HERE is a story about what took place at a mission school in South Africa. It shows how even young children may be drawn to Jesus themselves, and then be used to draw others to Him. A wicked man, who cared nothing about God, was persuaded to send two of his children to the mission school. One of these was a boy of eight, and the other a girl six years old. As the station was some distance from their home, the children had to board at the house of the missionary. After they had been there some time, however, the father wanted the boy to help him in taking care of the cattle; so he went to the school to take him away. But the little fellow had learned to love his teachers. He had become very fond of the lessons he was learning; and above all, he was feeling his heart drawn to the Lord Jesus, and was beginning to love Him. He told his father he did not wish to go home, and begged that he might be allowed to stay. When asked why he wished to stay, he replied, "Because I can't learn anything good at home."
"And what good can such a child as you learn here?" asked his father.
"Father," said the boy, "I have learned something good here already."
"What have you learned?" demanded the father.
"I have learned this beautiful text, `This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' And, Father, I have learned who Jesus Christ is. He is the Son of God. Yes, Father, and I have learned who sinners are. We are all sinners."
These words of his little boy had such an effect on the father, that he left his boy at school and went home alone. And in a few weeks he came back to the school a changed man. That one verse had drawn his heart to Jesus. He became a Christian, and was baptized.
Messages of the Love of God 6/29/1958