I would like to tell how the Lord met and saved me. There was nothing startling nor outstanding about my conversion, but it was real. The events that led up to it showed the mercy and patience of God in no uncertain way.
I was brought up with all the privileges of a Christian home, yet I was nearly sixteen before I was saved. My first experience of God dealing with me was when I was six. I had been sent to the home of my aunt to take a message from my parents. My aunt was a Christian and, no doubt, was praying for me. I had a great urge then to trust the Saviour, and my aunt began to speak to me about Jesus and His love. I listened to every word.
But Satan is always busy, and he kept whispering doubts into my mind. I was anxious to be saved that day, but the struggle in my heart between Satan and the Spirit of God was so strong that I didn’t quite know what I was doing. I burst into tears, and even while my aunt was still speaking I ran from the house crying. My tears were dried before I reached home, so my parents never knew of my behavior.
As I grew older, I felt I must decide the great question, but I did not know just how to go about it. I was too shy to ask my brother, so I decided to turn over a new leaf and see how it worked first.
I stopped going to see lurid movies (always done in secret), gave up reading trashy stories, and started reading the Bible. I commenced at Genesis and read a chapter, maybe less, a day, but before I reached the end of the story of the Flood I was absolutely disgusted with the whole affair. It was not long until my movie going and reading of trash commenced again. Such is the effect of mere religion without Christ.
For a long time after that thoughts of eternity were far from my mind. I must have been a grief to my parents, as they saw my indifference to the Saviour. Then one night I went to visit my grandfather, an old Christian who had led many to the Saviour. For nearly two hours he reasoned with me, pleaded with me and prayed with me, but I could not see the light. I was not ready to be saved. I can still picture him, down on his knees before me, while I sat silent in a chair. It was all to no avail. I left Grandfather’s house as I went in - unsaved and lost.
My school days were drawing to a close as the next dealings of God became apparent. I was frightened in case the Lord would come and I would be left behind. Satan, as usual, suggested that my friends would mock me if I became a Christian, which was true. So I remember in the quiet of my own room kneeling down and promising the Lord that if He would spare me till I left school, I would see about settling the great question.
In God’s amazing patience He answered my prayer, but when I did leave school it was to go in more and more for the world’s pleasures - with no thought of fulfilling my promise to God.
Then it happened! I had an accident in which my right arm was very badly fractured. I had much time on my hands then, and I did think - think -think. To try and hush the divine voice, I used to read novels by the stack - hundreds of them I read in a few weeks. I couldn’t sleep at night, and I often devoured my fiction until morning.
It was in a gospel meeting in our own village that I waited behind after the meeting and was simply directed to the Saviour. Simply turning to the Lord -simply receiving Him by faith in His name - ended that gigantic battle for my soul by Satan and the Spirit of God. Now I belong to Christ, and I have never regretted taking that step. It was so simple!
Are you enjoying this happiness? Remember, time is short and there is no time like the present to be saved. Come to the Saviour NOW! He will welcome you. He promises: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise [no way] cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)).