Every now and then I get the privilege to peek into God's eternal purposes with someone and I am overwhelmed by God's glory. Yesterday was such a day... sort of the perfect day for a pastor. It came with its share of personal distress (my father-in-law was in an auto accident on the way to the doctor...another story for another time). But it was overwhelmed by the grace of God when someone whom I have been counseling, caring for, praying for, and sharing the gospel with for about a year suddenly made a commitment to Christ quietly in my office last night! Whew! It was a beautiful experience as the person articulated back to me a clear understanding of their need for forgiveness in Christ and commitment to following Him. All the effort with explaining the truth, all the pain of their present experience came into focus in a clear moment. The testimonies of faith that had been shared in a small group, the teaching, the counseling, the working through doubts and objects, the scriptures all pointed this soul to a clear coming to faith in Christ. I can take that sort of lifting of the earthly clouds and looking into heaven any day! I know there was rejoicing in the presence of the angels over that one soul coming to repentance!
Every now and then I get the privilege to peek into God's eternal purposes with someone and I am overwhelmed by God's glory. Yesterday was such a day... sort of the perfect day for a pastor. It came with its share of personal distress (my father-in-law was in an auto accident on the way to the doctor...another story for another time). But it was overwhelmed by the grace of God when someone whom I have been counseling, caring for, praying for, and sharing the gospel with for about a year suddenly made a commitment to Christ quietly in my office last night! Whew! It was a beautiful experience as the person articulated back to me a clear understanding of their need for forgiveness in Christ and commitment to following Him. All the effort with explaining the truth, all the pain of their present experience came into focus in a clear moment. The testimonies of faith that had been shared in a small group, the teaching, the counseling, the working through doubts and objects, the scriptures all pointed this soul to a clear coming to faith in Christ. I can take that sort of lifting of the earthly clouds and looking into heaven any day! I know there was rejoicing in the presence of the angels over that one soul coming to repentance!
