A young shepherd, one night, instead of tying up his dog indoors as usual, put him in a shed near his house, and went to bed.
After a while the dog began to bark loudly. The shepherd, seeing no possibility of sleep with such a noise, got up and went to see what was wrong with the dog, and to let him out. No sooner had he opened the shed door, the dog, possibly in his fury, not knowing his master, flew at him, and bit his hand.
What horror in a moment filled the young man’s mind! He remembered all the terrible stories he had read in the newspapers, of people dying from dog bites, and thought he should die thus, and he was not saved! Wholly overcome, he went indoors, and lay down on his bed, almost stunned at the thought that shortly he might have to meet God.
This event was the turning point in his life. He realized fully what it was to be a sinner in the presence of a holy God, and began crying to Him to be saved. After this, when alone with the sweep, he would pray till he was really exhausted. Sometimes he would think he was saved, and then again he would be plunged into the depths of despair.
After this a gospel meeting was held in a cottage two miles away; and the young man went to it, to see if he could get any help for his poor soul. He sat eagerly listening while the speaker said, “Now, friends, if you want to be saved, you must look away from yourselves entirely. Jesus has accomplished on the cross all that is needed in order that sinners might be saved. Look not inside at your feelings, but look to Jesus, and at what He has done.”
The shepherd’s eyes followed the speaker’s upraised hand, and the truth flashed into his mind directly, “Jesus has finished the work, and, by my believing on Him, God says I have eternal life.”
Dear children, you should have heard him putting such stress on “I have eternal life,” when telling his neighbors what the Lord had done for him. You may guess that he did not want much pressing to go down on his knees and thank the Lord for this full salvation.
Dear children, do you understand anything of this joy? Do you know the Saviour’s love, and can you rejoice in His salvation?
“Whom not having seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:8.
ML 02/17/1946