Mr. and Mrs. Ackerley both trusted and loved the Lord Jesus. Their only boy, Jules, should have been very thankful to have parents who belonged to the Saviour, but I’m afraid he wanted his own way. His parents often spoke to him about the Lord Jesus, and pressed upon him the need of coming to the Saviour without delay.
Jules was unusually lively, and stubborn too, and he used to get very angry when things didn’t go just the way he wanted.
When Jules was ten years old, he was made to think very solemnly about God. He was very fond of horses, and a neighbor one day allowed him to mount a fine horse of his, and go oft for a ride. All at once, the horse became frightened and began to gallop furiously. Jules was terrified, and began to slip off, but just then he remembered his mother’s instruction, and he cried aloud, “Lord Jesus, help me, help me!” Immediately the horse stopped and stood still. Jules slid down off the horse’s back feeling very thankful for his deliverance. He led the horse back to the neighbor, and then went thoughtfully home, but he didn’t tell his father or mother of his adventure.
A few months after this, he took a terrible toothache, and the pain was so had that he started out to walk to the dentist’s office, which was five miles away. On the way, the rain began to fall, and before long poor Jules was soaked and miserable in every way. As soon as his tooth was cared for, he returned home, but was so very sick that he had to go right to bed. The next day he was worse, and he began to fear that he might never get well again. Though not yet eleven years old, he knew that he was a sinner, and this made him feel most unhappy, for he knew that if he died, he would have to meet God. He knew that his father and mother had often told him the beautiful gospel story, but that his heart was so stubborn that he just wouldn’t bow and take Jesus as his Saviour. Then he remembered that God had heard him from that runaway horse, and so in his misery he cried again to God and owned the wickedness of his young heart, and accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. What a wonderful thing happened! All his anxious thoughts were gone and he was now peaceful and happy. He wanted to talk to everyone who came to visit him, about the Lord. Jesus, and asked them each one to accept the Saviour as their own.
For a long time he lay on that sick bed, for over a year, and when he was but twelve years old, he was called home to be with the Lord Jesus.
Will you not bow your own stubborn heart right now and accept God’s salvation?
ML 07/08/1951