It was the last day of the year. Others in my office had been busy listing their New Year resolutions. My one thought was a fancy dress ball to which I was invited to "see the old year out." A good time was promised, and I purposed being there. With that intention, I went home early that evening to dress for the ball. I was unusually tired, and entering my bedroom, I sat down in an easy chair.
Somehow I began to think of my past. My thoughtlessness and sins came vividly before me. I realized that instead of improving, I was getting worse and worse. I must turn over a new leaf.
Persistently, the question: "Where would it all end?" probed my conscience, and the thought of what the end might be filled me with a nameless fear. Yes, I must turn over a new leaf. However, just as I was beginning to feel comfortable in my new-formed resolution, I remembered I had turned over many new leaves in previous years, but they were soon black as the old ones. Depressed by my failure, I sat in despair, more miserable than ever.
My thoughts wandered back to my childhood with mother. After I left home, she had often written to me, and pleaded with me to accept Jesus as my Savior. It was generally at the end of the letter; and much as I loved to get mother's letters, I could not bear to read that part, so I used to stop when I came to it. As my thoughts wandered back to early days, they drifted from mother to my mother's God. She would be praying for me this night especially. With a gleam of hope, yet mingled with doubt, I fell to my knees and earnestly cried out to God in my need for Him: "O God, help me." And He heard!
Rising from my knees, I looked at my watch. It was half-past eleven! Five solid hours had I been there, and never once had the ball entered my mind. The realities of eternity had obsessed my soul.
Then I remembered there used to be watch-night meetings at home, on the last night of the year. Wondering if there would be any chance to find one here in this wicked city, I put on my coat and went out to see. I soon found such a gathering in an old theater. The meeting was in progress when I entered. It was just past midnight. Taking a seat in the back, I listened eagerly to catch every word. A young man was preaching: in simple language telling the "good news" that Christ came to save helpless sinners.
Like a flash it came home to my soul that, helpless as I was, He came to save me. There and then I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for sinners, as my own personal Savior. On the way out, at the door, a young man asked me if I was a Christian; and by the grace of God, I was able now to say, "Yes, I am!"
I went home that morning with a new-found joy filling my soul; and as I passed the crowds of merrymakers, I could not help being thankful as I thought, "I've got something far better now!"
Years have passed since then, and He who saved on that New Year's morning has kept, and will keep until He takes all His blood-bought people home to Himself.
Dear reader, I beg you, look to the Savior now.
He alone can save, and satisfy. No conviction, however deep; no resolution, however grand; no vow, however solemn, can save. "Jesus alone can save!"