Some time ago I was traveling with a Native Evangelist from India. We had been holding meetings and God greatly blessed the Word, and many yielded themselves to God. Leaving there for a distant part we took the train for a six days’ journey.
My friend was dressed in European clothes, but wore his turban as a distinive mark that he was an Indian. As we took our seats, I noticed a girl about foueen get in with her mother. She kept looking at my friend, and I could not help being amused.
The curiosity of the child got stronger, till at last she said to me,
“Please, sir, is that a real live Hindoo?” pointing at my friend.
“Yes,” I replied.
“O, I am so glad; can I speak to him? Do you know I have often thought about the Hindoos. In our mission band we give our money to convert the Hindoos. O, I would like to talk to him.” I told her how glad he would be to speak to her.
“He knows English well, and loves children,” I said. So I introduced her to him. She asked him a great many questions about India, its customs and ways, what they ate, and what kind of clothes they wore?
At last she got through, and then my friend said, “Now you have asked me a lot of questions, it is my turn to ask you some. May I?”
“O, yes,” she replied.”
“Have you really given your heart to Jesus? Can you say your sins are all forgiven? You have sent your money to India to convert the heathen, but are you converted?”
You ought to have seen the change in her face; how all the brightness went out of it. She hung her head, and spoke so low we could scarcely hear her say, “I am not sure I can say so.”
My friend put his hand on her arm in such a loving way, and spoke so pleadingly, that it quite won her heart.
“Well, and would you not like to be quite sure?”
And he went on to tell her all about Jesus—how much He loved her, what He suffered, and how he bled and died on the cross so that her sins could be forgiven, and to make her His own dear child.
She looked up with tears in her eyes and said,
“O, yes I would.”
So he showed her how she could be saved. First to see herself a sinner, and confess her sins, and then to take Jesus as her own personal Saviour, by believing what God says in the Bible, that Jesus bore all her sins in His own body on the tree.
The dear girl, then and there, just took Jesus as her own personal Saviour, and O, how glad she was. We did thank God.
The next day they got off the train, as she was leaving, she came up with such a beaming, happy face to say goodbye, and said,
“O, I am so glad I met you, for now I can say Jesus is my own Saviour.”
I shall never forget her bright, smiling face, and the joy she had when she said,
“Now, I know my sins are all forgiven, and I belong to Jesus.”
Now, dear boys and girls, or you who may read this, supposing I were to ask you this same question. Are your sins forgiven? What would you say? —Would you hang your head like this little girl did? Or could you look up brightly and say,
“Yes, thank God, for Jesus’ sake, all my sins have been forgiven, and Jesus is my own Saviour.” Which would you do?
If you are not quite sure, I beg you for yet, I own soul’s sake, for Jesus’ sake, Who bled and died for your sins, give yourself to Him right away.
ML 08/15/1943