AYOUNG sailor stood up before a group one evening and told the story of his conversion.
It was at sea one night while he was on duty. On watch all alone in the darkness, no sound to be heard except the dashing of the waves against the sides of the ship, he stood there thinking of home and school days now over and gone.
Amid these memories there flashed across his mind a verse of God’s holy Word, often repeated in schooldays. It was this, “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).
Standing alone there with God, under the starry heavens, he said aloud, “O my God, I am weary enough; I come to Christ for rest"; and at that same hour he found rest and peace to his soul. He now lives to tell to others of Him who is the Rest for the weary.
He went “below” that night with a light heart, and before his ship mates he sang his first song as a redeemed one at rest in Christ.
Dear reader, have you found rest to your soul, or are you still burdened, unsatisfied, sad and weary in your heart? There is no rest in the world; none in pleasure; none in sin. If you live a Christless life you will have no rest in the sad hour of death, and in the deep dark eternity, where the sinner’s soul goes after death, rest is unknown.
But there is rest in Christ now, and for you, if you will “Come.” But in order to be saved you must say from your heart — “Christ died for me.”
ML-06/10/1973