Inviting God in

Revelation 3:22 - “Look! I stand at the door and knock.  If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will share a meal together as friends”

Forty years ago, I heard this message on a tape by Jack Cook. I had been going to church for a short while with a neighbour but did not think much of it.  I wondered what people got excited about, sure there was ‘happy clappy’ singing and at times I enjoyed the entertainment! I borrowed the tape by Jack Cook, as I thought it might help me understand a little more about church. I think I dozed off but woke just as the verse above was read.  It was a like a bolt of lightning, and I found myself lying on the lounge floor, saying “Yes come in.”  Nothing else really happened but I slept well for the first time in months.

Nothing really changed but I found that I was not shouting and swearing at the boys to get up and go to school. I carried on with life as usual, but there was a strange kind of peace; I was coping with life. I went to badminton and one of the ladies asked me what had happened because she thought I was different.  I knew that life was changing but, just because I heard one verse of scripture??  I went to chat with Brian Hazell and together we went through ‘The First Steps’  over the course of 6 weeks and I came to understand a little more but, I never could understand that I didn’t have to earn my way to heaven.  I was baptized during lent and what an Easter that was, God had accepted my invitation to ‘come in’ and turned my whole life upside down.  I still did not understand but I tried so hard to!

There have been many ups and downs, but the downs have never been as low as they were before inviting God into my life. There are times in my walk that I seem to take one step forward and 2 steps back. He has asked me to do many things and I have failed repeatedly, but He is always there to pick me up!  I believe that our God will never leave or forsake me, and His life was sacrificed to give me new life. It is good to live my life with God knowing that His mercies are new every morning for each of us.  I still do not understand.

There is a line from a play in which I performed many times in Covenant Players, ‘It is not necessary that you understand. If you understand and believe that is wisdom but, if you do not understand and believe that is faith’. (Anybody Know the Way by Charles M. Tanner)

Our devotion today was written by Sue Rice - thanks Sue.

Living in Grace

D3LM3