Some of you may have read the devotion in “Our Daily Bread,” on Saturday, May 16 titled, “Tell Me a Story,” by John Blase. It started out with the words, “Once upon a time.”
My mind took me down a totally different path which I want to share and give you something to think about. We all have “once upon a time” stories. They’re all different. Here’s one of mine:
Once upon a time there was a young girl, a farmer’s daughter. She thought she was a pretty good kid, never got in a lot of trouble, except with her younger brother! She loved going to church and being involved in the youth group (mostly because she would see some of her friends). The church she attended didn’t preach from the Bible and she didn’t have one of her own. But she hoped, since she was a “good kid,” that one day she would go to heaven.
It wasn’t until she married a godly man and started attending a Bible preaching church that she learned she was a sinner (we are all born sinners and there is no way to get to heaven on our own merits) Rom. 3:23. That’s why Jesus came; that’s why Jesus died on the cross for our sins. That’s when she acknowledged her sin, believed Jesus was the Son of God who took her punishment for her sins, and she trusted Him as her personal Savior. She became a child of God and one day she knows she will be with her Lord in heaven, along with others who have trusted Him as well. That was back in April of 1967 and, of course, that was me.
That was the most important decision of my life. No, life hasn’t been easy, and I have a lot more “once upon a time stories,” but in all of my stories, my Lord has never failed me and He is always with me.
Perhaps during this corona virus pandemic, it would be a great time for you to think about your “once upon a time” stories. I hope your most important “once upon a time” story ends with you also trusting in Jesus as your Savior. I call it an ending, but it’s really the “beginning of a wonderful journey” that ultimately takes us to heaven.
“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9,10
This could be your most important “once upon a time” story!