May 17, 2026
— Horace Tracy Pitkin · Source: Pitkin's statement to the American Board, in Robert E. Speer, A Memorial of Horace Tracy Pitkin (1903), p. 134
2 Corinthians 6:2 For he said, “In the time of my favor I answered you, and in the day of salvation I delivered you.” Behold, now is the time of my favor! Now is the day of salvation!
We often wait: until the environment is safer, the equipment is more perfect, the funds are more abundant, before responding to the calling of our hearts. Yet Horace Pitkin said there had been "no call from the clouds"; even when the way seemed blocked, the facts of his life and his study under God became a sure and certain call. True obedience lies not in favorable circumstances, but in an immediate response to God. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). Do not let current difficulties diminish the urgency of the gospel. Examine yourself: am I using "waiting" as an excuse to evade the commission I am given? May the Lord grant us faith and guidance that do not consider circumstances, but only the footsteps of Christ.
Our loving Lord, thank You for entrusting us with the urgent grace that "the day of salvation is now." Forgive my weakness in constantly weighing circumstances and calculating costs. Lord, remove my procrastination and fear, open my eyes, and let me see that every small situation around me is the field where You have sent me. Grant me the strength of complete surrender, like Horace Pitkin, to live with unwavering obedience even in seemingly imperfect circumstances. May my life be a seed of the Gospel, not only in my words but also in my actions in this very moment. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.