DICK’S MOTHER died when he was three days old; he was left in the care of a kind Christian aunt and uncle. They lived on the farm in the country. He was a bright intelligent boy, and from his early childhood had been a joy and comfort to them.
Dick was a general favorite among his classmates, and always got good grades. A Christian farmer had a Sunday school not far from where Dick lived, and from the day that he started going there when five years old, he never missed being present, or failed to know his memory verse, or answer the Bible questions.
The story of Achan—the man who stole the gold and the garment and hid them in his tent in the days of Joshua (Joshua 7)—was the lesson one afternoon. The memory verse was, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:2323But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23). The earnest teacher pressed home upon his class of boys the solemn fact that sin, however well hid from the eyes of men, was ever before God. His eyes, like a flame of fire, search all hearts, and sooner or later will bring the hidden deeds of all to light. Dick felt the power of that word, and no doubt the Spirit of God carried it home to his conscience.
There was no special sin that he had been guilty of, such as Achan’s, but the light of God shining upon his conscience, reminded him of much that he had done, which he knew and felt was only sin in the sight of a holy God.
That afternoon Dick was deeply convicted, but alas, his convictions passed away, and left him less concerned about his state before God than he had been before.
Years passed by and Dick was now a boy of sixteen. He helped his uncle on the farm, and in the summer he went with them boating on the lake or driving among the hills. Then one summer a business man and his family stayed at their house and on Sunday evenings he, being an earnest Christian, preached the gospel in the school. God blessed the Word, and several were truly converted. Dick was again awakened, and one of the Christian business man’s daughters several times spoke to him personally and faithfully about his soul.
Dick became very uneasy. He saw that he must either yield to Christ and be saved, or cease going to the meetings. In fact, he came to the point where he would not go out boating with some of the business man’s family lest they should speak to him about his soul. One afternoon, he disappeared, and could not be found when the party wanted to go for a sail. He hid among the trees on the side of the lake. There he could see all their movements without being observed, and when night fell, Dick kept his hiding place. He was in great misery of soul. All his sins seemed to pass before him, and again and again the text shot like an arrow through his memory— “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
Unable to endure it longer, he left his hiding place, and crept up to the door of the house, while his uncle was reading the Bible at the supper table. Dick listened outside the door with more eagerness to the chapter read, than he had ever done before. It was the story of Zacchaeus, the rich man who, because he was small of stature, had climbed into a sycamore tree to see Jesus. The story ended with the text, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10).
That just met Dick’s need. He believed it, and with tears gushing down his cheeks, he bowed at the feet of Jesus, confessing himself a sinner, and opening his heart to the Saviour. Peace flooded into his soul, and a few minutes later, he entered the house and confessed to all that he was saved.
ML-09/13/1964