We have had occasion for great joy in our home recently. My dear nurse came to me three months ago (a Roman Catholic). She had already seen that her religion had no foundation, and had tried other churches, yet could see no difference, and so went back to the Catholic Church to “worship.” But soon after coming to me, she began to manifest great interest as to her soul’s salvation—and at times my husband and I thought she was saved; then again she made us to doubt.
After our morning reading and prayer on the Lord’s Day, she made some happy remarks which really sounded as coming from a believer. Just as she was leaving my room, I said to her,
“Mrs. V. are you really trusting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour? Can you say you are saved?”
She seemed quite overcome, almost speechless for a moment, then said,
“I do believe the Word of God fully, and I am so thankful for the help you and Mr. A. have given me, but I am not so sure as you folks are. I hope I am saved.”
Then I told her that as long as she hoped she was saved, she was not yet saved,
“For,” I said, “if you owed someone a bill, then went and paid it, you would not say, you hoped that it was paid, but that you knew it.”
She saw the point, and I added,
“So the Lord Jesus paid all your debt, but you do not believe it.”
Then she went about her work. The Lord blessed the word. One could see that she was not at ease—she was in turmoil of soul.
Later in the morning, I told her that with the Lord’s help I thought I should be able to get along without her in about ten days. She said she so appreciated her stay with us, and that she knew God had sent her here, and that she would never forget the things she had heard. Then she went about her work, but returned soon to my room, saying,
“If that is the case, that I will only be here a short time, then please, Mrs. A., pray for me; please pray much for me, for I must be saved while I am here! O! I hope I shall not be lost!” Now her anxiety plunged her almost to despair.
“Mrs. V.,” I replied, “we do pray for you much. Often in the night when I lie awake, I pray for you, but all the praying will not help you, unless you are willing to surrender. There is only one way, the way we all had to come, and that is, to own one’s self as a lost and guilty sinner, and then accept that precious gift of God, according to John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16),
“‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
“Perhaps, you do not understand the infinite value of that Precious Blood which was shed for your sins, as
Furthermore, I added that the blessed Saviour said when on the cruel cross, “It is finished” —that there He paid the full penalty, for all who will come to Him, and by faith accept His great salvation.
During the morning she came several times to my room and tried to converse with me, trying to hide her feelings, but it just would not work; the tempest within her was raging. During the afternoon she laid down on her bed in my room to rest, but there was no rest. After about an hour she got up and walked around. Again, she came and laid down and was very quiet for a while, then up again walking around. Then she came to my room saying, “O! Mrs. A. I see myself a lost and guilty sinner and I do accept the Lord Jesus as my Saviour!” At the same moment she burst into tears, and falling on her knees she prayed aloud,
“Lord Jesus, I come to Thee as a lost and guilty sinner, and accept Thee as my Saviour. Please forgive me all my sins.”
I followed her in prayer, then called my husband, and we rejoiced together as he prayed and thanked the Lord, she remaining on her knees the whole time, now weeping for joy.
Truly, “How good is the God we adore!” and how we praise Him for using my affliction (a broken hip) for bringing us eternal blessing as well as causing joy in heaven over another repentant sinner.
It might be added that she soon showed a desire to remember her Lord in His death in the breaking of bread with fellow Christians gathered to His precious name, and is now going on in happy fellowship.