October 5

Morning

So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. — 1 Kgs 19:8 BSB

All the strength that God graciously provides is meant for service—not for self-indulgence, boasting, or carelessness. When the prophet Elijah found the bread baked on the coals and the jar of water placed at his head while he lay under the juniper tree, he wasn’t given this provision to relax in comfort. No, he was given sustenance to journey for forty days and forty nights toward Horeb, the mountain of God.

When Jesus invited His disciples to “Come and dine” with Him, after the meal, He gave Peter a command: “Feed My sheep,” and then, “Follow Me.” Likewise, we are nourished by the bread of heaven so that we can serve in the Master's work. We come to the Lord's table and partake of the Passover Lamb, and as we do, we are to be prepared for action, dressed and ready to go wherever He leads us, immediately putting to use the strength we receive.

Some Christians enjoy receiving from Christ but are slow to live for Christ. Earth is meant to be a preparation for heaven, and heaven is the place where saints will feast the most and work the most. In heaven, they serve Him day and night in His temple, sustained by heavenly food and offering perfect service.

Believer, in the strength you receive daily from Christ, labor for Him. Many of us have yet to fully understand why the Lord gives us His grace. We are not meant to hoard the precious truths we learn, like the Egyptian mummy who held wheat for centuries without sowing it to grow. We must sow the seeds of truth and water them.

Why does the Lord send rain to refresh the earth and sunlight to nourish it? Isn’t it so that crops can grow and provide food for people? In the same way, God feeds and refreshes our souls so that we can use our renewed strength to promote His glory!

Evening

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. — Mark 16:16 BSB

Mr. MacDonald once asked the people of St. Kilda how a man must be saved. An old man answered, “We’ll be saved if we repent, forsake our sins, and turn to God.” A middle-aged woman added, “Yes, and we must do so with a true heart.” Another person chimed in, “And with prayer.” Yet another said, “It must be the prayer of the heart.” Finally, someone said, “And we must diligently keep the commandments.”

Each person added their contribution, and they all looked to the preacher for approval. But instead, their words stirred deep pity in him.

The carnal mind always devises a way in which self can play a role and earn salvation, but God's way is the complete opposite. Salvation is not something to be achieved through effort, merit, or religious observances. Believing and being baptized are not actions to boast in—they are so simple that all boasting is excluded, and free grace is magnified.

Perhaps you, dear reader, are unsaved. What holds you back? Do you find the way of salvation as laid out in the Bible uncertain? How can that be when God Himself has guaranteed its truth? Do you think it’s too easy? If so, why not accept it? Its simplicity leaves no excuse for neglect. To believe is simply to trust, to rely upon Christ Jesus. To be baptized is to submit to the ordinance our Lord Himself observed at the Jordan, the same one the early believers followed at Pentecost, and the same one the jailer obeyed on the night of his conversion. Baptism doesn't save you, but it signifies our union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and should not be neglected.

Do you believe in Jesus? Then rest assured—you shall be saved. If you are still an unbeliever, remember there is only one door to salvation. If you refuse to enter through it, you will perish in your sins.