"I Don't Know Him"

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 3
 
A woman asked me, "Someone told me in the night that I am a sinner. Who was it? Was it God or was it Satan?"
"It was God who told you," I said.
"God?" she said, "I don't know Him. I have been calling Him my Father all my life and He was not. Oh, I am so alone. Nobody loves me."
"God loves you. He loves all sinners, and gave His Son to die for them."
"But I have been deceiving everyone and myself," she said. "I said I was saved, and I was not. How could anyone think I was? I was not like you. I did not care whether you spoke to me or not about these things. Was there not something you could judge me by?"
I then confessed to her that I had not seen in her what I had wanted to, and added, "But you told me you were saved, and I could not say you were not."
"I thought I was not a child of the devil, so that I must be a child of God. Oh, God be merciful to me a sinner. May I say 'God'? Shall I offend Him?"
"No, God loves you and gave His Son Jesus to die for you."
"But, I don't know Him," she said again.
I again told her of the love of God. I then left her for a little while, leaving with her a small book called "Peace with God."
Visiting her a few days later, I could see a little light was entering her poor troubled soul. I then repeated to her 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): "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
She listened as if she had never heard that scripture before, although I had often quoted it to her. After a little more conversation I left her again, but only for a few hours. By then a change had taken place. Peace with God was on her face, and these words came from her lips: "My Jesus, my blessed Jesus! He has been with me. He has been talking to me, and I have been talking to Him. My Jesus, my Lord Jesus."
All who went to see her saw that, whereas she had been in misery as a sinner, she was now filled by the grace of God with joy and peace. She said, "I am saved by His grace. He has saved me, and now I know Him."
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).
"For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.... He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:17, 3617For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:17)
36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36).