“BEHOLD I stand at the door and knock!” The day’s work was over, and in the stillness of a summer’s evening John Madden, a sturdy Christian laborer, sat in his cottage reading this beautiful verse aloud:
“Behold I stand at the door and knock!”
Suddenly there was a pause in the reader’s voice. Two little hands had imprisoned his knee, two eyes full of wonder were raised to his face, and a child’s tones asked feelingly:
“But, father, why didn’t they let Him in?”
Little Jack, busy tossing his ball up and down against the wall, had caught the sweet sound of our Saviour’s gracious words, and full of surprise, had run to his father with the eager question:
“Why didn’t they let Him in?”
Dear reader, I am sure that again and again the Lord Jesus has knocked at the door of your heart. It may have been when you attended some children’s service and as you listened to the preacher’s earnest pleading, felt almost persuaded to become a Christian too. Or it may have been when some dear little relative or friend was borne away from you to the dark grave, and the solemn truth has come before you, that you too must die. Or perhaps at the beginning of this year, you heard His voice calling you.
In one way or other, He has knocked —is knocking still. Have you let Him in? If not, hesitate no longer; open the door, yield your heart to the blessed Saviour who has loved you so much that He died for you.
ML 09/30/1917