An agnosic! What a strange word. I wonder what it means?” I almost seem to hear some of the younger readers of “Messages of the Love of God,” saving, an agnostic is a person who says,
“I will only believe in what my eyes can see, or my hands touch. I cannot see God, so I will not believe that there is a God.’’
Two officers were in the same regiment who were a great contrast to each other. One, a bright, happy Christian, never lost an opportunity, whenever his duty as an officer gave him a little free time, of gathering as many of the men of his company as cared to be present into his room for prayer and Bible-reading. The blessing of the Lord had rested upon his efforts to win souls for Christ, and several who when they entered the army had been “without God and without hope,” were rejoicing in the knowledge of sins forgiven, and seeking to tell their comrades of the Saviour who had sought and found them.
The other officer, who called himself an agnostic, did not give any one who knew him the impression of being a very cheerful or happy man. After some time he had new duties appointed to him. He was made a “censor,” one of his duties being to read the letters of the soldiers before they are allowed to be sent to their friends in the homeland, so as to be quite sure that they contained no information that might be of use to the enemy.
He had only filled his new post for a short time When one evening, to the surprise alike of the Christian officer, and the men who had gathered for their simple service the agnostic entered and quietly took a seat, listening with interest and attention to all that was said, asking several questions.
When the meeting closed, he remained for conversation with his brother officer and when asked what led him to attend a meeting for prayer and Bible study, he said it was owing to many of the soldiers’ letters which for some weeks it had been his duty. to read. He added he was no longer an agnostic, for he felt sure, quite sure, that men who at any moment might have to face death upon the battle-field, could not write, as quite a number had done, of the joy and peace they had found through simply trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, unless they were in possession of the real thing. Some had even told their friends that if they should hear they had fallen, they were not to grieve too much, but rather thank God that all fear of death had been taken away since they had known and loved the Saviour who had so loved them that He had given His own precious blood to wash away their sins.
“These men,” he said, “could not write such letters if the Bible was not a true Look I am here tonight as a learner, for I must share their faith and enjoy their God-given peace.”
“Every one that seeketh findeth,” and we may be sure that it was not long before the officer, who in such an unlooked-for way had been won for Christ, was able to say of Him, “the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
A great many letters are written and posted every day, and it is, not at all unlikely that some of ours help to swell the number. But what messages are our letters bearing? Are they such as will help to win our friends or school coanions for Jesus?
Perhaps sometimes we put a text of scripture or a verse of a hymn into our letters, but do we pray over the words we write, asking the Lord in His grace to take them into His hands, and make them His message to somebody?
ML 08/09/1942