Many years ago, an evangelistic preacher would arrive at a town, put up a tent, and throw sawdust on the grass. (This is where we get the term sawdust trail.) Holding services for seven to fourteen nights he invited people to accept Christ as their Savior as they knelt at an altar near the platform. I heard a story that took place many more years ago about a Native American chief.
When the Holy Spirit convicted his heart, he brought forward his bow and tomahawk to place on the altar as a sign of submission to God. This gave him no peace. Then he went forward to place his headdress on the altar also as a sign of submission to God. He returned to his place in the last row of seats. He still was not satisfied. Then he went outside to fetch his pony which he took forward, tying it near the platform. Finally, still with no peace in his heart, he walked forward and placed himself on the altar as a true sign of submission to God gaining him peace with repentance.
His bow and tomahawk were the means where he was able to retrieve the game from the forest so that he might feed his family. His headdress was a status symbol in his society. His pony was a valuable asset to travel. He offered all of these things to God, but it was not until he surrendered his own self that he gained a realization of what it was to accept Christ as his Savior.
All of us have a similar situation as this Indian chief. We must hunt for a job so we can feed our families. Every one of us seeks society’s approval. In our modern society, owning a certain automobile is itself a status symbol. But not until we wholeheartedly give ourselves to the Lord do we know what it is to have a salvation experience with God.
Christian Writer 