Last week I decided to go shopping for a couple of items I needed since I had two gift certificates that still had some amounts left on them. Putting them in my purse, away I went. I even asked the Lord to help me find what I needed, which He did, and I quickly headed to the checkout, “Let’s use this one first,” I said to the clerk, and then I placed the second certificate down. “This isn’t for our store,” she said, as she read the store name on the certificate. I had to do a doubletake as I also read the other store’s name. As embarrassing as it was, I knew I had grabbed a wrong one. Absolutely, it couldn’t be used there!

There is a “gift certificate” in our Bibles that we could actually “clip out” if we wanted to. It’s the verse, John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This is the most valuable “gift certificate” in the world. Let’s take a better look:

. WHO is the Giver? It’s God.

. WHY does He give it? Because He loves us so much.

. HOW can He give it? Because Jesus paid for it by dying on the cross.

. WHEN & WHERE can it be used? By anyone, anywhere, anytime that a person prays acknowledging Jesus is their Savior.

. WHAT does it give us? It guarantees our sins are forgiven and that we have a home in heaven.

I hope you won’t ignore it. I hope you won’t think you are holding another “certificate” in your hand and at the end of your life when you hand it to God, He says, “It can’t be used here!”

Remember – it’s free – it’s simply waiting for you to use it – to say, “It’s mine – Yes, I believe.”

There is NO OTHER gift certificate like it – you won’t be denied because you are loved by God.