Can I ask you something? Are you a betting man or woman? Do you enjoy gambling? And if so, what would you be prepared to gamble away to win a prize?

The last time I gambled was in 1982. I put some money into a poker machine, or, as some call it, a slot machine … and I won $4. And you know, I’m still ahead.

And yet, so many people in this world are gambling with their lives. Smokers, for instance, are taking the punt that their addiction won’t cut their lives short when, in all probability, that’s exactly what will happen.

And even more people in this world are betting that their behaviour in the short term, their rebellion against God, isn’t going to cost them their eternity … when that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

2 Thessalonians 1:6,9 God will do what is right. He will punish those who are causing you trouble … They will be punished with a destruction that never ends. They will not be allowed to be with the Lord but will be kept away from his great power.

You might ask me, “Berni, how do you know that’s true? How do you know there is a God in heaven? How do you know that He sent Jesus His Son to die on that Cross? How do you know that by believing in Him and turning away from my worldly ways, I’ll be saved?”

To which I would answer … well, eternity’s a long time to be wrong.

They will be punished with a destruction that never ends.

But when we put our trust in Jesus, eternity with Him is the free gift He grants us.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.