WHEN EVAN ROBERTS was a small boy one of his life’s ambitions was to climb the winding staircase that led to the top of the church tower. He never forgot the thrill of his first visit to that mysterious place. He never forgot his last visit, either! Afterward, Evan had no desire to go again.
On this occasion he had ventured up the staircase one Saturday evening; when he reached the bottom again, he found everything in total darkness. The door was locked!
Oh horror! He would be a prisoner till the following day. A whole night in that weird and awful stillness! He beat on the door, but, of course, with no result, and his heart thudded. What would his widowed mother think when he did not come in to supper? He could imagine her, and perhaps others, scouring the countryside in search of him.
“Who delivered... doth deliver ... will yet deliver.” 2 Cor. 1:1010Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; (2 Corinthians 1:10). That very morning Mother had read those words. She had emphasized her points by the story of the Lord Jesus walking on the sea in order to reach the terrified disciples caught in the storm. She had said He was their Deliverer, and was ready to deliver all who called upon Him.
The wind whistled down in gusts, and Evan shivered. It was now probably 8:30 — nearly twelve hours before the church would open for the first Sunday service.
“O God,” he cried, “don’t let me have to stay here all night!”
“Will yet deliver.” How those words kept coming back. And then suddenly Evan knew why. The church bell! If he tolled the bell the sexton would surely come at once — he couldn’t be far away.
A few minutes after the bell had started its unaccustomed peal, it was a white, scared young face that greeted the old man. After the briefest explanation, Evan rushed past him, and home.
“I’d begun to get quite scared about you, Evan,” said his mother.
When he had told her of his unpleasant experience, he added shyly, “And — er, Mother, I’ve often wished we didn’t need to have family prayers every morning, but now —” He paused, and she waited expectantly.
“I wouldn’t like you to give it up for anything, because what you said about the Lord, as the Great Deliverer, made all the difference to me.”
ML-09/19/1971