A Boy and His Bible

Narrator: Chris Genthree
 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 5
Listen from:
• BibleTruthPublishers.com
ONE day a boy was walking down a street in Melbourne, Australia, when he came upon a man who was lying drunk on the sidewalk.
Jim’s heart went out in pity and he stopped and looked at him and wondered what he could do. Not being strong enough to carry him, he did not see how he could help him.
He turned to go, when suddenly he thought of his Bible which he carried in his pocket. What should he do? That Bible was his mother’s gift, yet he was sure she would be pleased if he did what now had come into his mind.
Taking his Bible from his pocket, Jim slipped it gently into the man’s pocket and went his way.
Some years later, now a young man, he was fishing outside Wanganta, Victoria, and had chosen a place beside a stream for his mid-day rest when he saw another man had pitched his camp among the trees close by. This stranger invited him to come and sit down and share his refreshment with him, and they talked together.
Then he told him how he had been a drunkard in Melbourne, but one day when he came to his senses he had found a Bible in his pocket. He began to read it, and it had changed his life. Taking up a book that was lying on the grass at his side, he said, “This is the very Book that put me right.”
The young man opened it. Yes! it was his mother’s gift! What a thrill filled his heart as he realized what a blessing had come to a drunkard through his simple act so long ago.
Have you a Bible? Has it put you right? If not, will you read how one in the Bible found out the way? Read Acts 16:16-4016And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. 18And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 19And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 35And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 40And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. (Acts 16:16‑40).
“What must I do to be saved?... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Eccles. 11:11Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. (Ecclesiastes 11:1).
ML-11/08/1970