In a little cottage beside a road some distance from any neighbors lived a man and his wife. They were Christians and knew the Lord Jesus, but were poor in the things of this world. He was a weaver and had his loom in his home where he did his work.
Frequently travelers would stop at the house and ask for permission to remain for the night. With a desire to do good unto all men, the old couple would take these people in and make them as comfortable as they could. However, many of these travelers were not honest, and would steal things from the home and work shop. The stealing had continued so long that these Christians were left with very little, and about the only thing left in the shop was the loom with which the husband worked to make their daily bread. Thus they had come to doubt whether or not to receive any more strangers.
One night not long after, a knock was heard at the door. The husband went to open it, and there stood a very rough man who asked that he might be permitted to stop for the night. With great reluctance the stranger was permitted to step inside; and then this Christian explained that they had been robbed by so many, that he hesitated to allow him to remain, and asked if he could give any security that he would not rob them. The stranger confidently said he could give good security —and that security was the Lord. Feeling that if this man were the Lord’s, they could give him shelter for the Lord’s sake, the man was permitted to stay for the rest of the night. These dear Christians, quieted about their fears, felt they could trust the Lord and so went to sleep.
What was their dismay to find in the morning that the man had departed during the night and had taken their precious loom with him! This cunning thief, seeing that these people were Christians, had used the name of the Lord Jesus to deceive them.
“There!” said the wife, “I felt afraid, and thought we ought not to trust anybody any more, what shall we do now? Our loom is gone, and you have nothing to work with.”
“Well,” answered the husband, “he gave the Lord as security, and I will take the Lord for it. He is good security, and I will rest on Him still.”
Happy man! The Lord met his trust, and brought back the loom before nightfall. The day was exceedingly foggy—so foggy that the traveler with his stolen loom wandered round and round the cottage of these poor people, thinking he was going straight on his way. As night began to come on, he knocked on the very door he had left early in the morning and asked if he could come in.
“Yes, and put down the loom!” said the weaver who knew his voice.
The thief was so alarmed that he dropped the loom and ran away, and they saw nothing more of him. Though the Lord meant nothing to the thief when he used His name as security, the Lord Himself took up the case. We cannot trust Him in vain.
ML 06/22/1941