God Keeps His Promises

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

Roger Simms shared this testimony in a book:

May 7 the day Roger was discharged from the army. He couldn’t get a bus so he decided to hitchhike his way home. Carry his heavy suitcase and in his army uniform, he flashed for the on-coming car. It was a luxurious, black Cadillac, so he did not expect it to stop. To his surprise the car stopped.

He thanked the well-dressed man and entered the front seat. He was heading to Chicago so it was along the way. "I have a business there. My name is Hanover."

After talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a need to share with this 50-odd-year old successful businessman about Jesus Christ. But he kept putting it off, until he realized he was just 30 minutes from his home. It was now or never. So Roger cleared his throat and said, "Mr Hanover, I would like to talk to you about something very important." He then proceeded to explain how his life has been changed by Christ, the way of salvation, and finally asking Mr Hanover if he would like to receive Christ as his Saviour.

To Roger’s surprise, the man pulled over to the side of the road. Roger thought he was angry and wanted to ask him to get out of his car. But the businessman bowed his head and said he wanted to pray. So he received Christ, and then thanked Roger. "This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."

Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises, the company Mr Hanover works in.

A receptionist told him it was impossible to see him now, but he could see Mrs Hanover. A little confused as to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and found himself facing a woman in her fifties. She extended her hand and asked, "You knew my husband?"

Roger told how her husband had given him a ride five years ago. She asked, "Can you tell me when that was?"

"It was May 7, the day I was discharged from the army." He went on to share what they talk about and how her husband prayed to receive Christ into his life.

Mrs Hanover began to weep. Roger was surprised. She said, "I had prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him."

"And where is your husband?" Roger asked.

"He’s dead. He was in a car accident after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see - I thought God had not kept His promise." She cried and then added, "I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!"

J. Kirk Johnston, Why Christians Sin, Discovery House, 1992, p. 39-41.