26 Years a Believer!

Today, 22nd September 2010, is the 26th anniversary of my being born again and becoming a believer in Jesus and a child of God.

I had been brought up as a nominal Christian in a churchgoing family, and educated at church schools, and by the time I left school I had quite a lot of knowledge of the Bible and of church matters but it was all in my head and not in my heart. After I left school I went through a bad patch and walked away from any involvement with God for a number of years. Then my grandmother died and quite unexpectedly I found myself wanting to "fill her pew" in church, so I started going again. Several years later I moved, and began attending my new local church, but it was still all in my head and not in my heart. In this church, I encountered people who seemed to have so much more than me spiritually - I'd never met people like that before and part of me wanted what they had, but another part shied away, fearing the commitment I felt would be involved. As time went on, this tension deepened until it became almost unbearable. At that time, a couple who had recently moved to the area invited me to a big meeting in our neighbouring city. The preacher spoke in words of one syllable and it was as if he was speaking to me personally - until that time I had no idea the Bible could be so "real" and by the end of the evening I had repented of my sin and believed that Jesus had paid the price for it, and accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour. That was exactly 26 years ago today.

There have been many ups and downs in the intervening years, but whatever I have been through, I have never been alone - He has been faithful to His promise never to leave nor forsake me, and during those years I have had a hunger to study His Word, the Bible, and to grow in understanding of His purposes for me, for His Church, for His Chosen People the Jews, and for the world. It has been, and continues to be, the most incredible adventure!

I am thrilled to see the daily verse that has come up on my blog for today:

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (1 Peter 2:9.)