WHEN I went to a certain part of Africa there was no written language, so I learned scraps from the conversation of the natives. One word I listened for, and never heard.
Two years and a half went by, and it seemed as if I never would make the people understand until I found out that word.
One night I heard some of the men telling stories of adventures. One related how his master had rescued him from a lion. I listened eagerly, hoping to catch the word—the long-sought word. The incident was finished, the word was not spoken; my hope was crushed, my heart was sick. Afterwards I spoke to the man and asked him:
"What did you call your master when he saved you from the lion?"
At once he gave me the longed-for word —the word which means "Saviour"; and I was able for the first time to make clear to him what the Saviour would be to him. With joy on his face he caught the message, as he exclaimed:
"Is that what you have been trying to tell us all this time?"
I spent four years in Africa. For fourteen months I never saw bread; for months I have lived on African beans and sour milk; I have eaten everything from ants to rhinoceros flesh; but I would go through it all again for the joy of that moment when I heard the word "Saviour," and saw the light on that man's face at the message it conveyed to him!
My young friend, do you know in your heart and life the meaning of that word—
"SAVIOUR"?
Is He your very own Saviour?
Messages of God’s Love 2/3/1929