“NOW it is your turn for a story, Joe!" said one of the men sitting round the fire on a cold wintry day. It was many years ago, so I cannot give you his own words, but here is the substance of what he said.
When he was a young man, an apprentice in a big city, war broke out; and, thinking it would lead to a life of adventure, he joined the army. As his regiment was leaving for the front, some Christian people gave each soldier a Bible, asking them to keep it always near, them, and read it often. He put it in his breast pocket, and there it stayed, for he never troubled to read it, and in fact forgot all about it.
After a while his company was ordered to storm a fort, and for a short time they were exposed to the thickest of the enemy's fire. While many fell under the hail of bullets, he came through unhurt, and after a hard fight the fort was taken. Later in the day, while resting, he found his coat was torn, and, to his astonishment, discovered that a bullet had buried itself in his Bible! But for the Bible he would certainly have been killed, for it was right over his heart. As you may imagine he was much affected, and thanked God he was still alive. This made him think deeply, for he knew quite well he was not fit to meet God.
On examining the Bible carefully, he found the bullet had made its way so far into the book as to rest directly on the first unbroken leaf where these words are found, "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." (Eccl. 11:99Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9).) The word went like an arrow to his heart, for he felt God was speaking to him; and from that time on his life was changed. He earnestly sought the Lord, and before long became a true believer in the Lord Jesus, who had gone into death that he might live.
Did you notice the words in italics? Look back, and read them again. They are solemn words. Perhaps you, too, are rejoicing in your youth and forgetting God. But the only way to be truly happy is first to turn to God, and to put your trust in Jesus; then you will be able to rejoice, and your joy nothing can take from you, no, not even death itself.
He lived to be an old man, and was never tired of showing his Bible, and telling his hearers how it had been the means of the salvation both of his body and his soul.