HENRY JACKSON, a young fellow, was lost in the forest for three days. He had gone into the woods to hunt and had lost his way. Round and around he wandered, hopeless, helpless, until he felt death staring him in the face.
He had indeed almost despaired of ever escaping from the terrible solitudes, when all of a sudden he heard on the third day the report of a gun. How his heart must have beaten fast at that sound! That report must have been more delightful to him than the sweetest music he had ever heard, for it filled him with a fresh hope that his life would be spared.
Did he say to himself, I’ve plenty of time; I’ll wait until I hear another shot. No indeed; he was in dead earnest by this time; his life was at stake and his reply to “the joyful sound” was a shot from his own gun. This brought him shortly face to face with an unknown friend, an Indian who was also out hunting.
How glad Henry was to see another man. Neither knew each other’s language, nevertheless Hey was able to make the Indian understand that he was lost. Would he guide him out of the forest? If so, he would pay him well. A bargain was struck and before long, Henry was safe at home having paid the Indian his price for his rescue.
If the report of a gun gave such joy to poor Henry lost in the woods, how delightful would be the good news of God’s grace and love to a poor sinner who knows that he is lost in sin. What earnestness there was in the agonizing cry of the jailor at Philippi, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And how precious to his soul was the reply of the servants of God, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"! Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31). We know that he received without delay the blessed gospel of the grace of God to the salvation of his soul, for that very night he “rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”
Have you, dear reader, heard the report which God has sent from heaven to lost sinners, telling them of deliverance, pardon, peace, and salvation in the Person and work of His dear Son? And have you acted as wisely as Henry lost in the wood? In other words, have you received the salvation of your soul through believing on the name of His only begotten Son?
The Indian required to be well paid for his services; but how blessed it is to know that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). But though this gift is “without money and without price,” let us remember that in order to make it thus free to us, God “gave His only begotten Son,” and the Lord Jesus “gave Himself” for us on the cross, suffering “for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”
O may each of our young friends, while in the freshness of youth, turn to the Lord and put your trust in Him. Then you shall never perish, but shall dwell instead in the presence of God as His dear child, in the likeness of Christ forevermore there where there is no tempter, no possibility of ever being lost, but where all is holiness, happiness, glory and praise forever and ever!
ML-02/11/1973