While traveling through France toward the city of Cannes, we passed through the old city of Nimes. We did not know anyone there, but we stopped awhile to look at some of the historical old buildings. I think most boys and girls reading this would have enjoyed the visit, too. First we came to an old coliseum, built by the Romans about 2000 years ago. Such a huge structure it was! The thousands of stones that were used to build it were still standing firmly.
We climbed up to the top of the coliseum and looked down into the arena. As we looked around we talked about the many Christian men, women, boys and girls who had been put to death there because they had the courage to confess the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Each of us visitors wondered out loud if we would have been faithful enough to have gone through the torture that they had suffered.
Leaving the coliseum, we began to give French gospel tracts to everyone we met. One dear old lady, sitting alone on a bench, took the tract with a happy smile and said, “Merci beaucoup, Monsieur. J’aime le Sauveur.” This means, “Thank you very much, sir. I love the Saviour.”
We stopped and visited with her and learned that she had known the Lord Jesus as her Saviour since she was a little girl. Here was an old lady living in a city which generally would have nothing to do with the Lord Jesus and where they used to put Christians to death. Yet she loved the Lord Jesus and was so very happy to talk about Him. Best of all, she had known Him since she was very young.
For those of you who are young, we hope that you, too, will accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour while you are still young. We must warn you that if you decide to wait until you are older, you may never have another chance. The Lord Jesus said, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:1414But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:14).
ML-11/06/1983