You and I live in amazing times.  We have seen more changes in our lifetime than in the passage of all time  up until the 20th Century.  As of now, it shows no signs of slowing down, so hold on to your hats!  One of the most recent innovations is the e-reader.  I took the plunge and got a Kindle for Christmas this year.  After the frustration of waiting several hours for Amazon's database to catch up to all the new Kindle registrations, I finally got on board!!

I went into the "bookstore" site and decided on a couple of titles to download into my new reader.  It was astounding how quickly several hundred pages of text became available; less than 60 seconds to download a 350-plus page book!  I now had instantaneous access to literally millians of items of print material, if I so choose.  Even a few years ago this would have been unheard of.

The arrival of Jesus on earth had a similar impact.  For hundreds of years God's people had limited access to God.  He had come to them and led them from captivity in Egypt, traveling with them in His holy presence as a pillar of smoke and fire.  He had made His home in the Ark of the Covenant for a while.  A more permanent dwelling was erected as the Temple was constructed painstakingly over many years.

Still, the people would only hear from God through prophets, and be connected to Him through the priests.  This was the system for many, many years.  As effective as it was, this was not God's ultimate plan.  He, too, wanted His children to have a greater experience.  His Word would soon become much more concrete, more real, to those who sought Him.

In a move that rivals the internet, email, and e-readers, Jesus Christ, the Word of God, came to earth to dwell among men.  The 'wait time' for interaction with God had been dramatically shortened!  Men and women spoke with, ate with, walked with the Lord God every day.  His message was delivered instantaneously.

Despite the advancements, even as ours today, the critical question is this: what will you do with what you have been given?  I can use my Kindle to be entertained, to be enriched, or to be educated; or I can use it as a doorstop.  The Word of God, available to you right now, at any given moment, can be useful to you in discipling, in rebuking, in educating, or in lifting up; or it can be ignored and left lying on the table.

God has given you all you need.  He has done for you everything necessary for salvation.  But you have to choose to use what He provided.  It is up to you to accept the free gift of grace, available immediately, or to reject it.  In this new year you have once more the opportunity for a fresh start.  We never know how many more chances we will have!  Will you think this over?  Will you allow God to be in your lives more fully, on a more regular basis?  Life is meant to be lived fully with the abundance of goodness Christ brings.

I pray the best for you as we face 2012 together.  May the Lord find ways to bless you that you never thought possible!

Learn more about Salem Evangelical Reformed Church online: www.salemhellers.com