Anne had received the Lord Jesus as her Saviour, and was earnestly trying to serve Him, but time after time she grieved Him by giving way to a naturally hasty temper. This caused her much sorrow, and earnestly she prayed for strength to conquer it. Now Anne was obliged to associate every day with a girl named Mary, who treated her unjustly and tried to make her lose her temper, and thus dishonor the Lord. She mourned over this in secret, and having confessed it to the Lord, she knew she was forgiven, but this was not known to Mary.
One day as usual, Mary charged Anne with making a false profession of being a Christian, and instantly received a hasty and passionate reply. “So that’s your religion is it?” said Mary tauntingly.
The tears sprang to Anne’s eyes, and hastening to a place where she could be alone, she burst into a flood of tears and sobbed out her confession to the Lord Jesus. “Go and tell Mary you are sorry,” a voice seemed to whisper within. “I cannot,” Anne answered: “besides she had no right to say what she did.” “Blessed are ye when men shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake,” came at once to Anne’s mind, and for some minutes the struggle lasted. Then Anne went to Mary, and frankly confessed her fault, and asked forgiveness.
Mary looked at her in astonishment; this was something she could not understand. “I have nothing to forgive; it was all my fault,” she stammered.
From this time Anne had perfect control over her temper given to her from the Lord, and soon afterward Mary also gave her heart to Jesus, and thus the two girls became close friends. Mary dates her first serious impressions from the day when Anne asked her pardon.
The Lord Jesus will not only save but keep those who put their trust in Him.
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling (without stumbling), and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 24, 2524Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 24‑25).
ML 09/10/1961