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Vicki Potter - Madison, WI Print E-mail


Plenty of Time
 
It was a glorious, sunny afternoon on October 18, 1983. I was fourteen years old and my two best friends and I were walking home from school. As we reached our driveway, I saw the car from out of state and knew that the two preachers who were having meetings at the Cedar Falls Gospel Hall were in our house. I figured they were talking with my brother who wanted to be saved from his sins, but I was full of dread because I also knew that I would be lectured next. I had been raised knowing that the Lord Jesus had died for my sins on the cross and that I needed to be believe that His work was for me personally in order to be in Heaven. Looking back, I can honestly say that my heart was full of pride. I had not done anything so bad that God would banish me to an eternity in Hell. Besides, Satan had me convinced that I had plenty of time! I was young and would have years to worry about my soul.

My mother came out to inform me that my presence had been requested inside. I watched her walk back inside and continued to visit with my friends. She had to come back out a second time and the look on her face told me that I had better follow orders or face being drug inside by my ear. I said farewell to my friends and trudged inside.
They didn’t waste any time getting to the crux of the matter either. I admitted to them that I did not have a moment in my life where I believe Jesus had died for me, but in my mind, still didn’t understand what the great urgency was.

Mr. John Slabaugh asked me to recite John 3:36. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t even start it. We turned to it and my eyes immediately focused on the words

“…and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

The wrath of God! This was disturbing to me. What happened to this God of love? Mr. Slabaugh must have perceived my anxiety and asked me if I knew that not believing the Bible was the same as calling God a liar. This truth struck fear into my heart. What sin could possibly be worse than calling God a liar? What was keeping Him from striking me dead in my seat and sending me to a lost eternity?

Then Mr. Slabaugh asked me to recite Isaiah 53:6. I couldn’t manage that one either, so again, we turned to verse and he asked me to read the first half.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;”

He asked me if I could see myself in that verse. It was in the first word “All”. I read it as I had gone my own way; away from God. I literally felt despair! I felt the weight of my sins and knew that Hell was what I deserved from a just God. Mr. Slabaugh had me read the last part of the verse,

“…and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

He asked a second time if I could see myself in that verse. There was that word “All” again; I knew that included me. But, I was still pondering the first “All” and my awful destiny! Finally, he asked me what the last half of the verse meant to me. I looked at the verse a second time and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Immediately, I could see that Jesus had died for ME! MY sins were erased when He shed His blood and died on the cross. It was at that very moment that I was assured of Heaven!

Satan doesn’t have to tell you that God doesn’t exist or that He won’t send you to a lost eternity. He just has to keep you believing that you have plenty of time. What will you do with Jesus?


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