DEVOTION// Your stepladder is too short

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

A "Free" Find

The other morning I was on my daily walk. On my way home, I happened on a house where the owner had set out a stepladder with a "FREE" sign.

I looked it over; it was better than the one in my garage. I decided I would tote it home.

I must have looked a funny sight to my neighbors as I worked to get my new-found treasure home. A stepladder can get really heavy in three blocks...

The "Grand" Stepladder?

As I thought about my escapade, it struck me how that might be a picture of the lives of people who don't know Jesus. Man-made religions are like little stepladders that people use to try to get closer to God.

The Tower of Babel might be the first stepladder if you think about it. These people had the presumption to think they could find their own way to God through their own ingenuity, work, and skill. That "grand" experiment did not turn out as they imagined.

Counting on your stepladder?

In a far less "grand" manner, millions are toting around their stepladders to try to find a way to God. Maybe it's ancestor worship, maybe it's "good works" living, or "generous giving." But sadly, those small stepladders won't bring a person into a right relationship with God. Romans 3:23 reminds us, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Jesus - God's answer

Thankfully, our loving God has provided the one and only answer. It is Jesus who bridges the gap we can't.

Acts 4:12 makes it clear: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. While we could never do enough to gain heaven, Jesus — in love for the whole world — made it accessible to us.

What a great Savior. What an amazing free gift!

Pray that many will drop their own little stepladders and be moved by God's Spirit to embrace the free gift the Lord Jesus has provided.

Prayer

Lord, our sins separate us from you. It's easy for us to be fooled into thinking we can do something about it. In Jesus, you have provided all we need. Your love is revealed in Him. Lead us to embrace this truth and always be ready to share it with others. Amen.