DREADFUL, things were happening in Europe during the years 1914-1918. A war was raging, Satan was hurrying men to destruction; but on the other hand, God was bringing them to know something of Himself and His grace and goodness.
It is not possible to tell you now of the ways that God took to bring people to a sense of their sin and distance from Him and to accept Christ as their Savior; but you will like to hear of a girl of seventeen who turned to God from worshipping an idol, and that idol was herself.
Her name was Louise, and she lived in Belgium. She was quite small when her father died, and at seventeen years old she found herself without a mother, a lonely orphan. She had kind aunts, but she felt so unhappy and restless that she decided to come over to England to perfect herself in the language. She went to a family, where she spoke French with the children and tried to learn all the English she could as well.
On Sundays the family went to a service where the word of God was read and explained, but Louise asked to remain at home as she did not wish to go. Mrs. Erske, the lady to whom she had come, was distressed to see how ignorant of God she was, and told her that she could not have her with her children if she refused to listen to the Scriptures. But Louise did not know what the Scriptures were. She had never seen a Bible.
“Does it matter," she asked, "what I do on Sundays, if I do your bidding and try to please you the rest of the week?
“Very much indeed, "the lady replied." This house is dedicated to God. We seek to do His commandments and to be pleasing to Him. I could not have anyone with my children who despised or slighted God's word. Sunday is the Lord's Day, and we do not play games or do ordinary work; it is set apart for Him.”
This was surprising to Louise, to whom one day was the same as another; but she was happy with the family and agreed to fall in with the ways of the house.
Mrs. Erske bought Louise a Bible, and explained to her that it was the only book in the world which claimed to be God's message to men; and that it was written by holy men at different times and in different places; but that although the writers actually put pen to paper, God through the Holy Spirit told them what to say.
Louise commenced at the beginning of Genesis, but she did not understand it, so Mrs. Erske read with her, beginning with Matthew's gospel.
King David tells us that, "The entrance of thy words giveth light," and as Louise read, light poured into her heart, the very light of heaven. She had been living in a dark house all her life, but now the shutters were gradually opening and a stream of light from heaven was entering, showing her herself, an ignorant, sinful girl, and Christ a wonderful Savior.
Everything and everyone seemed different! When Louise began reading the Gospel of Matthew she thought it an interesting story, but that it had nothing whatever to do with her; but by the time she had finished reading the four gospels she found out that she was a sinner, lost, and without any means of saving her own soul from the judgment to come. But she saw, too, that the gospels had been written for her and for every needy boy and She.
She found out that one of the reasons why Jesus had come into this world was that He had died to put away sin, her sin, from God's sight and from her sight too, so that cleansed and forgiven she might stand before God, one of the many brought to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ. It was wonderful to her to think that God should take such an interest in a lonely girl, and she turned to Him and asked Him for Christ's sake to forgive her and make her His child, and she soon knew that her prayer was answered.
Paul writing to the Ephesians says: " In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." (Eph. 1:1313In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13).)
Louise trusted, and believed, and was sealed with the Spirit of God. What a wonderful thing to happen to a girl of seventeen! I wonder if it has happened to you?
Another life had begun for Louise! She longed to go to her sister and brother in Belgium and tell them what wonderful things she had learned in England, but the great war was in progress and she could not get letters to or from them. So she had to wait and trust and pray, and in spite of her anxiety about her relations she was full of joy, because she had believed. She was like the disciple who came to the sepulcher of the Lord Jesus of whom it says: "Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw, and believed.”
This is what Louise did. She saw, by faith, Jesus a babe in the manger, and she believed that He was Jesus, who should save His people from their sins. She saw Jesus dying on the cross to put away sin, and she believed it was for her.
She saw the empty sepulcher and she believed that Jesus had risen from the dead.
She saw the disciples watching Jesus ascending to heaven and a cloud receiving Him out of their sight, and she believed that the same Jesus who had died, had also risen and gone into heaven.
She knew, too, that she could speak to Him there, and that having died for her, He was living for her, and for every boy and girl who puts his or her trust in Him.
I wonder if you have seen and believed. There are many boys and girls, too, who have seen, but they have not believed. Can you say, as did the Apostle Paul: "I know whom I have believed.”