A Day of All Days

Thought For Today - July 20
A Day of All Days
 By: Robert A. Searles

“Good Friday“, was it just another day, or the most important day in all history? Because of what transpired over two thousand years ago in a far distant land, I am today, I am a free man, a rich man, and a son of a King for which I am eternally grateful. Christ came into the world to save sinners. Christ died for my sins according to the scriptures, he was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. I know that it was the very only begotten son of God who did this for me because he was declared to be the son of God by his resurrection. How wonderful it is to be saved, to know that God is your Father, and that heaven is your eternal home; but how awful it is to be lost! to be a wandering star forever, without hope; without direction; without a place of rest; wandering aimlessly through all eternity, suffering the pains and torments of an endless hell. How awful to be separated forever from all that is good, and pure, and lovely! How awful never to behold the beauty and the fragrance of a heavenly springtime; never to behold the brightness of God's glory; never to be comforted by the harmonic strains of the symphony of a holy life. To be forever condemned to the darkness of night where there is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, where the fire never ceaseth and the worm dieth not, how terrible that would be!

This need not be the destiny of any person whom God has called to salvation. Salvation is free to all who will believe and receive it by faith. Yes, my friend, as the songwriter, Mr. George Bernard has said one day long ago: "On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame: and I love that old cross, where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain. In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see; For it was on that old cross, Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown."  

But the cross was not the end. Christ the Lord is risen today, Hallelujah! what a Savior! The blessed hope of the believer is that Christ is risen, that he lives on high, and is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us, and that he is preparing a place for us, and will come again to receive us unto himself.
 
What a day of rejoicing it was for the early apostles when on the first day of the week, upon coming to the sepulcher, they found it empty, and being informed by the angels that he is not here, but he is risen as he said. What joys, we as believers have to look forward to when that long awaited day arrives, and the dead in Christ shall arise from their graves and all believers will be raised and reunited with Christ and our saved loved ones and forever be alive with Christ.