It was the day I received an empty envelope from my uncle that I knew the value of a letter - the envelope was well addressed, with the proper postage stamp, but there was nothing inside.
We all receive letters from time to time, and yet, little do we realize the spiritual lesson we can learn from letters.
Before we take our letters to the Post Office we must have gotten (apart from the ink and paper) an envelope as well as a stamp (or the money for it) ready.
It is then we proceed to write to whoever we aim at. On finishing, we put the written letter in an envelope and drop it in the postbox where the Postmaster cares for the letter so as to get it going. The affixed postage stamp is stamped and thus rendered unfit for any other fellow's use.
The envelope, together with the stamp, takes the letter to its owner; who, glad for being written to, proceeds straightway to open the envelope. The envelope may be torn, cut or carefully opened (whichever is convenient) to get the letter out. The bearer - the envelope with the affixed stamp - is dropped into the dustbin after being squeezed and there its journey ends. As for the letter, a suitable time and place are secured to carefully go through the message therein.
This is exactly what we are - a letter sent to the world by God enclosed in an envelope - the body. To this we add our own stamp of decoration and cherish. We give it (the body) all the necessary postages - travelling far and near, achieving much or less in the social, economic, educational, and cultural trends of this world. We are so bent on these that we forget that the only thing of value in us is the soul.
By and large we get to the "hands" of our receiver - death - who makes void all our prestige, ranks, and files by dropping us into the dustbin of the body - the grave. This he (death) does after tearing our bodies in accidents and disasters, or by opening them carefully through sickness or any other means to expose our letters - the soul. He later passes this on to the hands of the Owner of the letters - the Almighty God - who goes on to find out what type of message we have in the letter.
Your life may not be empty (as you see it). You might have been engaged in all types of events that make life apparently promising. Sometimes you might have dismissed an invitation of a friend with the words: “I am occupied, so please have me excused” But in God's estimate you were busy doing nothing.
When you are at last faced with the question of all eternity: “What have you done with the blood of Jesus?” You will want to go back to the world to retrace your journey: and then you will remember that the "postage stamp" is already rendered void and out of use for any return journey. When you appear before the Judge who says “…Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41), you will beg for mercy, but it will be too late.
The next voice you will hear will be: “Behold, when your life was whole it was used for nothing: how much less when it is in eternal fire can it ever be used for anything!" When the Almighty Lord sets His face against you, you will realize the value of what a life you have lived.
Oh dear reader! as you are considering these things, why don't you give your heart to Christ who says, “…him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Why not acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior before your soul - the letter - gets to His hands? Remember, "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17). What profit does it give you to continue decorating the envelope (your body) with all care and find out at the end of your life's journey that the letter (your soul) is what the Receiver values? “…for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:19).
Confess to Jesus the worthlessness of your past life and accept Him as the right owner of your life before your life-long letter is released by the fierce bands of death and you are face to face with God.
Will you do that? Do so today. Today is the time acceptable. Tomorrow’s light may meet you in the presence of the Lord’s judgement throne!