Mayday ~ Mark Balmer

Based on “The Reality of Hell” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 10/24-25/09,

Message #MB394; Daily Devotional #3 - “Mayday”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Back in the early twenties, a British radio officer was asked to come up with a universal distress signal in case of emergency. Due to the geographic location of most air travel, a French word was chosen with a meaning of “(you) come help me.” We know this word as “mayday.” Today this signal is used by air, land, and sea captains, but only when there is impending danger to the lives under their care. If you were on a plane that suddenly lost power or a ship that quickly lost control to a violent sea, chances are good you would be yelling for help. But who would you be calling out to? Who could save you from such grave danger? And two ‘what if’s’ – What if you were saved? Would you change anything about the way you live? Thoughts race through your mind about family, friends, and all the things you’ve done, both good and bad. What if you were not saved and perished at that moment? At this point, it’s too late. Are you prepared to meet God in your current state of heart?

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): In Luke 16, Jesus speaks of a rich man and a beggar. This rich man dressed in the finest clothes and ate like a king every day. He seemed to have everything a man could want, never going without. The beggar was physically ill and perfectly satisfied to simply eat of the crumbs from the rich man’s table. During his lifetime, the rich man focused on physical, material, or earthly possessions, not thinking anything about his spiritual, or eternal, life. When the rich man died and was buried, he immediately went to a place where he was separated from God. He cried out for help, but it was too late for him to be saved from his despair. On the other hand, the beggar was content with the lot he had been given in life, and was carried off by the angels when he died (Luke 16:22). The name of the rich man is never mentioned in this story. Perhaps because he is an example for anyone who believes that success and happiness come from the will and desire to make it happen. The world at large follows this pattern, deceived by Satan, who leads them into blinding darkness. The beggar was empty-handed on earth, but greatly rewarded after he died. His name, Lazarus, means “my God is help.” The rich man had no peace, no comfort, and no hope, and died without God—not because he was rich, but because he believed in his riches. One might look at Lazarus and say that he had no life as a beggar, on the street, with no money, no food, and poor health—not because he did anything wrong, but because of life circumstances. Even in the midst of his poverty, he had the abundant life—he would be in Heaven with God forever. Lazarus’ mayday call was not in a moment of fear, but a moment of peace and humility. His death was the beginning of a life of eternal blessings.

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Faith in nothing is faith in something. Everyone puts their trust in someone or something, be it a job, money, or even self. The belief is that they are smart enough, strong enough, or special enough to overcome obstacles and defy God’s commands. One out of one people will die, and we all have an appointment to meet our Maker (Amos 4:12). Satan is always watching and waiting to make a move to distract us, to confuse us, and to deceive us away from God’s love and mercy. We see through the eyes of lies until God draws us to Him (John 6:44). Once we are drawn, our vision is restored so that we see through the eyes of truth, no longer blinded by the angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). The bad news is that all of humanity has the sin DNA of Adam that cannot be changed by any natural act of man. The Good News is that God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to replace our terminal condition with an eternal condition (John 3:16)—the supernatural act of God. We can yell ‘mayday’ to Jesus, and He has promised to come and save us from life’s perils. The truth is, our planes and boats are all going down. You can’t save yourself. Time is running out. Are you prepared to meet God today?

• Are you the “rich man” or the beggar?
• Are you afraid of death or too proud to ask for help?
• What do you believe?

Cultivating (Additional Reading): Psalm 49:12-13; John 10:10; Hebrews 2:14-15