AN OLD sadhu, or holy man, trudged along the road in Pakistan one day. He carried a stick and a small pack containing his few belongings.
When he came to a village he would stop, put down his pack, take out one of his books and, calling the people to come and hear, he would read to them and then beg for money and food.
One day he stopped at a small village and clapping his hands he called aloud to people to come and listen. A small crowd soon gathered, and he began to read to them. The Book he had selected to read for this occasion happened to be a Bible — not that it meant any more to him than any of the rest of his books.
He read the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 11: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The people, most of whom could not read, had never heard this story before.
In the group was a young man, Sandhu. He had had a burden on his heart for a long time, and when he heard these words of the Saviour he was overjoyed, for he felt the Lord Jesus was speaking directly to him. Sandhu opened his heart to the Saviour right then, and he became a faithful follower of that blessed One. He changed his name to Ghulam Masib, which means “Servant of Christ.”
Ghulam suffered much persecution, for his people were angry when they learned he had become a Christian. His wife left him and never came back. Some of his children left too.
But he had one young son who loved his father very much and would not leave him. One day, like his father had done, this dear boy opened his heart to the Saviour and became a Christian too. What a comfort he was to Ghulam. They had many happy times together.
Then a missionary came along one day, much to Ghulam’s delight, and learning of his trials and persecutions he asked him if he was sorry he had become a Christian.
“Oh no,” replied Ghulam, “I am not sorry. I have great joy. Jesus my Saviour gives me only joy.”
Years have passed and Ghulam is an old man, and blind. But he hasn’t lost his joy. He attends the gospel services faithfully and his little grandson leads him by the hand to his seat. His face fairly shines with the joy of the Lord.
ML-09/09/1973