A young man, distressed about his soul, had confided his difficulties to a friend, who discerned that he was striving to obtain everlasting life by great efforts. He spoke of "sincere prayers' and "heart-felt desires" after salvation, but continually lamented that he did not "feel any different in spite of it all."
His friend did not answer him at first but presently interrupted him with the inquiry,
" William, did you ever learn to float?"
"Yes, I did," was the surprised reply.
"And did you find it easy to learn?"
"Not at first," he answered.
"What was the difficulty?" his friend pursued.
"Well, the fact was, I could not lie still; I could not believe or realize that the water would hold me up without any effort of my own, so I always began to struggle, and, of course, down I went at once."
"And then?"
"Then I found out that I must give up all the struggle, and just rest on the strength of the water to bear me up. It was easy enough after that; I was able to lie back in the fullest confidence that I should never sink."
"And isn't God's Word more worthy of your trust than the changeable sea? He does not bid you wait for feelings. He command you to just rest in Him, to believe His Word, and accept His gift. His message of life reaches down to you in your place of ruin and death, and work to you now is: 'Believe ye that I am able to do this?' He is able to save to the uttermost."
S.S. Lesson Illustrator, pages 20-21 in One Thousand Evangelistic Illustrations, edited by Webb, A. (1924). New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers
His friend did not answer him at first but presently interrupted him with the inquiry,
" William, did you ever learn to float?"
"Yes, I did," was the surprised reply.
"And did you find it easy to learn?"
"Not at first," he answered.
"What was the difficulty?" his friend pursued.
"Well, the fact was, I could not lie still; I could not believe or realize that the water would hold me up without any effort of my own, so I always began to struggle, and, of course, down I went at once."
"And then?"
"Then I found out that I must give up all the struggle, and just rest on the strength of the water to bear me up. It was easy enough after that; I was able to lie back in the fullest confidence that I should never sink."
"And isn't God's Word more worthy of your trust than the changeable sea? He does not bid you wait for feelings. He command you to just rest in Him, to believe His Word, and accept His gift. His message of life reaches down to you in your place of ruin and death, and work to you now is: 'Believe ye that I am able to do this?' He is able to save to the uttermost."
S.S. Lesson Illustrator, pages 20-21 in One Thousand Evangelistic Illustrations, edited by Webb, A. (1924). New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers
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