One night near a small town in Georgia, I attended a gospel meeting in a back room of a service station on a busy highway. When the speaker was well into his message a middle-aged truck driver entered the room. He evidently had heard the preaching while getting gas for his truck, and had decided to attend the meeting before proceeding on his long haul home to Indiana.
The speaker faithfully preached the good news of the death of the Lord Jesus for the sins of everyone who admits he is a sinner, and receives Him as his personal Savior. After the meeting was dismissed, the truck driver expressed concern over his sins, and his need of the Lord Jesus. In the presence of three or four of us he accepted Christ as his Savior, and received the peace and joy which comes from knowing your sins are forgiven.
He told us that his wife had prayed for him many years, and would be very happy to learn of his new-found salvation. We were thrilled to think of her happiness that her prayers had been answered. After prayer together the new believer continued on his long journey.
The next morning's newspaper gave the account of what happened about thirty minutes later. While rounding a sharp curve, a mechanical failure caused the large vehicle to plunge nearly one thousand feet down a rocky mountain side, resulting in immediate death to the driver.
How thankful we were that his soul was with Christ, and that he had been on time instead of too late in receiving the Lord Jesus.
Before he had left the service station, I had obtained his address and had written his wife telling her of her husband's salvation. About a week later she wrote to me saying that my letter arrived at her home just as she returned from the funeral service. Words could not express the joy and thanksgiving in her heart, at hearing that her beloved husband had not gone to a Christless grave, but was now enjoying the very presence of his Lord. How thankful she was that a prayer-answering God had heard her prayers before it was too late!
"Jesus is waiting, oh come to Him now—
Waiting today, waiting today;
Come with thy sins, at His feet lowly bow;
Come, and no longer delay."