Mrs. Lowe was a happy Christian and delighted to do all she could for the poor and sick. She also sought to interest her children in such deeds of kindness by having them gather flowers for her to take to the sick.
Her little daughter Mary loved the Lord Jesus and entered heartily into this small service. One day to a branch covered with fragrant flowers she tied a card on which she had written the following verse: "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37).
Mrs. Lowe put all the flowers in a basket, not forgetting Mary's branch, and took them to a hospital. There she went from bed to bed distributing the flowers and speaking words of encouragement and exhortation to the sick. Her earnest desire was to direct the tried and afflicted to Jesus who alone could save their souls and give them rest.
When she had finished her visits in the hospital, Mrs. Lowe's basket still contained the beautiful branch gathered by Mary. As she walked toward home she asked herself, "To whom shall I give it?" She thought of old Jacob. He had been ill a long time and his days on earth must now be few. Sad to say, he was an infidel who had always persisted in the blind folly of saying, "There is no God.”
How miserable he was at heart, and how full of bitterness! With no knowledge of the love of God nor the saving power of the blood of Jesus the poor man must die unsaved.
Mrs. Lowe went to the little house where he lived. He was lying with his eyes closed, apparently asleep. Mrs. Lowe quietly placed the fragrant branch of blossoms on his pillow and waited with his wife until he wakened. Soon Jacob slowly opened his eyes, and saw with astonishment the flowery branch on his bed. He asked, "Who sent me that?”
"GOD!" was the brief response of the visitor. The sick man closed his eyes and said no more and in a few minutes Mrs. Lowe left.
Who can tell what happened in the heart of Jacob? God spoke to him and in a few hours wrought a marvelous change in his soul. The following morning, to the great astonishment of his wife who had also been an infidel, he said: “Emmy, I want to see again all my old acquaintances, all who have known my infidel belief. Go and tell them to come. Don't miss any.”
Emmy went without a single word to fulfill the desire of her husband. Soon all the former companions of Jacob were assembled about his bed.
“My friends," said he in a feeble voice, "I have asked you to come here that I may tell you that I am no longer an infidel. I have become a true believing Christian. I will tell you how it came about. Since I have been here in bed I have often wondered about God. Yesterday I said to myself, 'If there is a God I ought to be able to find Him, and He should be able to hear my prayer.' So I pondered what I should ask to prove Him. At last I thought, I will ask of Him a very simple thing, a flower.
“I did not for a moment think of any one bringing me a flower. I rather thought if God heard my prayer He would send the flower down the chimney or through the window. I had just been dozing a bit when I smelled a sweet odor. I opened my eyes. Can you imagine my astonishment when I saw before me, not merely a single flower, but a branch covered with flowers?
“I asked: 'Who sent me that?' And a lady who was standing near my bed said: 'God!' She said no more and went away.
"Yes, God had pity on me, a senseless old infidel, and has shown me that He is a living God who hears every word and who knows every thought. As though the flowers were not enough, I found attached to the branch a card, and on it these words were written: `Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out!'
"What a word for me, the old wicked sinner! Yes, I understood at once that Jesus, the Savior of sinners, had said it. That spoke so strongly to my soul that here, upon my bed, and just as I am, I have turned to Jesus. See, my friends, He has not repulsed me; He has given me peace and pardon. You have known me as an atheist, a denier of God. Now I am a believer in Christ my Savior.”
He was silent a moment. A profound quiet reigned in the room until Jacob continued: "Oh, my friends, listen to me! In times past I have said, 'We only believe what we see.' That may do as long as there is health and strength, but when death comes there is need for pardon and eternal life. Ah! if I could only lead some of you to Jesus!”
His old infidel friends and companions remained silent. They were deeply moved and one after another wordlessly shook Jacob's hand and left. We know that several of these men later turned to Jesus, and will be with Him in heaven.
Dear unsaved reader, most likely you are not a professed infidel, but in your vigorous state of health are you going on day after day without Christ? You may not be given a sickbed with opportunity to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Take Him NOW!