On the deck of an ocean liner,... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 3:36

On the deck of an ocean liner, a woman was distributing gospel tracts. One gentleman, on receiving one such tract, cast a cursory glimpse at it. When he noticed the subject it dealt with, he tore it into shreds and threw it overboard. He was glad to see the wind whirling the pieces about and carrying them out to sea.
When he was getting undressed in his cabin before retiring for the night that evening, however, he noticed a tiny scrap of paper on his clothes. It came from the ripped up tract and contained just two words: "God" and "eternity".
Only two words, but of infinitely profound significance! The man went to bed, but he could get no rest. Those two words went round and round incessantly in his thoughts. He took a glass of cognac to distract himself, but it didn't help.
"God!" One must reckon with Him, whether one wants to or not.
"Eternity!" A threatening word! How brief was the lifetime left to him compared with eternity! Shouldn't he consider this matter seriously?
We do not know how long those words and the thought of the resurrection and God's judgment troubled that man's conscience. One day, however, he heard the gospel of the Son of God, who came to earth in order to reconcile guilty persons, like himself, with our holy God. He received the good news by faith and found peace for his heart and conscience.
Today's reading: Acts 6