Some of you will remember the story about Enok Jackson. He had gone with his father on skis over the snow to a home where two evangelists preached the Word of God. He listened, believed it and was saved through faith in Christ and His work on the cross.
At the time of this story, Enok was a grown man, married and living on a little farm about forty miles from his home town in Sweden. A few miles from his farm was a large lake with an island having many birch trees. The owner sold the island to Enok who planned to cut down the trees and sell them in the nearby town.
Perhaps you are wondering how he would get the trees from the island to the town. That was easy, he just waited until the lake froze over in the winter. Then he drove on the ice with his big sled pulled by a team of horses. The ice had to be eighteen to twenty inches thick before it was safe to do this. When he was sure that it was safe, he began his work. It was hard work through the long winter, but the day finally came when the last load of wood was sold, and he turned his team of horses toward home. It felt good to have that job finally finished.
As he passed by a neighbor’s farm, he was invited to stop in for some refreshments and to give the horses a rest. He accepted this invitation. After a while he thanked them and left to continue on his way home.
It soon got dark and began to snow heavily. It was snowing so hard he could hardly see where he was going. This was not a problem, because God has given a wonderful sense to animals like horses to know where home is even when they cannot see their way clearly. So Enok let the horses follow their sense of direction. He trusted in God his Father to take care of him, and He did!
It was about an hour to his home. The horses took off at a full trot. Everything seemed to go along all right for about forty-five minutes. Then suddenly the horses began to slow down to a slow walk, and then they stopped. They were on a frozen lake now, and Enok did not know what was wrong. Suddenly he remembered that there was one spot in the lake where a spring flowed that did not freeze over at any time. Enok could not see ahead or to either side. Slowly, he walked carefully ahead of the horses. As he did a thought came to him—“I don’t know what is ahead, but my God and Father knows.” So he prayed, “Oh, Father, help me.” As soon as he prayed to God, he saw something dark just ahead of him. It was open ice water! If his team had not stopped, both he and the horses would have fallen into that dark, icy water and drowned! Truly, he was “one step to eternity!”
He carefully backed up his horses, and then gave thanks to the Father for saving his life. In fifteen minutes he was safely at home. When he entered the house, he found his wife in earnest prayer for him. God had heard their prayers and answered wonderfully.
It is wonderful that as Christians, knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as our own Saviour, we can trust Him for everything. Every step of our lives, every decision can be turned over to Him. But if we don’t know Him as our Saviour, then we are going on in our own way without God. He loves you and wants you to be His child. Wouldn’t you like to have God as your Father and Guide? You also may be only “one step to eternity!” If you want to be guided by Him, you must come His way. That way is through the Lord Jesus. Confess that you are a sinner and accept Him as the only way to be saved. The Bible says in John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6), “I (Jesus) am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” Then He promises to be with you forever.
ML-11/08/1981