Henry and his father were walking along a lonely road one night many years ago. They had to pass a large rock with a cave in it, which was called “The Robber’s Cave.” People said that many years before, robbers would hide there and come out to rob travelers as they passed along. Even at this point, very few people cared to go that way after it grew dark.
As Henry and his father walked along, Henry asked if there would be any danger in passing the Robber’s Cave.
“Not a bit, my boy,” said his father. “I do not think there are any robbers there now and if there were, God would keep us from harm.”
Henry didn’t say very much, but he held his father’s hand tightly as they walked past
the cave.
They had barely turned the corner of the road when they heard footsteps behind them, and as Henry looked around, he saw a rough-looking man following them.
“Oh, Father, there is one of the robbers coming after us,” said Henry.
His father smiled and quietly said, “God will take care of us, Henry,” and at the same time he lifted his heart to the Lord in prayer for protection, if the man meant to harm them.
In a short time, the man had caught up with them. Before he had time to speak, Henry’s father crossed over to the side of the road where the man was walking. Taking out his wallet, he gave him a gospel tract, saying, “I hope you will read this when you have time.”
The man held out his hand to take the tract, and as he did so, he said something softly about wanting bread.
“I will be glad to share what I have with you,” said Henry’s father, taking out his coin purse, which the man eyed with a suspicious look. The next moment, Henry’s father put several coins into the man’s hand, saying, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The rough-looking man touched his cap and said, “Thank you, sir!” and sat down by the roadside. As Henry and his father went on, Henry looked back every now and then to see if the man was following them. But soon they reached their home safely and thanked the Lord for His protecting care.
Many years went by and Henry had become a tall young man. He had put his trust in the Lord Jesus and now he worked telling others about his Savior. He worked by visiting among the poor to share the gospel with them. One day while doing this happy work, he entered a small house where a sickly-looking man sat by the fireside.
“Come and sit down, sir,” said the man. “I am always thankful to get a tract, especially now that I am unable to go out. It was a gospel tract that, by God’s blessing, led me to the Savior and changed my life.”
There was something about the man that instantly got Henry’s attention. He had seen that face before but he could not think where it was. A few more sentences solved the mystery and sent tears down the cheeks of both of them.
“I was a robber,” said the man in a low voice. “Except for God’s mercy, I might have been a murderer. I meant to rob a gentleman who walked along a country road with a little boy one night, but because of a gospel tract which he gave me, I could not do it, and God used that tract to save my soul.”
Henry grabbed the shaking hand of the converted robber who was now a follower of Christ and said, “I am that boy; my father gave you that tract and he will praise God from his heart for His saving grace to you.”
The ex-robber’s life had shown the wonderful power of the gospel to save sinners, and he had lived for Christ.
Children, you may not be a robber like that man. But have you ever taken something that was not yours? The Bible tells us that there is no difference, because we all have sinned. But, no matter what you have done, the same love and grace of God that met and saved that robber is ready and wanting to save you, right now.
Messages of God’s Love 4/7/2024