“I WANT to love God. Will you tell me how?” Such were the words used by Alice W., who had been taken to a gospel meeting by some young friends with whom she was staying for a few days.
She had been brought up in a fashionable, worldly home where the name of Christ was never heard, and now as she listened to the “old, old story,” to her so strange, so new, a desire was awakened in her heart, and thus expressed itself, “I want to love God.”
Her companions tried to help her, and once again repeated what they had heard that evening, that Christ died for sinners, and that now all who believe and trust in Him are saved. They tried to make it simple, but the light did not seem to break in, and she only again and again said, “I want to love Him, but I do not know how.”
When Alice had gone up to bed that night, the girls told their elder sister about her, and as she felt there is no time like the present she hastened to her room, knocked gently, and going in found her sitting up in bed, restless and unhappy. She sat down by her, and taking her hand said, “They tell me, dear, that you want to love God; you will never do it by trying, but I have come with a message from Him to you.”
“O! what is it?” eagerly exclaimed Alice.
“Just this—we love Him because He first loved us,”
There was silence for some minutes, then all at once Alice said, “That was just what I wanted. He has loved me; I had not taken it in a bit,” and she jumped out of bed and asked her friend to pray with her, and then in a few broken sentences she just thanked the Lord that He loved her, and had sent this friend to tell her so.
From that moment Alice was filled with joy, and never questioned her eternal security. Of course she much to learn, but the great thought of the love of God took possession of her.
She has been spared many years to serve the Lord, and has been the means of leading others to Him, attracting them by her bright and joyous manner, though she had much to suffer in her own home because of her faithfulness to Christ.
Probably none of my readers are as ignorant as Alice was; perhaps you know all about the love of God and could tell others the beautiful gospel story of “Jesus and His love,” but how has it affected you? Has it touched your heart? Is there any response to His great love? If not, it must be hard indeed. Satan’s dire is to keep you from knowing it, but God is making it known through His Word and by His servants, and He wants you to share in it, and enjoy it now and through all eternity.
Will you neglect it? Do you refuse it? God forbid that it should be so. Or will you accept it, and thank him for it?
ML-10/27/1935