could see that Joe didn't want him there so he simply said, "Okay; I've come to deliver a letter to you." As he held it up Joe snatched from his hand and then slammed the door in the man's face. Joe wasn't interested in a letter. He tore it open but it seemed like a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo to him so he threw it on the floor in the corner and left it lay for a long time. Later, his curiosity got the best of him and he picked up the letter and began to read it. It stated that he was the sole survivor of an uncle. He barely remembered this uncle. The letter went on to say that his uncle was a wealthy man a millionaire and that it now all belonged to Joe. All he had to do was to appear before the court and claim his inheritance. It meant that Joe would no longer have to live in the old run-down shack. It meant that he could get rid of the rags he called clothes. It meant that he'd never have to steal again. But Joe didn't believe it. Instead he believed that it was a deception to get him to come to the court house. He reasoned that once he showed up they would arrest him and throw him into prison. So Joe never claimed his inheritance. He continued living in poverty, though he was really a rich man. Although this story seems hard to believe, there are many real-life incidents of people who never claimed an inheritance and consequently never got to enjoy what was rightfully theirs. It's like that in the Kingdom of God as well. The inheritance of God is equally for every man, woman, boy and girl who ever lived or ever will live. God loves each and every individual on this planet regardless of their race or circumstance. All have the opportunity to receive their inheritance from God. Sadly most people in this world will never claim their inheritance. Even though millions have come to Jesus Christ, according to the Bible most in this world will never acknowledge him as their Savior and so will not be the benefactor of God. They will choose instead to live in spiritual poverty. They will make the choice to receive eternal death rather than eternal life. It doesn't have to be that way. All it takes is a simple, but sincere choice. All we have to do is to realize who Jesus Christ is. We must come to know that He has given His all so that we may inherit all the things God wants us to have. It's a simple thing to come to the Lord. I emphasize that it may be simple but it must also be sincere from the heart a realization that it will change our lives forever. If you haven't come to Jesus Christ why don't you do it now? You may feel like you have to give up everything you are to live for Jesus, and you'd be right. But what you will find is that those rags you have called clothes (I'm speaking spiritually), that shack you have called home, you will leave for a beautiful mansion in Heaven and a robe that shines so brightly you'll wonder why you waited so long. Ask Jesus to forgive you. He will. Then you can claim your will. Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |