Paul was a boy of twelve who lived with his family in Illinois several years ago. Although devoted to his studies at school, he was fond of adventure.
One bright morning three schoolboys decided to go fishing instead of going to classes, and they succeeded in persuading Paul to join them. Paul had never played hooky in his life, and he knew it was wrong, but he finally decided to go. They had a good time swimming and fishing until the day was almost over. Paul’s mind was very uneasy, for how could he meet his father’s eye again with the honest, frank look he had always given him? He looked forward to it with dread, for he knew that he would not only be punished severely, but he would lose his father’s confidence. He knew that his brother Charlie must have told his parents that he was not at school that day.
Before leaving his friends, a boy named Tom Jones suggested Paul go home and get some of his clothes and other articles to go on a tramp trip to the “wild West,” the land of the cowboys and the “home of the buffalo.” When Paul got home he slipped cautiously through a window and into his room, where he packed up a few articles. His heart almost failed him when and for no other reason.
The boy was not much the worse for his experience, and soon got up and hurried home to change his wet clothes. I do not know whether he thanked the kind, good dog or not: I am inclined to believe he never stopped to think of that, but just got home as quickly as he could.
Ah! that reminds us of some little boys and girls who never stop to think about One who did more to save them than this good dog did for the boy —One who came from heaven itself, plunged into untold sorrows and sufferings down here, and then went to the cross, and there died, yes, died, to save both old and young, by bearing on. His own blessed head the judgment due to them as sinners!
Of course you know Who I mean! Who is it “who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree”? Who came to “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” and then rose again and “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”? It was God’s eternal Son, the blessed Jesus. Do you know Him? I hope you do. If you do not love Him, I am sure it is because you do not know Him, for none can know without loving One so precious. But if you have indeed believed in the Lord Jesus Christ unto everlasting life, then you can say, “We love Him because He first loved us.”
None ever asked Him to come and save us. “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world,” and He “loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father.” You see it was all love that did it, and “God is love.” We were perishing, but “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
ML 07/12/1959