AS THE children were leaving Sunday school one afternoon, the superintendent gently placed his hand on the shoulder of one little boy, saying, “Are you trusting in the Lord, Willie?”
“No, sir,” was the reply.
“Would you like to trust Him?” asked the kind man tenderly.
“Yes,” said the little fellow, and with such deep earnestness, that the superintendent was sure Willie was really longing to come to Jesus and to be saved.
That same evening Willie was listening to a preacher reading John 20:2727Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. (John 20:27): “Be not faithless, but believing.” The preacher paused and then said, “Be not unbelieving, but believing.” These words were impressed on Willie’s young and tender heart.
At the close of the service Willie and his brother, Tom, stayed to speak with the preacher. Willie’s whole body quivered with emotion, as he owned how he had long wanted to be saved. And then the three knelt down together.
“O Lord, save me!” prayed Willie, and he repeated after the preacher these well-known words:
Just as I am without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee
O, Lamb of God, I come!
Outside a storm was raging and the rain was coming down in torrents, but inside poor Willie’s heart there was a storm raging too.
“What hinders you from accepting Jesus and His salvation, Willie?”
“I want somehow to know that I am saved,” he replied.
“If you had offended me, and I told you I would forgive you, would you believe my words, or would you ask me for some sign that I had forgiven you?”
“I would believe you without a sign,” the boy answered.
“Well, can you not believe God?” “Lord, may I not be faithless, but believing,” Willie replied.
“Jesus says, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’,” a voice whispered to him.
“Lord, I came to Thee and asked Thee to save me!” was his response.
“Jesus says, ‘No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.’ Just tell God that you come in the name of His dear Son.”
“Oh God, I come to Thee in the name of the Lord Jesus, and ask Thee to save me!” said the little boy earnestly.
Above the fury of the storm was heard that simple prayer and the Lord spoke peace to Willie’s soul.
“I am saved!” he exclaimed. “Lord, I thank Thee for having saved me! Lord, I pray Thee to keep me and to save my dear brothers.”
Now Tommy began to pray aloud, too, and with childlike simplicity followed the prayer of his much loved superintendent, repeating each sentence after him, word for word.
“Jesus is so loving and tender and gracious,” said this servant of Christ to the little boy. “Cannot you trust Him?” And Tommy told the Lord he could do so, and then they all rose from their knees and stood and praised the Lord.
ML-06/14/1964