“OH, I have something so good to tell you,” said a little girl of thirteen some time since, as she turned to her friend a face beaming with joy which this world can neither give nor take away. “I know that I am saved―that the Lord Jesus died to put away my sins; it was all shown to me as plainly as possible last evening. This was the text: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.’ (John 5:24.) Mr.―said that anyone and everyone who really believed Christ’s word has everlasting life; not life to be had at some future time, but that very moment. God’s word says so, therefore it must be true.”
“I saw it all clearly, and knew that it meant me. I do believe God’s word―I have everlasting life. That word hath’ rang in my ears till I did not know how to contain myself; I felt as if I must jump up and shout out for joy, for I had everlasting life, and should never, never come into condemnation, but had already passed from death unto life. I can see now how the good Lord Jesus has done everything for me, and I am so glad, so full of joy and peace this morning, that my heart feels as if it can hardly hold so much.”
“I wanted to tell you the first of all, before saying a word to anyone else about it, because it was through your teaching in the Sunday-school that I first began to think or care about such things at all, and then to long to know the Lord Jesus as my own Saviour. When you used to speak of Him as if you loved Him so much, and really longed to see Him, I often wished that I did, too, and now I know that I do; oh! isn’t it wonderful! I can never thank Him or love Him half enough, I am sure.”
With heartfelt thanksgivings and tears of grateful joy the “sower and reaper rejoiced together.” It was indeed the Lord’s doing, and marvelous in their eyes.
Surely only those who have known what it is thus to receive unexpected answers to the prayers of perhaps years will understand, how thoroughly ashamed this one felt of her want of faith, and how a sweet sense of contrition mingled largely with her joy.
Years have passed, and the bright, happy young believer, who from that memorable day went on her way rejoicing, has had like others “to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” ―to meet with trials and temptations of various kinds, but “the joy of the Lord has been her strength,” and the Lord Himself her All. Her quiet, unassuming, consistent life has not been without its influence already upon others, and He who began the good work in her will, we know, perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
E. G