A nobleman was imprisoned in a dark tower, condemned to die at dawn. He knew that his life was coming to an end. There was no possibility of escape, and the sentence had already been pronounced. He had only one night remaining. That evening, a bundle of letters was delivered to his cell. He opened the first letter and immediately recognised the handwriting. It was from his bitterest enemy. The letter contained cruel words. His enemy mocked him, rejoiced over his coming death, and reminded him that by morning his life would be over. The nobleman became angry and deeply offended. In his pride and bitterness, he refused to read another word. “If that is the kind of message these letters contain,” he thought, “I want nothing more to do with them.” In anger, he threw the remaining letters into the fire.
Among those letters was an official document that could have changed everything. His faithful friends had pleaded for his life, and the king had granted him a full pardon. Earlier that evening a horse man had galloped over with this life changing letter. So the pardon was there in his cell—but the nobleman never knew. He had allowed one hateful letter to make him reject every other message. At dawn, the guards came. The nobleman was taken from his cell and executed. He died believing that there was no hope, when in fact a pardon had already been secured for him. It was only after his room was cleaned that the letter was discovered among his belongings.
What a tragic story! Yet there is a solemn spiritual lesson in it. Many people are doing something similar with the bible. They have the opportunity to read it for themselves but pride or peer pressure stops them. Maybe what they have heard something that offends their pride. Perhaps they do not like being told that they are sinners. Perhaps they think they are good enough without Christ. Perhaps they have been disappointed by religion or by Christians. Perhaps they simply do not want to think about death and eternity. So they push the Bible aside. But what if, by rejecting the Bible, they are also rejecting the very message that could bring them forgiveness and eternal life? The Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” in Romans 3:23. Yet the Gospel brings wonderful message of pardon for Jesus Christ came to save sinners. He died upon the cross and rose again so that those who trust in Him might have forgiveness and eternal life.
Another danger is not merely refusing to read the Bible, it is procrastinating. A person may say, “I will read it tomorrow.” Another says, “When I am older, I will become a Christian.” Someone else says, “I have plenty of time.” However, tomorrow is not promised. The Bible warns us, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” in Proverbs 27:1. No one is sure of tomorrow, it may never come. That is why God says, “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” in 2 Corinthians 6:2. Notice the word now. Salvation is not something to postpone until a more convenient time. We cannot know how long we will live, when death will come, or what circumstances tomorrow may bring. James reminds us that our life is “even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” in James 4:14. The nobleman had the pardon in his hands, but he never opened it. Do not make the same mistake. Do not allow pride, anger, busyness, fear, or procrastination to keep you from opening God’s Word and hearing His invitation. Christ offers forgiveness and pardon to those who come to Him in repentance and faith. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” Isaiah exhorts in chapter 55:6. If God is speaking to your heart today, do not say, “Tomorrow.” For today is the day of salvation.
P. Pilgrim pilgrimway101@yahoo.com
