Coming rather late one stormy afternoon to the place where a Sunday school was to be held, I was surprised to find a group of little children standing outside of the door in the heavy rain, apparently waiting for something. They were strangers to me, but as I came up three of them ran to me asking eagerly, “Is there anything to pay to get in?”
“Nothing, my dears,” I said; and in the three ran at once.
But two little ragged ones, with bare feet, still lingered outside, till one of them shyly asked me, “Can the likes of us get in?”
How glad I was to be able to say, “Oh, yes; all are welcome”; and we went in together.
But I had learned a lesson from the children, which I hope I shall never forget. They had all been invited to come. They were cold and weary outside, and wanted to get in. The door was open, and a kind welcome waited them inside. They kept, themselves out by thinking the invitation could not be meant for them — that they were not fit to come in.
Here then is my lesson. God has, in His great love, provided a rich feast, to which He freely and fully invites all. Before God could give you and me guilty sinners — this full and free invitation, His only begotten Son had to suffer and to die in the sinner’s stead, in order that He might take away the great barrier of guilt that blocked the way to heaven.
Now there is “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh,” Heb. 10:19, 2019Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Hebrews 10:19‑20); and in every sinner who enters, the Lord Jesus sees of the travail of His soul, and is satisfied. The Lord Jesus then wants YOU to come. The Father is waiting to welcome you. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Him and live. The Holy Ghost saith, “Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” And God’s messengers are sent out to say, “All things are ready, Come.” “Whosoever will, let him come.” “Whosoever” — that means you: you will never get a fuller invitation.
You are cold and weary outside, are you not? Deep down in your heart there is a wish to have the peace and joy of the people of God. Perhaps the heavy rain of sorrow is falling in great drops upon you just now. The world seems to you very dark and lonely, and you wish you had a shelter. You wish you could find something that would satisfy your heart. Thank God if He is making it dreary for you outside. It is His love that wants to drive you into His own house. Stay no longer exposed, shelterless, in the storm. Flee to Christ to hide you.
Do not think the invitation is not meant for “the likes of you.” Do not let any such thought as that you are not fit to come in keep you out. “The likes of you” may come in. Jesus came not “to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matt. 9:1313But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Matthew 9:13).
Nobody ever yet came to God in answer to this invitation and found it was not meant for him. But many, many have come and found it true. And even now, as you stand outside, you can hear the testimony of the children of God within, as they tell their glad experience:
“I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.”
ML 01/18/1959