The Book of Life

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life: but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear; let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:5-6)

   When Miriam and I were in the Philippines we were able to meet the parents of one of my students who worked with Wycliffe Bible Translators. They were from Australia and were very gifted in translating Christian literature from English into Tagalog, the native Philippine language of Luzon and some other islands of the country. (Mindanao and some other islands have different languages.) Among other literature, they translated My Daily Bread into Tagalog every month.

   The father told me a story of a time when one of the radio broadcasts that his ministry was involved in was broadcasting in Thailand and the lesson being taught was about the necessity of being saved and having your name written in the Book of Life. The message was broadcast over a large area and included many areas where people have never heard the gospel message or even the name of Jesus spoken in their lifetime.

     Several months after the broadcast, there arrived at the mission headquarters in Manila a large box from a small village in Thailand. In the box were several ledgers with the names of everyone in the village and the surrounding countryside. The letter that accompanied the ledgers said that they had heard the radio program about the Book of Life and asked if the mission organization would please add the names of these villagers to the Book!

   At first the Wycliffe people were amused at the misunderstanding of the message but then realized what it was that God was telling them: these people are ready to receive someone to tell them the gospel!  They must dispatch missionaries to this village as soon as possible, and they did! Over the next few years hundreds of people in that region of Thailand heard the gospel and gave their lives to Jesus!

    The day that you accepted Christ your name was written in the Lambs Book of Life! It is written in permanent ink and can never be erased! It is something you can rejoice in everyday!  Remember that each beat of your heart and each breath you take is a gift from God and He loves you with a love that is beyond comprehension. Spend this day in service to the One who “will never leave you nor forsake you”  (Hebrews 13:5) and has “inscribed you on the palms of My hand.” (Isaiah 49:16)

   “And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.” (Philippians 4:3)

PRAY:

1.     Lord, thank you for saving me and writing my name on the palm of Your hand and in the Lambs Book of Life.

2.     Help me today to pray for those of my family and friends who do not know You and need to have their names written in Your book also.

Help me to find ways to talk to them about You and to demonstrate with my life what a great  and loving God You are!!