A few Christians were gathering at a house for reading the Scriptures and prayer. The weather was uncertain, and rain began to fall heavily as the little meeting was about to commence.
A young girl, a Jewess, was hurrying quickly by the door on her way to her home, when a lady who was entering the house, asked her if she would like to take shelter until the rain was over. She was glad to do so, though she was unaware that the gracious Lord was going to lead her that day to find a shelter in Himself of which no storm henceforth could deprive her.
Ida’s father was an infidel; her mother was indifferent to religion, and Ida, though brought up in the faith of her fathers, had well-nigh become infidel, too. But shortly before the incident we have mentioned, the Lord graciously brought her within the sound of the message of redeeming love.
A Christian servant came to live in the house, from whom Ida heard the power and preciousness of the name of Jesus. The glad tidings of peace, through the blood of the cross, were a new sound to her, and the Lord inclined Ida’s heart to listen, and awakened in her a desire to hear more.
As Ida and the lady who had asked her to shelter from the rain, entered the room, a gentleman was speaking on those words in John 11:45,
“Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him.”
The words at once caught the girl’s attention, and the speaker, without knowing he was addressing one in a like condition, went on to show the need and the supply, the disease and the remedy.
Truth, which often falls wearily on thoughtless souls, because so often heard, was listened to eagerly by Ida. She heard of Him who went down into the dust of death for her; heard that God is just, and the Justifier of him who believes on Jesus. To her the glad tidings were as the rising of the sun in the darkness of night.
She believed, not because her intellect was satisfied, or because reasonings of unbelief were stilled, but because she found in the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, enough to satisfy both heart and soul, and give rest forever. She heard the things which Jesus did, and believed on Him.
Ida had now learned the blessed truth that in Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free, but that Christ is all and in all.