Anyway, I didn't grow up reading a lot. In fact, I think I must've been a fairly poor reader in school, even through my high school years as I was put in special classes during English to help improve my reading skills. But after graduation, I began reading a lot for pleasure, not just because I was being forced to. Over the years, I've become an avid reader and my skills have improved. I still don't like having to read directions or learn some new skill from a book, but I do enjoy reading to increase my knowledge about things. I have bookcases full of books on crafts, sewing, history, autobiographies, biographies, missionaries, religious themes, cooking, baking, poetry . . . and on and on it goes! Books have become a big part of my life. I love to go to the book store and just browse and pull titles off the shelves to flip through. There is so much to learn about! There are so many stories to read and be touched by! And it's kinda fun looking at pictures, too. I especially like the picture/coffee table books about other counties! Amazing photographs of places I would love to visit.
My very favorite book is a novel by Christian author Francine Rivers. It is called Reddeming Love and is a love story based on the book of Hosea from the Bible. I have read it numerous times and I always come away rejoicing in the fact that, like Hosea (in the Bible) and Michael (the main character of Rivers' novel), God's love is a redeeming love for those who did not love Him first.
This morning it was quiet around my house as everyone had gone off to . . . somewhere! When it's quiet like that, it gives me time to just think about things and one of the things that was running through my mind today was that God has a book that one day will be read to us. It's the Lamb's Book of Life. In this book is written the name of everyone that Has ever been born into His family. One of these days, this book will be opened and He will read from it. Those whose names are not there will be cast out of God's presence and into the lake of fire. I believe that many will be shocked and saddened that their name will not be found there.
There is a congregational song that we sing at church and it never fails to bless my soul. It is called I know My Name is There. The second stanza says:
My name once stood with sinners lost,
And bore a painful record;
But by His blood the Savior crossed,
And placed it on His roll.
Oh how I rejoice and praise God that my name is on that roll! My name is written in that Lamb's Book of Life! God has my name written down in Heaven in a book! That means He knows my name and one day He'll call me out of that book! On days when I'm down and discouraged, all I need do is reflect on that simple fact . . . I know my name is there! He wrote it down the moment I received His dear Son as my Redeemer.
There are many, too many, people in this world who cannot say that there name is there. Or they will tell you that no one can know for sure. I don't know which saddens me the most . . . those who are not written there or those whose names are there but do not have that assurance in their hearts because they think that keeping their salvation is all dependent on their works. Those works do not matter when it comes to finding your name in the Book. Christ told some of His followers in Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Anyone can do works in the name of Christ, but not everyone has their name written down in His book . . . and that is all that truly counts.
Reader, God wants to write your name in that Book. He wants to read your name out of that Book one day in the very near future. Do you know that your name will be read aloud on that day? That's food for thought in your quiet times.
Love,
Julia
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