I was traveling with a dear friend of mine; a Native Evangelist from India. We had been holding meetings in a large town. Here God greatly blessed, and many yielded themselves to God. Leaving there for a distant part, we “boarded the train,” for a six days’ journey.
My friend, was dressed in plain clothes, but wore his turban as a distinctive mark that he was an Indian. As we took our seats, I noticed a girl come in with her mother. She kept on looking at my friend with all her eyes, and I could not help being amused.
The curiosity of the child, as we went along, got stronger and stronger. At last she came up to me and said, “Please, sir, is that a real live Hindu?” pointing to my friend.
“Yes,” I replied.
“O! I am so glad; can I speak to Him? Do you know I have often thought about the Hindus. In our Mission Band we give all our pennies to go and convert the Hindus. O! I should like to talk to him!” I told her how glad he would be to speak to her.
“He knows English well,” I said, “and loves children.”
So I took her along and introduced her to him. You would have laughed at the number of questions she asked him—all about India; its customs and ways, what kind of food he ate there, and what kind of clothes he wore? And many more questions.
At last she got through, with a deep sigh of satisfaction, My friend then said, “Now you have asked me lots of questions, it’s my turn to ask you one. May I?”
“O, yes,” she replied.
“It is just this: Have you really come to the Lord Jesus? Can you say your sins are all forgiven? You have sent your pennies to India to convert the heathen; but are you converted?”
You ought to have seen the change in her face: how it fell, and all the brightness went out of it! She hung her head and whispered so low we could scarcely hear it,
“I am not sure I can say so.”
My friend put his hand on her shoulder in such a loving Way, and spoke so pleadingly; that it quite won her heart.
“Well, and would you not like to be quite sure?”
And he went on to tell her all about Jesus—how much He loved her, all that He suffered, and how He bled and died just to forgive her sins, and make her His own dear child.
Then she looked up, and there were signs of tears in her eyes.
“O yes, I would.”
So then and there in the train he showed her how she could be saved. First to be really sorry for her sins, and then to take Jesus as her own personal Saviour, by only believing what God says in the Bible, that Jesus bore all her sins in His own body on the tree: The dear child then and there just took Jesus as her own personal Saviour, and O! how glad she was.
The next day they got off the cars, and as she was leaving she came up with such a beaming, happy face to say good-bye, and said,
“O! I am so glad I met you, for now I can say Jesus is my own Saviour.” I shall never forget her bright, smiling face, and the joy in which she said,
“Now I know my sins arc forgiven, and I belong to Jesus.”
Supposing I were to ask each one of you this same question! Are your sins forgiven? I wonder what you would say. Would you hang your head like this little girl did? Or could you look up brightly and say,
“Yes, thank God for Jesus’ sake, all my sins have been forgiven, and Jesus is my own Saviour.” Which would you do?
If you are not quite sure, I beg you, for your own soul’s sake, for Jesus’ sake, who bled and died for your sins, give yourself to Him right away. Come! before it is too late, before Jesus comes, and the door is closed.
ML 04/20/1941