The man who knelt beside me was the son of a preacher of the gospel. His father had gone to heaven long ago. Now the son, a grandfather, was asking the Lord Jesus to save him. When he had finished his prayer of faith, I rejoiced with him in his salvation and then said, “Your father knows that you have been born again.”

“I hope so,” he sighed.

“I guarantee it,” I said reassuringly. Then I shared our memory verse with him.

There is no doubt about it. Those in heaven know when any person on earth is saved and it brings great rejoicing there. The angels are glad and joy breaks out among the saints. Another soul will share heaven with them.

I would like to have been there when that former circuit-riding preacher was notified of the salvation of his son, Bill. I’m sure he had led many to Christ in days gone by and had rejoiced to see them saved, but always there had been that longing over his son. Through life he had prayed for him, expecting his conversion year after year but never seeing it happen. Perhaps he had experienced times of doubting that his prayer would ever be answered. Preachers are human enough to go through valleys of doubt and depression. Sometimes he may have felt like giving up — but always he went back to his knees. It was all he could do. Then, finally, his earthly sojourn ended and he went to heaven without his prayer answered. It may have been the only touch of sadness that he felt in arriving there. But now the victory had come.

Heaven rejoiced!