THE HOUR OF ASSESSMENT

By Gerald Cumby
Assessment is an especially important word in our English vocabulary. More than that, it is an important word in our life's journey. Let me give you some valuable information about the word "assessment." There are two definitions of the word assessment. One dealing with tax evaluation and the other with the action or an instance of making a judgment about something. The "something" could be about a person, place, thing, or what has been written or said. Just as in all words, there might be a minor or major use of the word as well as an assumption of same.

I want to use this time to center in on the "something" that has to do with a major judgment of "something" that has been written or said by a person. I know all this sounds like "word salad" lingo, but it is not. Eventually you will see what I mean. Those of you who have some years on you will know exactly what I am going to be emphasizing.

The Bible has been written for our benefit and our evaluation as to what is real and not real, what is significant and insignificant in our evaluation as to where we will spend eternity, and why we were placed on planet earth in the first place. Mark Twain quoted, "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why."

The "WHY"...in my ASSESSMENT...has to be the choice we make after reading the greatest book ever written...The Holy Bible (The Word of God).

To help one understand the validity of the Word of God, one must see the truth and absolute miraculous power of God Almighty as to helping to preserve the "Wonderful Words of Life" of which we are blessed. The Bible can be verified by external events such as archeology, geography, customs, politics, culture, known world history and writings in other ancient texts. In all aspects of these external event verification, the Bible has been proved to be accurate in all respects. New discoveries always support it, never vice versa. It has never once been proven faulty on a single detail or fact, although many have mightily tried and failed. These 66 separate books were written by some 40 different writers: Kings, such as David and Solomon; Statesmen, such as Daniel and Nehemiah; and Priests, such as Ezra, men taught in the wisdom of Egypt, such as Moses; men taught in the Jewish Law, such as Paul; herdsmen, such as Amos; tax collectors, such as Matthew; unlearned and ignorant fishermen, such as Peter and John; a physician, such as Luke; and mighty overseers, such as Isaiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah. Where were these books written? Different parts of the world, such as the desert of the Sinai, in Arabia, in the hills and towns of Palestine, in the courts of the Temple, in the schools of the prophets at Bethel and Jericho, in the palace of Shushan in Persia, on the banks of the Che bar River in Babylonia, in the dungeons of Rome, and on the lonely island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. Yet one of the most amazing and miraculous things about all this, is that after 1600 years and over 40 different writers, they all talked about the same thing, with no contradictions and no errors (in the original languages of the Hebrew and Greek). They all spoke about the plan of God for man. Most of these men never even read the writings of the others. Everything recorded between the opening pages of the book of Genesis and the closing pages of Revelation was divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Now for the hour of assessment. It is time for you, the reader, to be given some great truths to evaluate and assess. These truths from God's Word must be evaluated by the one person reading this devotion. Hopefully, you have already assessed and judged the truths written here. I pray you have taken that hour of truth, that hour of assessment in your life at one time or another and placed your faith and trust in the Savior, Jesus, the Son of God.

Here it is "reader and assessor" of this devotion. Read, evaluate, and make your most crucial decision of a lifetime.

From God's Word:

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:1-6

Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." Acts 19:4

"I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus." Acts 20:21

"In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent." Acts 17:30,

It is time to reflect on the Scriptures. It is time to yield to repentance. It is time to remind ourselves of why we can look forward to the future.

It is time to make a choice in this hour of assessment...and trust our choice to be in line with the greatest book ever written...God's Book of Assessment (The Holy Bible).

Quotable Quotes:

"Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow. Maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around it, let it slide like coins through your fingers. So much time you can waste it.
But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know."
― Lauren Oliver, Before I Fall

"Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey."
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

"In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2
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