Ben lived in one of the loveliest, loneliest spots on the wild sea coast. The boom of the great waves dashing against the cliffs sounded in his ears continually.
It was winter time, and this evening people were coming from miles around, crowding into a little hall in a quaint village by the seaside. Ben went, first of all, because it was something to do after dark, and partly because his parents had brought him up to go with them to Sunday school.
But there was still another reason. There was a lot of talk about a young fellow, scarcely older than Ben himself, who had come to the village and had been telling the old, old story of Jesus and His love. God was using him mightily. Ben wanted to see him—to hear for himself what it was all about.
So Ben went, and a surprise awaited him. There was really nothing new—nothing the least bit sensational. Only the old, old story of God’s love to a lost world—a story which after all is ever new. The uplifting on the cross of One who said, “I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me.” His power still waits to bring men and women to see themselves as sinners in God’s sight, and by repentance and faith in His precious blood shed on the cross of Calvary, to know forgiveness of sins and peace with Him.
As Ben listened he realized that this was just the message of God for His own heart. He had known it in his head since childhood! Tonight he came face to face with the question: “Is there any reason why you should not accept the Lord Jesus as your own personal Saviour?” There was no reason and Ben knew it! That night with tears of real repentance, he came boldly out for Christ and yielded himself unreservedly to God.
What gladness there was in Ben’s heart and in his home that night! How little did his father and mother and those who knew and loved Ben guess that he had accepted Christ’s salvation—just in time!
Soon after this Ben went into the machine shed to help get the farm implements ready for Spring. There was one large engine with a huge flywheel, and in some unknown way Ben’s overalls got caught in the belt. Poor Ben was picked up and whirled around by the flying wheel, flung to the ground, torn, mangled, unconscious! He never recovered, and the Lord took him to be with Himself.
There was the deepest sorrow in Ben’s home, but “Oh!” said his mother through her tears, “how different it would have been if Ben had not yielded himself to God—just in time.”
ML-10/16/1977