Mr. Wilson, an older man who had no use for religious things, had a good, Christian wife. For years Mrs. Wilson had prayed daily for her husband to see his need of the Saviour. But it seemed her prayers were never answered. She could not even get her husband to go with her to the church services. He wanted no part of religion.
Mrs. Wilson had an old dog named Barney that she loved. Whenever she went to church, Barney would always go along with her. He would go into the church and lie under her seat and stay very quiet all through the church service.
This went on until Mrs. Wilson died. After that, the old dog seemed heartbroken, and so was her husband. He couldn’t find any comfort now that his lifelong companion had died.
For several Sundays, Mr. Wilson noticed that Barney would leave the house at a certain time and then come back at a certain time. So one Sunday morning, he thought he would follow his wife’s dog and find out where he went. Barney seemed to enjoy having his only master now go with him, and he happily trotted along until they came to the church door. Mr. Wilson stopped as the dog bounded up the steps, waiting at the top for his master. After standing a few moments and unable to make up his mind what to do, Mr. Wilson said to himself, I’ll go in to please the dog. It won’t do any harm. So he went in and, sitting down, he listened to the preaching. The next Sunday the old man went again to the church with the faithful dog. Sunday after Sunday he could be found at the church, with Barney lying down under his wife’s usual seat.
Then one morning after the service, Mr. Wilson stood up with tears running down his face and opened his heart to God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He told the congregation the story of how the faithful dog had been the means of leading him to Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. So a faithful God answered his loving wife’s many prayers after all. Someday in heaven, she will see the answer to her many prayers for her husband’s salvation and learn how God used her faithful Barney to bring it about. It will be such a happy ending to this true story.
Will your life have a happy ending in heaven? Do you know for sure you will be there? God has written in the Bible the way for any sinner to receive a loving welcome at the door of heaven when his or her life here on earth is over. Not everyone will have a long life like both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had, so now is the time to settle the matter of your sins with the One who loves you and died for you. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). Jesus said, “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
Now this is the sad part. If you wait too long to let Jesus wash you clean from your sins, this is what you will hear: “Bind him [or her] hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:1313Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:13)).
Oh, don’t wait!
ML-02/01/2015