Want to know God?

Brookwood Baptist Church, Birmingham

It’s time.” I thought I knew what Edward, our maintenance supervisor, was telling me over the telephone. His 84-year-old father-in-law, notorious for his rough living, was on his deathbed; his family gathered to be with him during his last days. I thought Edward meant his time to die was almost here, but that was not what he meant at all.

Edward had tried to talk to his father-in-law about what it meant to know God, but he wanted to hear none of it. Edward even volunteered me to come down to his cabin in the bend of the Barren River to talk to him, and that was not well received. Edward and I talked and I volunteered to do anything I could — even visit if he would allow me to. But the only thing we could do was pray. And boy, did Edward pray. So when the phone call came, it should not have been a surprise that Edward meant it was time for me to come to the cabin because his father-in-law said it was time to talk about God.

I drove over and walked the last mile or so to find myself in the kitchen of an old log cabin. As I walked into the bedroom, all the family left. I looked at Edward’s father­-in-law, once a viral man who did things his way. He was now a feeble person dependent on those around him. I introduced myself and asked him if he wanted to know God and be with Him forever. “Sure thing,” he replied.

I opened my Bible to Romans 3:23 and talked about all of us being guilty of sin. We then talked about the consequence of sin separating us from God in Romans 6:23. But then I told him about God loving us and providing a way to Him through faith in Jesus from Romans 5:8. Finally we turned to Romans 10:9 and 10:13 and talked about confessing our sin, asking God to forgive us and Jesus to live in us. I looked at him and asked, “Do you believe this?” He replied in a loud voice, “Sure do; I’m believing.” When I walked into the kitchen, the family was in tears and singing. I looked for Edward and saw him in the corner sobbing his heart out, all 350 pounds of his body shaking with delight. His father-in-law now knew God and would be with Him because Edward never quit praying and the old man saw his heart.