How often have we seen evidence of the power of the gospel of God! Men's lives have been changed by it and their souls inflamed with desire to tell others of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.
At a meeting where men arose to tell how they had heard the gospel and had accepted Christ, one stood up holding a New Testament in his hands.
"My story," said he, "is unlike that of you others. I was a pickpocket, a thief. One day I saw a man with a definite bulge in his hip pocket. 'A fat purse,' thought I; and soon it was in my pocket. But when I arrived home, lo and behold, I found out it was only a book. In disgust I threw it aside.
"Some days later, out of curiosity, I opened it, and began to read. Before many days had passed I found in this little book Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior.”
Listening to this testimony was a colporteur who had distributed many Bibles throughout the land.
After the service he went up to the man and asked to see his New Testament. It was the same one that for many years he had carried in his own hip pocket and had considered lost! Now he rejoiced to find that it had been used of God to save a precious soul.
"God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform." He makes the wrath of man to praise Him (Psa. 76:1010Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. (Psalm 76:10)), and in like manner He was able to make the wickedness of this man redound to His own glory and to the man's eternal blessing.