A FRIEND of mine used to delight in telling the story of a good mother elephant that he saw in a picture. The scene was by some water in Africa, and a number of black men had hunted her and her baby calf into the lake, where she was protecting her child by standing between it and the shore. The shore was lined with black men, who hurled spears, meant for the young elephant. But as the mother stood in front, and was much bigger, the spears all wounded her, while her little one was untouched. My friend said the picture made him think of his Saviour.
“Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isa. 53:44Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4).
Because of our sin, God must smite us; but His beloved Son became “our shield.” He came from heaven and died instead of us, bearing the punishment that was our due, and now all who believe this wonderful fact and put their he thought of his family’s surprise to discover his disappearance. So he wrote a few lines and put the note on the kitchen table. He wrote:
“Dear Father: I go West tonight with Tom Jones taking nothing with me but a few things of my own and the clothes on my back... Paul.”
Soon Paul and Tom were on their way to the West. After walking until midnight they came to a log hut, and Tom said, “Here is the first station on our route, and we will camp here for the night.” To Paul this first night out seemed wonderfully romantic, as they made a campfire. After eating a few potatoes, they went to sleep in the hut.
I need not go back to Paul’s home to tell of the sorrow and anxiety there when his family discovered that their dear boy had run away. Paul didn’t realize how much they all loved him, and now that he was gone it seemed their love went out to him more than ever.
It so happened that an officer of a small town where the boys were camping saw smoke coming out of the chimney of the hut and went over to see who was there. He arrived just as Tom and Paul were about to take up their march again. That was the end of their trip to the wild West. The boys were restored to their parents, and we can well imagine their joy in seeing the young prodigals back home again. Paul had learned his lesson and never again did he run away from home.
How many boys and girls, and older folks too, are trying to run away from God. They know not how great and fathomless is that love that goes out to them, nor do they realize how His heart yearns over the wanderers and how He longs to receive them back and make them His dear children. The Lord Jesus told His disciples in John 16:2727For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. (John 16:27), “The Father Himself loveth you.” But the poor prodigal we read about in Luke 15 did not appreciate his father’s love and goodness. Not until he had gone to the far country where he wasted his substance with riotous living, not until there’ arose a mighty famine and he began to be in want, did he begin to think of his father’s house. But when he arose and came to his father, O what a welcome he got! and what a feast was spread for him!
If the reader of this little paper is still a wanderer from the Father’s face, we plead with you to get back to God right now. You will be surprised at the welcome you will get from Him who loves you, who sent His beloved Son to die on the cross for your sins, to make you fit for the presence of His glory.
ML-02/07/1960