IT was the birthday of a young girl in the house where I was staying.
Several of her friends had kindly given her presents and wished her a happy birthday with many happy returns. I had bought a Bible for her, and in the afternoon found an opportunity to give it to her. She was alone and I wished her every happiness, receiving her thanks.
“How long is it since you were born?” I asked.
“Sixteen years today, sir,” she answered.
“And how long is it since you were ‘born again’?” I continued.
The girl hung her head and gave no answer.
“You say it is sixteen years since you were born. Cannot you tell me how many have passed since you were ‘born again’?”
She burst into loud convulsive sobs, which were followed by a flood of tears.
Laying her head down on the table she gave full vent to her sorrow. When she had partly recovered from crying I asked why she was so deeply upset by my question. In answer she told me she was an orphan, that her father and mother had loved the Lord and were now both in heaven and that she was not. “born again,” although she had wished and had prayed to have her sins forgiven. She added that since her mother had died no one had spoken to her about her soul.
“My child,” I said, “how glad I am that God has begun a good work in you.”
“Oh, sir, don’t imagine that, for I am very wicked and seem to get worse.”
“But,” I asked, “did you not say that you longed to be born of God and to be saved from sin?”
“Yes, indeed I do,” she sobbed.
“And do you think Satan would give you that desire?”
“Oh no,” she answered, “I am sure he would not.”
“No,” I said, “neither would you yourself desire it for the natural heart is at enmity to God and delights in sin. God is graciously working in you by His Holy Spirit, convincing you of sin, and showing you your need of a Saviour. New I am sure you will be made heartily willing to accept Jesus, the Son of God, for your own Saviour. May God help you to understand His way of salvation.
“I have just given you this Bible. When I held it out to you, you understood what I meant by saying, ‘This is a little birthday present,’ and you simply took it and said, ‘Thank you, sir. It is very kind of you.’ You did not need to prepare yourself to take the gift nor do you require to work for it or to pay for it. You know that a gift means something given by one out of kindness.”
“Yes, I understood that.”
“Then,” I said, “God assures you that the salvation you desire, forgiveness of sins, eternal life, the new birth and all spiritual blessings, is His gift through Jesus.
“And now, my dear child, what do you say to accepting Jesus, and eternal life as a gift from God today—now—and making this a double birthday, for as many as receive Him become the children of God?”
“I am quite willing,” she said. The young girl thanked God for salvation through Jesus’ death and blood, and accepted Him as her own Saviour.
ML-12/11/1960