A missionary traveling in Brazil had sold some Bibles and Testaments in a little town in the interior of the country, but hostile influences began to work and one day evil disposed persons collected all the copies they could find and made a bonfire of them in the town square.
There was a strong wind that evening, and it caught a half-consumed leaf and carried it away, over the roofs, and let it fall into an open window, at the feet of a woman sitting there. Printed matter is not so common in those out of the way parts of Brazil as it is with us, so she picked it up eagerly and began to read.
"That must come from a good book," she said to herself, "for I see the names of God and of Jesus.”
She was right, for the leaf was a part of the third chapter of John's Gospel. She was totally ignorant of the grace of God to a sinner, so that it was with amazement that she read: "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
And another complete verse, "He that believeth in Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
She put the charred leaf aside to show to her husband when he came home from work. He too was interested, and the oftener they read the leaf, the more they longed to possess the whole book from which it came.
About a year later the missionary passed that way again, and called at this house to offer them Bibles and Testaments.
"No, thank you, we don't want your Looks," they said, "but we should like to have the book from which this half-burnt leaf was torn," and they showed him the piece of paper they had so carefully preserved.
With joy he recognized the page. He opened the Testament at the third chapter of John and showed them that it was the very book they wanted. They gladly took it and began to study it carefully.
There was no preacher of the Gospel' in that neighborhood, but God wrought by His Word in the souls of these people who were seeking the truth. The man and his wife were converted, and soon had their neighbors interested in reading the Scriptures with them, and several received blessing. Now there is a little company of believers in this little Brazilian town who have been led by faith in Christ unto salvation, without any preacher, solely through reading the Word of God.
May we not trace the hand of God in that gust of wind which carried the half-burnt leaf of the Gospel out of the fire and laid it at that woman's feet?
"Just chance," you may say yet it will have eternal consequences.
Those two Brazilians made good use of the mutilated leaf which fell into their hands, and they were saved. We live in a land where nothing is easier to get than the Holy Scriptures. Read the Gospels, the Bible, which is God's Holy Word, admit that you are a sinner, and come to Him who said: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
In whatever way this little magazine has come into your hands today, whether sent by mail, or handed to you, or even if you found it somewhere, be assured that it is not chance. God can use the smallest as well as the greatest means to reach men and make known His love, "for God willeth not the death of the sinner," but "will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
The Psalmist speaks truly when he says "The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.'