Poor old Billy had nearly reached the end of the road. Long out of touch with family and friends, in his last days there was nothing better for him than a cot in a shelter. Bleak and bare it was, but at least he was off the street and out of the weather. But worse than all else, Billy was dying without God, and without hope in the world.
But God had not forgotten poor old Billy and He sent one of His servants to visit the shelter where Billy lay. Stopping beside Billy, he asked, “Do you know the Lord Jesus?”
“No.”
“Do you know who He is?”
“Oh, I’ve heard of Him, but I don’t know Him. I’m not a Christian.”
And Billy responded to everything his visitor said with absolute indifference. He did not want to hear anything about God. Poor Billy! Time was so short for him. At last the visitor tried to appeal directly to his heart. “Tell me,” he said, “what about your soul?”
“It seems to me that there is a great wall between me and God.”
“But Billy, there is no wall on God’s side, for He loves you. Remember that all your sins are no hindrance to your being saved today. God is love and Christ died for you. Do you fear God, Billy?”
“Yes,” answered the dying man, but he added, “I don’t want to know Him.”
He did not want to have anything to do with God. Job tells us that the wicked say to God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways. (Job 21:1414Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. (Job 21:14).) Such was the case with Billy.
At last Billy had another visitor. An old drinking buddy had recently been converted, and when he heard of Billy’s sad condition he came to tell him what God had done for him. He spoke to Billy in simple language of Jesus “who died for such fellows as we.”
“You know what I was once, Billy,” he said. “But the Lord gave peace to my soul. Now I have come to tell you about Him. God has often spoken to you by His Holy Spirit, but you have always turned away. Now I want you to hear Him tonight.”
Billy began to grumble. All this noise about his bed was too much! He wanted to sleep!
His old friend would not be discouraged.
“You are a dreadful sinner,” he continued. “What would become of you if Jesus had not died on the cross for you? You can’t do anything, Billy, but God tells you that He sent His Son to die for sinners. We are all sinners. You are a sinner yourself, Billy.”
Billy began paying a little attention, and his friend continued to tell him about the One who came into the world to save sinners. Finally the friend said, “Billy, I want you to pray.”
“I can’t pray,” groaned the old man.
“Then listen; I will pray for you.”
While the prayer of faith went up to God, the heart of old Billy began to be softened by his old friend’s pleadings. Great tears began to roll down his thin cheeks, and at long last Billy turned to the Saviour.
The report soon spread through the dilapidated shelter that old Billy was a changed man. He said little, but the expression on his face testified to his inward joy. To those who asked a reason for his hope he replied simply that he had been a great sinner, but that he had found a wonderful Saviour. In the little while left to him he could often be heard whispering softly:
“Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly.”
vvv