In India one day a poor Hindu went bathing in the muddy waters of the Ganges river. For a long time the poor man had been seeking peace for his weary soul, and he was told that to bathe in the sacred waters of the river would bring him rest.
But he found no peace nor rest for his soul. Then he saw a crowd of people gathered around a missionary, who was telling them the story of Jesus the Saviour of sinners. The missionary gave the Hindu a piece of paper which he took and placed in a corner of his hut. Later on when he returned he found his hut was burned to the ground. However, there was one small corner that did not burn and it was his delight to find that the piece of paper the missionary had given him was still there unharmed. He took it to a man and asked him to read it to him.
The story told about the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. The man was greatly surprised when he heard the words, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).
“Why,” he exclaimed, “that’s what I want. I have been seeking rest and peace for many years. I have made pilgrimages, offered sacrifices, bathed in the sacred waters, but these have brought no rest and peace to my soul. And here is a man who says, ‘Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.’”
The poor Hindu was not long in seeking out the missionary whom he found at the mission station. He told him about the piece of paper and wanted to know who it was that spoke these words, “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.”
With joy the missionary preached unto him Jesus, the Son of God, who came from heaven to earth to bring life, rest and peace to sinners through His death on the cross.
The missionary spoke long and lovingly to the man, who drank in the precious gospel story. “And now,” said the missionary, “if you will just trust in Jesus, He will take away the burden of your sins and will give you the peace and rest of soul you so long have sought.” The poor Hindu believed the message, and received Christ. Now he could say, “I sought long years for peace. I have found it at last.”
ML 05/28/1967