I had not been born into a Christian home and my parents would have said that they believed in God, but neither of them went to church – nor did their parents. However, the Health Visitor, that my Mum had for the three of us (I have two older brothers), was a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. She had witnessed to my Mum and after a period of time my Mum became a Christian when she was in her thirties (35). It was at the age of seven, and at home with Mum, that I heard some Christian music that Mum was playing. This is where I know the Lord had His hand on me, for at this young age I could tell there was something different about this music, something special. There was a deep sense of peace and security. Some of the words included “Father I place into your hands, my friends, …family,… the things that trouble me.” And so it went on. “For I know, I always can trust You.” So I asked my Mum, what was it about this music? She sat down with me and took me through the little booklet ‘Journey Into Life, by Norman Warren. It had diagrams to help illustrate; one was of a cliff, with the word MAN (Mankind) written on the left side and a huge gulf in between this and the right side, which read GOD (not that you can put God in any one place- but to help understand). What has caused this deep separation is our sin. It explained clearly how we all have sinned and disobeyed God and because we are tainted by this, we cannot get ‘over’ to God and be in a right relationship with Him, no matter how hard we try, with good to outweigh the bad. Here comes the awesome answer: JESUS came – He is my Rescuer. He died on the cross and paid the sentence of my sin, on my behalf. The next diagram, I remember, was that of a cross, that bridged the huge gap, so that as I put all my trust in Jesus to remove my sin and penalty (as you would trust a parachute, jumping out of a plane – FULLY and nothing else) He has! And in exchange He has given me His goodness and so now I can ‘walk over’ and be acceptable to God and be in right relationship with Him; now my Heavenly Father as well as Creator and Maker. So that Sunday afternoon it was as plain as day, I accepted and knew I was a sinner and so in that armchair I prayed for forgiveness of sin and asked the Lord Jesus to ‘come in’ to my life. I remember being so happy I couldn’t wait to tell my brothers when they came home. You may say I was so young! I was old enough to know I had done wrong. But through the years that have followed I have only proved and tested this IS the way, this IS true. As one of the disciples said when he was tested “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” John 6:68-69. Yeah, sure life has not been easy. Life has its ups and downs, gains and losses, but that’s Life, not God. That’s living in a fallen world that has chosen to go against its Creator, that’s not the Creator.
I’d certainly rather trust Him who is Faithful by Name and Nature, than by changing voices in today’s world. So I do, through this life, on straight into the next. Where we will all be judged, will you still have your baggage of sin all over you? Or will you come to the only One who can cleanse you of it and make you ready to meet your Maker?