Salvation

I’ve been thinking about the word salvation for quite some time. The fact that that one word is the crux of the difference in our eternal destination. Salvation. Deliverance from harm and ruin by faith in Christ. In Him having everything.

As we enter into this season of Lent, I’m freshly awestruck and humbled at the love of our Savior. My life is riddled with mistakes and poor decisions when choices made, to allude to John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, led me off the King’s Highway. The Enemy weaves such cunning narratives.

David’s response to wrongdoing in Psalm 51 speaks to the gift of salvation and the steadfastness of the Lord in the aftermath of swallowing that narrative.

How grateful I am that the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9), providing the opportunity to experience freedom in Him from our unrighteousness.

How grateful I am that He will never leave us or forsake us. Those words our forerunner Moses spoke to Joshua when passing the baton of leadership to him in Deuteronomy 31:8, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

How grateful I am that, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Steadfast. Promise and covenant keeper. Sovereign Lord. Salvation.

Recently, I had the absolutely joyous opportunity to attend the baptism of one of my students. Listening to her father speak before her baptism brought me to tears. He spoke of the timing of the Holy Spirit’s leading of his daughter to her ultimate understanding of and decision to place her faith and trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ. In that moment, I was reminded, yet again, of the beauty of salvation.

We bring the wretch of our hearts and place them before the majesty of our King. He purifies and redeems.

As I drove home afterward, tears streaming from my eyes and heart, I recalled the day my daughter made that choice by the Holy Spirit’s leading.

The Sweetest Gift

A few weeks before my dad passed away, I sat with my daughter amidst the array of books that she had chosen to read that night. We began reading from one of her devotionals, and little did I know how that God-breathed night would unfold on the first day of July, 2017.

We read the story of the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Christ. We talked about how the disciples must have felt, and Mary finding the tomb empty. What bustle it must have been, yet He had conquered death and bore it all for us. We began down a road of discussion about Heaven. Months before I’d purchased a picture book about Heaven. It’s beautifully written and illustrated with wonderful scriptural content in a children’s book format. I knew it would resonate with her, because it’s about a child who lost their grandfather. I told her I had just the book for us to read after bath.

Conversation continued about what we had read while playing with the bath toys during bath time. She earnestly asked me to turn off the water, because she needed to pray right then. I was obedient, and the sweetest most heartfelt moment unfolded. She prayed, “Jesus come into my heart and take away my sin that I might live forever with You in Heaven. Live in my heart.” I prayed over her, and we rejoiced in this decision. A beautiful family discussion ensued as we read the book about Heaven. A tough conversation I had been praying for the right time to have.

Silly me to worry. She said, “Nepa’s earthly body will remain here. He will have a perfect body in Heaven. He can run through fields and not have his headache anymore. I will meet him there someday.” We hugged and prayed together as a family, and it was eleven o’clock before we knew it.

I had been so concerned about her understanding of what was going on with dad. How do you explain brain tumors to a five-year-old and that the prayers she so fervently poured out were such that healing now came in the form of eternal victory?

I had been seeking wisdom and praying for the right moment to talk to her about this heavy topic. Pieces were already laid out perfectly according to His plan.

The next morning, I went to visit my dad and told him of her decision. He had the biggest smile on his face. His speech and comprehension were starting to go, but his smile and raised hands said it all. He would see her again someday. Her salvation secure and her name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Salvation. Debt paid. Victory won. The sweetest gift of all.

Heavenly Father, what an incredible, unbelievable, indescribable love You have for us in the midst of our mire. Thank You, Father, that through Your sacrifice, we have salvation. Heal me. Strengthen me. Equip me to further my daughter’s faith and be a reflection of You. Forgive me, Holy Lord, and continually place before me the joy of my salvation. Be thou my vision. Amen.