Meditation for Monday
Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25
It’s a cold and windy winter day, and you make your way carefully across the ice on a wide river, as you take a shortcut to your destination. Suddenly, your worst fears materialize: the ice beneath your feet cracks and crunches, and you plunge into the frigid waters! The chill of the water almost paralyzes you, and all around you are pieces of the broken ice, giving you nothing to seize onto as you try to reach a safe edge. You scream for help as you flounder helplessly in the water. Suddenly, I appear, with a large pole with a loop, which I place around you, and draw you up onto the solid ice. I have saved you! But then, I turn and with a wave walk away to the opposite shore, leaving you in your wet clothing in the bitter winter cold, with frostbite a certainty and survival questionable. I have saved you, but I have not saved you to the uttermost. To save you to the uttermost, I must wrap you in warm clothing and rush you to a warm and dry place to recover safely from your ordeal. How wonderful to know that the salvation the Lord Jesus provided for us is to the uttermost!
Remember when you first trusted the Saviour, how relieved you were to discover that He bore your punishment at Calvary, and you are set free from the guilt and judgment. The wrath of God was no longer before you. Being delivered from that wrath that you knew you deserved was something to sing about. And you sang. You also sang about the wonderful anticipation of Heaven and the presence of the Lord Who died to save you. You could rejoice in knowing that Heaven is your eternal home, because the Lord Jesus had saved you to the uttermost. But there is another uttermost to our salvation, and some of it depends on ourselves.
Suppose after I had pulled you from the river, you turned to me and said, ‘I’m OK now, I can make it by myself.’ How foolish that would be! Maybe you could make it, but it wouldn’t be easy, and there would be no guarantee you would survive. You need someone with you capable of looking after you. Every day that you and I climb out of bed, we are in need of help and support for that day. If we allow Him to do so, our Lord gives us everything we need to survive for the day. He feeds our souls and comforts us from His Word. He warms our hearts in the company of His dear people. He fills our hands with useful and profitable work for Himself. He gives us hope and purpose as every day, He saves us to the uttermost. He does this for them that come unto God by Him. We won’t have a good day if we don’t come unto Him for His daily salvation.
Our Lord and Saviour is interceding for us with his Father today. It’s all part of our salvation. Are we coming to Him to receive it? – Jim MacIntosh