She had already made quite an impression on me during the worship service, and now, during the coffee afterwards she approached me for a talk. I hesitate to guess a woman’s age, but she was not, by any stretch of imagination neither young nor middle aged. And yet so full of life and spiritual vitality. She loved Jesus, and she could not keep quiet about it.
‘I was a missionary in India for ten years’ she told me. ‘We went into villages that had never heard the name of Jesus, and we saw people saved, healed and freed from evil spirits’. ‘Hallelujah’ I responded, leaving her room to continue. Continue she did, but I had not expected what came next. There was a twist in her story that through which the Spirit spoke to me and told me to share what I heard.
‘When I was 18 years old, God called me to go abroad as a missionary’ she continued her story, ‘but then other things happened’. She did not go, she got married and time passed. Later, she got ill and fell into a depression to the extent of being suicidal. For 10 years she was not well, but by the grace of God, she was brought out of her darkness and into his glorious light. And then, at the age of 58, she finally lived out the call God had given her in her youth, and spent the next ten years in India, proclaiming the gospel in word and power, bringing Jesus to the people and the people to Jesus.
58 years old – 40 years after God had called her. It was at that moment the Spirit spoke: Tell them that it is not too late!
For you, who heard a specific call from God, but somehow never got round to acting on it – It is not too late!
For you, who heard a call to apply, or maybe re-apply for officership, but never went through with it – It is not too late!
For you who live with a broken relationship, with a mother or father, a son or daughter, a previous precious friend, you can stretch out your hand in reconciliation - It is not too late!
For you, who have been paralysed not to act by the voice of the prince of lies telling you, over and over again ‘it is too late, you should have done it then’. Now, instead, listen to the voice of the Prince of Peace telling you: It is not too late!
I don’t know who ‘them’ or ‘you’ are, but I felt the Spirit said: Tell them that it is not too late.
Paul said it this way: ‘I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.’
Yesterday is gone, and no amount of thinking or regretting can change it, but God’s love is new today - today is the day of salvation.
Tomorrow is dangerous, because often tomorrow never comes. Today you will say ‘Tomorrow’, and again tomorrow you will say ‘tomorrow’ and so push the time of God’s favour ahead of you instead of receiving it.
‘Forget the former things’ the Lord says ‘don’t dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!’. The very next word through the prophet is ‘Now!’ It is today that is the time of God’s favour. God is stretching out his hand towards you today, inviting you to grab it, and telling you ‘It is not too late’.
With Paul I pray and plead: ‘Do not receive God’s favour in vain.’ Don’t postpone it till tomorrow, don’t wait for someone else to act first.
Make that call, write that mail, fill in that application – today is the day of salvation.
Now is the time of God’s favour – it is not too late!
Now may the God of peace…
equip you with all you need for doing his will.
May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever!
Amen!
2. Cor. 6:2
Isaiah 43:18-19
2. Cor. 6:1
Hebrews 13:20-21