What gives you comfort? For some it might be a particular type of food, a warm blanket, an interesting book, a warm cup of cocoa, a pet, a house filled with children, or any number of things. This has been on my mind for the past week as I have thought a great deal about what gives me comfort. For myself, what gives me the most comfort in the entire world is reading the word of God (the Bible). I picked up a bible one day and started to read it; I have done so now every day for over nine years straight. There are many factors that you could put together to say why I might have done this, but when you really get down to it there is no real logical explanation for it, outside of the divine providence of God. I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit God, drew me to the scriptures, and in doing so saved my life. I was such a sinful man; I have two emotions when I think about what I was before being born again of the Holy Spirit of God. I am sickened by it, followed by extreme overwhelming love and thanksgiving for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit God drew me to start reading His word, and saved my life through it. One of my favorite scriptures and for good reason is this; “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). This is why evangelism is so important, because saving faith comes from hearing the words of Christ, written and spoken.
As I began to read the Bible I really did not understand what I was reading. It seemed to me to be some interesting stories, and some heartfelt letters, but nothing more than that. I think that I was just like the average church goers in America, I believed in God, and thought I believed in Jesus Christ, but I really didn’t know Him, or even think about Him that much; my thoughts were always of myself. I would even pray for things I needed and for God’s favor, never His will. But as time wore on, one day turned into several, then days into weeks, then weeks into months, then months into years, something happened. I began to fall in love with Jesus Christ and to desire Him, I wanted to follow Him. Many of my habitual sins began to go away but others remained, I could not rid myself of them. I would sin, pray, asking God for forgiveness then turn around and do it all over again. It was absolutely ridiculous. If ever there was a man trying with all of his might to make himself right before God it was me. I would sin; ask for forgiveness knowing full well that I was going to commit the same sin again the next day. I had even convinced myself that I was now right before the Lord, and headed to heaven because I was a Christian, or at least I thought I was. In reality, I was a self-righteous, unregenerate sinner headed to a place called hell; I shudder at the thought.
Then one wonderful day this Holy God did something miraculous. He crushed me, when I say crushed me, I mean he ground me into powder. All my sin was laid before me, and I was naked with nowhere to hide. He revealed Himself to me and I was broken to the core. I repented at that moment and knew every single sin I had committed, and was committing was an offense against a Holy and Just God. I knew that I had to turn from all sin, and especially one particular sin that I did not want to give up for anything in the world. I knew that I had to give it up, but did not want to, so I even at this time wrestled with God. Have you ever wrestled with God? It is not a pretty sight; Jacob wrestled with God and limped the remainder of his life. So there I was laid naked before God, all of my sin exposed with nowhere to run and hide. What could I do at this point but to through myself at His feet and beg for mercy. He lifted me up dressed me in a clean robe, put a ring on my hand, and sandals for my feet; then said to me, “My Son has paid the price for your sins”. I was so overwhelmed with Joy; I had been redeemed, and knew that the life that I thought was mine was not mine at all, I had been a slave to sin. But now I was the purchased position of the Lord of Heaven and earth, Jesus Christ. I was now His slave; and on Sunday morning December 26th, 2009 I turned my life over to the Lord.
It was the Sunday before New Year’s Day, our Sunday school teacher handed out pin, paper, and envelope. He directed the class to right down goals for the year, and then seal them up in the envelopes; directing the class to open them up at the end of the year. I couldn’t pay attention very well to all this, because my thoughts were solely on what God had done that past week. Jesus had saved me, I knew what I was to do; I took pen and paper, and wrote down these two statements, sealing them up in the envelope provided.
1. I give God complete Lordship; I will follow Jesus wherever He leads me.
2. I will love my neighbor as myself.
Nothing and I mean nothing has been the same since, I had truly been transformed into a new creature; the old things had passed away and the new things had come. At this point I had been reading the Bible everyday for over six years and now suddenly it came alive. The words on the pages were quite literally the words of life. I understood what I read and could expound on it for others. The Lord has put me in situations, and led me to do things I never would have even imagined. Take for instance yesterday; I found myself on the corner of Copeland & Loop 323 with a cross preaching a short gospel message at each stop light. The cars would come and stop, I preached a gospel message that ended when the light turned green. Why? Two reasons, out of worship for my Lord and love for my neighbor; the gospel is real, the righteousness and justice of God are real, which means that everyone who does not believe will be in hell. So how can I do otherwise?
I have attempted in this letter to impart to you what the Bible means to me. The words on the pages of this precious book are the words of life; these words brought me to repentance and faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, saved from the wrath of God against sin. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ
