I posted the following to my Facebook page yesterday; during my prayer walk today I expressed I wanted more people to read my story; not because I am anything but because HE IS EVERYTHING!
So if you will humor me and if you have not read my story, please take a few moments and hear my heart.
Our Pastor has been encouraging us to tell our stories. That is the story of how and when we were introduced to JESUS and has He made a difference. So, I thought I’d start with my Facebook Friends since you all are the ones I see often.
Some People have salvation encounters with Him that are much quieter and easier than mine but I was a hard one.
It was November 18th, 1975 right at 9:00 P.M. the Minister had been sharing Scripture with me for about two hours. You see I made an appointment to see him because he told me I could KNOW if I was saved or not. I had been existing in insecurity about that since I was a child. Being the daughter of a deacon who happened to also be the Sunday School Superintendent and a Momma who was a Sunday School teacher who had taken me to church since inception, I knew a lot about GOD. I had been practicing the Biblical principle of tithing since primary school and I had made two previous or were that three professions of faith – neither of them did anything but get me wet in the baptistery.
But on that November evening, I went to see the Preacher with the idea I was telling him nothing. Well, I confessed more than any of you need to know.😊And he told me the best news ever!
You see for years, I ran to and fro between knowing I was not good enough to go to heaven but thinking I was not bad enough to go to hell.
And often I would take even another detour that said I was too bad for even GOD to save me. That I was just beyond saving because I had no real faith to believe the Gospel. I knew it well! I just had not personally met the GOD of the Story.
Now for the Good News. The Best News! Faith is a gift! And He will give it to you if you are willing to receive it!
But there are conditions. Gut-level Honesty. We have to be honest with ourselves and with GOD. And so, I was. For the first time in my life, I came face to face with my human condition: I WAS A HELL-DESERVING SINNER.
But the Scripture clearly stated and the HOLY SPIRIT convinced me that the BLOOD OF JESUS was enough and that He did not want me to go to hell. He had done enough to save even me and all I had to do was exchange my sins for His Righteousness which He was offering me right then.
That old hymn taken from Scripture is right. I owed a debt I could not pay (For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. (Romans 6:23) and I didn’t have to pay it because JESUS HAD ALREADY PAID IT ALL.
So, I said, Thank You (I accept). And He said You’re Welcome. (Not audibly, of course.)
What’s it been like these nearly 43 years? Well, I’ve messed up more times than I can remember and He has kept me saved. He has loved me, corrected me, and He continues. He is Life to me. He has kept me in perfect peace every time I have yielded to His Lordship. And every time I have yielded He has rewarded me with assurance and joy, more than I could have imagined. Simply, I don’t do this life without Him.
Thanks for reading. So, how about you, do you have a story to tell too?