MR. CARPENTER lived in a pretty little cottage. He had plenty of work, good health and strength, and everything he wanted. He had a loving, praying wife, and a little daughter whom he loved dearly.
But, alas, this man said there was no God. Such was his hatred of religion that he would not let his daughter attend school for fear that she would learn to read her Bible and there find out about God. But Mrs. Carpenter taught her little girl as best she could. And all the time, she prayed to God that her husband’s hard heart might be opened to accept God’s salvation.
God listens to Christians pray but He does not always answer immediately. He answers prayer at just the right time and in just the right way. In Mr. Carpenter’s case, God allowed him to become seriously ill. Mrs. Carpenter did not realize that this was God’s way of answering her prayers and seeing her husband so sick, she was afraid he might die.
“Oh!” she thought, “if he should die, what will become of his soul?” She prayed earnestly that God would heal his body and save his poor soul. A doctor might give medicine for the sickness but only God could save him from hell.
Mrs. Carpenter decided to ask Mr. Mason for his help. Mr. Mason was a minister in a church and he loved to tell about the Lord Jesus, God’s Son, who died on Calvary’s cross to save sinners. He had tried to speak to Mr. Carpenter many times, but he always met with insult and scorn. Once again he tried to tell the story of God’s love but sick as he was, Mr. Carpenter swore at him and told him to get out of his house. Seeing it was useless to remain, Mr. Mason sadly left the wretched man, silently prang that he might yet repent and be saved.
When the minister was gone, Mr. Carpenter spoke abusively to his wife for daring to go to the minister. Presently he exclaimed, “I’ll never let that man into my room to talk to me of his God. I don’t believe there is a God.”
Then he asked his wife for a board and a piece of chalk. What were her feelings of horror when she saw him slowly write, “GOD IS NOWHERE.”
“Place this,” he said, “at the foot of my bed so that I may see it every time I open my eyes, and that all who come to my room may see what I believe.”
Still the sickness increased until the man’s mind was affected. Death seemed to be at the door. That same day, Mr. Mason, the faithful preacher, came to call and this time Mr. Carpenter was too sick to notice. Seeing how serious the sickness was, he offered to take the little girl to his own home so that she might not be exposed to the infection. He spoke a word of encouragement to Mrs. Carpenter and prayed to God with her. Then he took the little girl to his own home where Mrs. Mason welcomed her.
Mr. and Mrs. Mason used every opportunity to teach her about God and the Bible, and sin and salvation. Each evening after dinner, Mr. Mason read aloud from the Bible and then they got down on their knees to pray. The little girl thrilled to hear Mr. Mason ask God to heal her poor, sick father and to save his soul.
ML-07/08/1962