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.
A while later the dog began to bark loudly. The shepherd, seeing no possibility of sleeping with such a noise, got up and went to the shed to see what was the matter. No sooner had he opened the shed door, than the dog, possibly not recognizing his master, in fear and fury 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 papers of people dying from mad dog bites. The overwhelming thought came that he might die, and he was unprepared to meet God. 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 began to realize what it was to be a sinner in the sight of God and he began crying to Him to be saved. When alone with the sheep at times, he would pray until he was nearly exhausted. Sometimes he would think he was saved and at other times he was plunged into despair.
Then one day he heard that a gospel meeting was to be held in a cottage two miles away and off he went to see if he could get help for his poor soul. Sitting there he heard the speaker say: “Now, friends, if you want to be saved, and if you want to find peace, you must look away from yourselves entirely. Jesus has accomplished on the cross all that is needed 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 suddenly flashed into his mind, “Jesus has finished the work, and by my believing on Him God says I have eternal life.” There and then he got down on his knees and with a heart filled with joy he thanked the Lord for his full salvation.
I wish the reader could have heard him putting such stress on that word “hath” when telling his neighbors what God had done for him. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” John 3:36. Again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24.
A year passed and the young shepherd was still full of the joy of his salvation and those who too knew the Saviour’s love could but rejoice with him.
Dear reader, do you know anything of this joy — the joy of knowing Christ as your Saviour?
ML-07/07/1963