“Well, Hope, how was school today?” Hope was asked of her father one night.
“Daddy, this has been the hardest day I have ever spent in school. I feel I never want to return,” was her reply.
Mr. Davidson stared at her in blank amazement. “Why, did something unusual happen?”
“Yes,” answered Hope. “Miss Landon, who teaches our biology class, is always telling us that the world and everything in it came into being by means of evolution. Today I felt I couldn’t sit there and take it any longer, so I raised my hand and said: ‘Miss Landon, I am sorry to disagree with you, but I cannot accept the theory of evolution. I have been brought up from childhood to believe the Bible account of creation. I believe with all my heart that God created the universe and all that is in it by the Word of His power.’
“Miss Landon stared at me as if she couldn’t believe her ears, and said, ‘I didn’t suppose anyone living in our enlightened age had such old-fashioned ideas. It surprises me that a person who has had the advantage of a modern educational system can be so narrow-minded. Surely there are not many that believe as you do.’
“‘Oh, yes,’ I answered, ‘there are a great many people who believe as I do.’”
“‘Well, you surely do not accept the story of Jonah and the whale, and the personal devil, do you? What about Jesus, who claimed to be the Son of God? You surely don’t believe He was more than a man, do you?’
“‘Miss Landon,’ I said, ‘I know in my heart that Jesus Christ is God as well as man. I have always believed it, but two weeks ago I accepted Him as my personal Saviour and since that time I have known it to be true!’ At this point the bell rang for the class to dismiss.”
Hope prayed long and earnestly that evening before retiring. She thanked the Lord for helping her to say the right thing in class, and if another opportunity to witness came, she asked Him to help her, and even perhaps win some of her school friends for Christ.
Next day Miss Landon said, “We really didn’t cover much ground with our biology lesson yesterday. Miss Davidson, did you finish what you had to say when the bell rang yesterday?”
Hope replied, “Only this, Miss Landon, I wanted to say that I believe there are others in our class who have the same convictions as I do in regard to the Bible.”
“I don’t believe it,” snapped Miss Landon, “but we shall find out soon. If there is another person that believes as Miss Davidson does, rise to your feet.”
Nearly half the class stood up. Soon it seemed that everyone wanted to talk at once. Some asked Hope’s forgiveness for letting her stand alone. Miss Landon just stood there, helplessly looking on.
There were many new faces at the evening service at the little gospel hall next Lord’s day. More than twenty of Hope’s classmates told of their coming out for Christ as a result of Hope’s bright testimony and her brave confession of faith!
“BLESSED IS EVERY ONE THAT FEARETH THE LORD; THAT WALKETH IN HIS WAYS.” Ps. 128:1.
ML 02/19/1961