Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with GodSample

MEN WHO ALMOST WERE History is filled with men who almost made it. A history teacher asked, "What do Charles Pinckney, Horatio Seymour, Alton Parker, and James Cox have in common?" No one knew. Each man ran for the United States presidency--Pinckney against Jefferson, Seymour against Grant, Parker against Teddy Roosevelt, and Cox against Harding. But history does not reward the man who almost succeeds, only the one who does succeed. God's Word also tells about men who almost made it but failed. An unnamed scribe is a case in point. This brilliant young man approached Jesus and asked Him what the greatest commandment was. Jesus' answer was the most profound condensation of God's law: Man is to love God with all his heart and his fellowman as himself. Apparently, the scribe was deeply moved. He responded: Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He (Mark 12:32). The Bible says: When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God" (Mark 12:34). The tragedy is that, although he was not far, he evidently did not make it in. The rich young ruler is another example, as is King Agrippa, who admitted he was "almost persuaded." These men apparently died near the door but not inside it. Our world is full of religious men who are so close yet so far. They, too, stand in danger of never really making it in. We should pray that they will commit themselves to the Master, and that we also will be totally committed to Him.