My Life Has Changed!
My name is Caleb Snyder, and this is my story.
My name is Caleb Snyder, and I grew up hearing and learning the truth of the Bible. My parents and both sides of my grandparents encouraged me and taught me the importance of living a life in service to the Lord, and I believed I was. I believed everything that the Bible said, or at least I thought I did. I realize now that I always had doubts on the true power of God. I’d rejoice when l’d hear what the Lord was doing in others lives, but I always hesitated to trust that He could work in my life.
I spent most of my life believing I was right with God without having truly turned my life over to Him or fully trusting that I could even be saved, because why would God save me, why would He even want to? It took me years to fully grasp that it’s because of His never-ending love for me. That Jesus Christ died on the cross because of my sin and to save my soul. That He desired me to come to Him.
Revelation 22:17 says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
"I spent most of my life believing I was right with God without having truly turned my life over to Him."
I struggled with my belief that I was saved for years at a time. I’d think I was saved, but nothing would change or I wouldn’t change, and I’d start believing I wasn’t saved after all. I’d think, “If I’m saved, then why am I still struggling with this sin?” The answer is, I wanted to be changed from who and what I was, without actually being willing to give it up. I’d pray to be saved and the cycle would repeat.
I was trying to hide my sin from God, knowing full well that it’s impossible. I was trying to balance serving two masters, and it wasn’t working.
Luke 16:13 says, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
That all changed the day I fully turned my life over to God and asked Him to save me on July 19th, 2020. I was watching the Sunday service about The Great White Throne and the coming judgment of God with my grandparents, and I felt God’s conviction on my heart, it was like a vice grip that was saying, “You know that you are not right with God; you know what you need to do and how you need to do it. Believe that Jesus can and is willing to save, trust that He can change you, turn away from your sin, and cling to the cross.”
I broke down, knowing that I was a sinner before God and only Jesus could save me. I repented of my sin and asked Him to save me. I turned away from my sins that day and turned to Jesus Christ and His promises.
"My life and the direction of it has changed."
My life and the direction of it has changed; my thinking and my desires have changed. I am not perfect, but Jesus is working to make me more like himself. Now, I can look back and remember what He did for me on that day. I can see the fruit that He has grown in my life, and I trust fully in His promises, plans, and victory that He wants for me and my life.
Romans 8:37 says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
I’m so thankful that I am not saved by my own righteousness, but by the Righteousness of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have a new life, but more importantly I have a new eternity.
So, to close, I want to ask, which master are you serving? The world that can never satisfy? Or the Creator of this universe that is come to seek and to save?