Luke 16:23 – And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Luke 16:24 – And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

Hello readers, just a quick thought today. The rich man awoke in hell… and all he wanted was that Abraham would dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. Abraham was his father! His great great (and so on!) grandfather was Abraham. How had things fallen so far? We can be so blessed, we can have such a godly heritage, we can know about God, we can know truth… yet end up in hell. We can take so many things for granted our whole life. This rich man did. He fared sumptously, he lived for himself, he was rich… but spiritually he was bankrupt. What was more important? Making a few bucks here, but he neglected his soul. You look today, just look at famous sportsmen, their lives marked by adultery yet they’re justified on their sporting talent and achievements. Would you rather be a nobody but right with God? Or be famous, be rich, have it all, do it all, yet be possessed by Satan in your sin? Satan offered Jesus Christ fame, fortune, glory… but in exchange for something. It’s not worth it people.

But the thought today is… a drop of water to cool my tongue. And the thought here is something that everyone in hell shares. They wished for water… God’s word and the Holy Spirit is pictured by water in the Bible. You see, it is only in hell when people will finally have some value for the things of God. The gospel is not just good news, it is great news. It is forgiveness of sins, it is eternal life, it is a life set free from sin, from our flesh, from hell. Jesus Christ is such good news for humanity, a humanity who’s history is a tale of disaster, pain, suffering, failure, heartbreak, harm, tears. You wake up in hell and you’ll long for that you took for granted so bad. The Bible says God is good. You separate from God, and you’re separating from all that is good. The Bible says God is love. You separate from God, and you’re separating from all that is love. The Bible says God is truth. You separate from God, and you’re separating from all that is truth. It’s not that God is egotistical, just he himself is the best he has to give us. God said to Abraham… I AM thy exceeding great reward. God’s word is the best, so far the best that God swears by his own word because there is nothing greater or more sure word. His word carries so much power and authority because he is GOD.

You may not value the Lord Jesus Christ now, but in hell you’ll wish for just a drop of water on your tongue. You see your tongue is responsible for taste, at and the end of the day we spend our entire lifetime with a taste for sin. But the only taste that brings a cooling, a refreshing, a comfort to us is the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is rest at the cross of Christ. Jesus a man who did no sin who bore our sins, a man who did no wrong who was unjustly punished, who’s justice was taken away, who bore our shame, who was falsely accused, who was beaten to a bloody pulp for us, battered, scorned, shamed, despised, rejected, forsake, betrayed… because he told the truth, because he loved us so much he died for those who nailed him on the cross. Why do we have such an appetite for sin, for wickedness, for evil? We are like that ass in the wilderness, snuffing at the wind… we thumb our noses at God, we despise his word, we set at naught his grace and mercy and longsuffering and goodness.

Our tongue is set on the fire of hell the Bible says. I’m still amazed at what comes out my mouth… the Bible says out of the abundance of our heart the mouth speaks. When the temperature is turned up on us in our lives, out pours cursing and evil and poison. If only our tongue had a little water, it might just change what comes out our tongue. What should come out should be gracious words, as they came out of Jesus Christ’s mouth… but instead out pours our bitterness, jealousy, anger and lies. It was too late for this rich man in hell, but now in hell, he wants a bit of water to cool his tongue, to ease his torments. To be tormented in hell is to realize what you have been so remiss of in your life. To abandon the truth, to tread underfoot the blood of Christ, to value worthless things over the Lord Jesus Christ who is of inestimable value. He saw Abraham afar off in hell, with a great gulf between. How could he get so far from the truth. He had a father who believed God, who trusted God, obeyed God… yet he went to hell. So far off. He wanted mercy… but he forsook his own mercy during his own lifetime. Is that the same of you today? The Bible says many forsake their own mercy, they count themselves unworthy of eternal life. What a sad state of affairs. God wants to extend his mercy to you, but you shove it in his face. You pass by, like they passed by Jesus on the cross, wagging their heads, reviling him, mocking him, belittling him, shaming him.

This man needed Abraham to dip his finger into water. He could no longer do it himself. He was unable. Some people go so far from God, God no longer works in their hearts, they’re heard hearted, their heart is in fact a stone. Spiritually dead. Barren. But if you are alive and reading this, there is time. God took Ezekiel to look at a valley of dry bones. He asked Ezekiel… can these bones live? Ezekiel said… Lord thou knowest. And with the breath of life from God the bones became alive. If you are unsaved you are dead, but you can live. You can live… because Christ lives. God doesn’t want you to go to hell as this rich man did. Think of how many times the rich man walked past the beggar, Lazarus, who went to heaven. The beggar’s poverty is forgotten and is in fact riches… but the rich man’s wealth is his poverty. You may just end up like this rich man, wishing for that which you took so lightly, that which you valued so lowly.

You know… God’s grace is what you enjoy today. You don’t even realize it, or attribute it to God, but unsaved and saved alike live on the grace of God today. It is because of his mercy that we are not consumed, it is because of his longsuffering we are not destroyed, it is by his grace we draw our breath, it is his goodness that we have health, that we see the morning come after the darkness of night, that we see the sun shining when the rain is past, when we hear the birds singing, and nature which although you have no ears to hear… nature that praises the Lord, which blesses the Lord night and day. You may not know where your riches come from… they are God’s to give and God’s to take… blessed be the name of the Lord. The difference is Job knew this, but the rich man in this story didn’t. The good in your life, the grace, the mercy, the love, it comes from God, it is because of God, but instead you do not give him the glory, or thanks, or repent or believe in his name. But one day you’ll wish you had, one day you’ll wish for just a drop of what you once had. God is good, and God has been good. Some people get a really raw deal, the beggar in this story did, but it was worth it, angels came when he died and carried him to glory. Just a drop of water to cool your tongue… Jesus told this story so you’d know, and heed, and believe, we all are without excuse. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ today, give him thanks, give him glory, believe on him, he will forgive you, he will save you today!

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