I had a brand-new pair of boots. It was the new style. My parents didn’t have a lot of money, so this was a special occasion to show them off.
There was a mini-forest area, complete with a little swamp by our house where the kids of the neighborhood would venture from time to time. On this occasion as I was strolling in that general direction, I ran into a group of kids I didn’t know. They admired my boots. My heart swelled with pride. It was cool!
As we started walking on the trails that were covered with a dusting of snow, I felt a new kind of bravery. I could stomp on ice-crusted puddles and splatter the water, keeping my feet dry. What wonderful new boots.
Soon my audience was encouraging me to tackle that puddle, and then the next one. Eagerly I would jump to the occasion as I was cheered on.
As I was attacking the next puddle, my boot started sinking beyond the usual depth. Suddenly I felt the thin layer of ice give way under both my feet. It was the swamp! I was falling in.
My audience laughed wholeheartedly, and quickly scattered, leaving me alone. They wanted no part in helping me out of my predicament. My fears swelled up, crushing my lungs as I panicked within the cold water now surrounding me. A broken stick brushed past my leg. What was that? I need to get out of here! But there was no one there to help me out.
Then from within myself, I felt a whisper of courage rise. I had it within me to pull my wits together, move back to the shore, and get out—wet, cold, and shaken.
Why is it that events like that remain in living detail within my memories, while others do not? This was one of fear, being a victim of others’ few moments of laughs and the resulting loneliness.
How many more times in my life would I fall prey to the cheering of others encouraging me to engage in activities that would only harm me in the long run? It would be many, many years before I would understand the workings of a spiritual enemy that would use others to harm me. At times it was physical, but many times it was mental.
I grew up in a church, being taught about God. The Bible stories were a part of my childhood. But it would take those same many, many years before I would understand that knowing about Him is not the same as knowing Him.
Being saved or having salvation can be terms that one can hear being slung around like slop for pigs. It doesn’t mean anything. There is no desire to look or pay attention. This is how our enemy wants to see it.
Yes, we have a spiritual enemy that wants us to be satisfied in our current situation like frogs being slowly boiled in water, not realizing our lives are gradually being snuffed out. Or we can be engulfed in the opposite extreme of being devastated, discouraged, frustrated, angry, and more. This enemy wants us left to feel hopeless and alone and ready to end our lives, to the point where we’ve had enough.
However we find ourselves, the enemy does not want us to find God. The one who rescues us, forgives us, refines, and restores us so that we become like precious gems before Him. He is the one who created us to be who we are with the gifts and talents, strengths and weaknesses, and the capability of becoming the full potential of His original design for us.
This God is the one that gave me the wits to get out of that swamp. He wanted me to learn from that situation so that eventually I could see the impact of sin. The sin that impacted how others would view me, even mock me. The sin that would impact how I would react in return by living in years of rebellion and fear. The Lord desired to get my attention, even more than the enemy did so that I could get beyond my sin and its effects. He drew me out of that swamp into safety.
Our Father in Heaven draws us to Him (John 6:44). He wants a relationship with us. But the only way to start that relationship is by believing in the Son, Jesus Christ, that He was sent into this world to pay the price for our sins. That is the salvation message. That is key to being able to run into the Father’s arms for the help we need in our journey on this side of heaven.
There is a treasure chest of riches to find as we first start accepting Jesus as our Savior. Oh, the gems we find along the way, even though the path may take us through some challenging places. But we first need the key to unlock that treasure chest to start receiving the riches and blessings.
Step one to obtaining that key is acknowledging that you’ve sinned. Every one of us has sinned. Every one of us is guilty in some way. (Romans 3:10). It is not about comparing what we’ve done versus someone else. It’s not about the magnitude of the sin. It’s coming to grips that sin is the problem. We all deal with it. And there is a price to pay.
The Word of God says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). That’s the ultimate price to pay. We see that played out every day as we drive past the local funeral parlor or read another obituary someone has posted.
The bigger question is what happens after death. In short, according to the Word of God, we will either be with Him or without Him. We will be invited to spend eternity with Him or be cast into a second death, along with the enemy. (Matthew 25:31-34, Revelation 20:12-15, Revelation 20:10)
We have an enemy that wants us to join him in that death where there is no loving God or light. Many call this hell.
But God is truly loving. He knows us. Everything about us: he knows our sin. He knows what we have done and the state we are in. And He doesn’t want us to stay there. He desires us to come up out of our swamps, cold, miserable, even angry. He wants us to find the key to His ultimate treasure for us—the payment of our sin. True forgiveness. Freedom from the chains of fear, lies, and deception.
Our sin is what keeps us separate from God. We have nothing in ourselves that can cleanse and wipe away our sin to make us right with God. But God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to come to earth, to take on the form of man. He came to dwell among us, and then pay the ultimate price for our sin by dying on the cross. (Romans 5:8, Colossians 1:13-14, Ephesians 1:7)
God made the provision for us to be able to come to Him. What is our part? Believing in that provision. Confessing that you believe God made that provision for you. This is exercising the first steps of faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. This is taking the key, the provision, and inserting it into the lock, turning it as you proclaim out loud that Jesus is the source of my treasure. (Romans 10:9-10, 13, John 3:16).
Once you take hold of this key, by confession and prayer to allow Jesus to cleanse you, to allow Him into your life, the next, precious treasure you will receive is the Holy Spirit.
This isn’t about finding a quick fix, say a confession like a bandage, and moving on to do whatever you would like. God not only provides a way for you to have a relationship with Him but also how to make the most of that relationship. Day by Day. Situation by Situation. Challenges, difficult people, family trauma, and drama. There is nothing in this world that He can’t help assist you in and through.
He can also cause beauty to come from ashes (Isaiah 61:3), turn mourning into joy (Jeremiah 31:13), and peace instead of fear (John 14:27).
The Lord God knows exactly what you need in your situation today, tomorrow, and the rest of your days in this world. There are so many treasures that He has in store for you as His child. Come seek Him while He can be found, turn away from the sin that the enemy wants you to be comfortable in, and find forgiveness (Isaiah 55:6-7).
Once you accept this journey with the Lord, He starts illuminating His light on your path. We don’t have to wander in darkness anymore (Psalm 119:105). We are given gifts as a result of the infilling of His Holy Spirit into our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). As we grow into a relationship with Him and get to know Him through His Word and conversing with Him, we grow so that we can withstand the storms we face in this life (Matthew 7:24-25). And there is so much more!
Come start the journey with the best friend and Savior you could ever imagine. Start with a prayer to ask Jesus into your life, to repent and receive forgiveness for your sin:
Prayer for Forgiveness and Salvation: Jesus, I choose to believe in you. I confess my sin of _______; I confess all my sins before you. I believe that you died on the cross to forgive my sin. I believe that you desire to claim me as your own and that you love me and forgive me. I choose to follow you. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Personalized Scripture Prayer: I ask you Lord God to fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,so that I may live a life worthy of You Lord, and may please You in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of You Lord God, being strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so that I may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to You Father, for You have now qualified me to share in the inheritance of Your holy people in the kingdom of light. Thank you for rescuing me from the dominion of darkness and bringing me into the kingdom of the Son You love, in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14)
Congratulations on your first step in a powerful relationship with your creator! He will help you become who He created you to be. He knows all your weaknesses. He also equipped you with strengths. He will use both to help you grow each day. His greatest helper is the Holy Spirit who comes into you and dwells within you. He is a counselor, teacher, guide and so much more!
To learn more about Jesus personally, get yourself a Bible and read the book of John. Underline verses that grab your attention, make notes, and allow the Bible to become a handbook for finding life treasures.
Welcome to His kingdom.
#Salvation #NewLife #TreasureKey
