HE WAS only a poor goat shepherd in Southern India; his hours were long, and his work toilsome. He rode an old ox which he himself had brought up and trained, and the flock followed after, in the usual eastern style. One of the difficulties he had to encounter was the lack of water, and to find a well was a most welcome event.
A day came when the poor goats had been without a drink for sometime, and the shepherd, leaving the ox with them, wandered a long distance in search of water. Suddenly he found a well; it was among some old ruins. While he was looking down to investigate, the edge of the well gave way, and the poor man fell down some feet. He was caught upon a ledge, however, and so his life was spared.
Somewhat bruised and half-stunned, the poor man began to correct his thoughts. He was in a truly pitiable plight, more than a mile from his faithful ox and the flock of goats. He was unable to climb back up the side of the well, and not a soul could hear his cry for help.
Just then he heard a hissing sound, and though it was growing dark he saw something moving below in the bed of the well. It was a mass of snakes! What could he do? In the hour of his extreme danger, he remembered that when he was just a boy there had come into his native village a missionary, and although he had not taken much heed, nevertheless he had gone to hear the white teacher speak. He remembered one thing the missionary had said, namely, that in the hour of danger or trouble a certain wonderful Lord Jesus would hear and answer prayer. With a childlike faith, in agony and fear, the Indian shepherd prayed for help.
After praying for some time, he seemed to have fallen asleep. Some hours later he woke up, and found it was dawn — darkness had gone! Something was touching his head. He looked up and saw the face of his old ox, looking down at him; and it was the rope dangling from the faithful animal’s neck that was touching his head.
Grasping the rope he called to the ox to back away. In a few moments he was pulled from the well. In answer to his prayer, God had sent his ox to find him and saved his life.
There and then the shepherd trusted in the Lord Jesus as his Saviour and for the rest of his life. he testified to his people of his faith in the Christian’s God.
ML-03/04/1973