Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

³⁰  “The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go.

 ³¹  “Which of the two did the will of his father?”  They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.

 ³²  “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him;  but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him;  and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.”  Matthew 21:28-32.  

I read somewhere that our lives are divided into halves.  Many people eagerly pursue their own desires of “success” that they measure by riches and fulfillment of their lusts with the first half of their life.   Many, like the second son, continue that pursuit through the second half of their life as well.  Others may also eagerly pursue their own desires of “success” that they measure by riches and fulfillment of their lusts with the first half of their life, but, like the first son and also like the tax collectors and prostitutes who did listen to John the Baptist, they repent and turn back to God and pursue the “significance” of following God with the second half of their life.        

This story is simple but true and important.  Most of us have two chances, two halves to our lives.  It is obviously best that we should do the will of our Father in Heaven with our first chance, in our youth, and continue to do so in both halves of our lives.  But, if we find that we are like the first son and the tax collectors and the prostitutes who has refused to work for our Father in Heaven, there is still hope.  We can repent, turn around our lives, and serve our Father in Heaven with our second chance in the second half of our lives.    

However, it should be noted that not all of us will be given two chances and two halves to our life.  Other Scripture and our observations show us that some may lose their life much earlier than what they expect.  Lamentations 3:25-28 teaches us to seek God and work for Him in our youth:

^“25  The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
         To the person who seeks Him. 
 ²⁶  It is good that he waits silently
         For the salvation of the LORD. 
 ²⁷  It is good for a man that he should bear
         The yoke in his youth. 
  ²⁸  Let him sit alone and be silent
         Since He has laid it on him.”  Lamentations 3:25-28.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 states:  “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”;”.

But, if we have not born the yoke of our Lord in our youth, there may be hope.  If we have not remembered our Creator in the days of our youth, there may be hope.  You may have second chance.  There may be a second half to your life.  But, don’t wait!  Repent!  Turn your life around!!  Work for God!!!  James 4:14 warns us:  “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”