I would like to tell you about a young shepherd in England who cared for a flock of sheep like those in our picture.
It was a fine summer day, and I was spending a holiday among the English Hills. I had climbed to the top of one of the highest hills, and was enjoying the beautiful view, when I noticed letters cut out of the grass. The hills were made of white chalk, and the markings showed up very clearly where the sod had been scraped away. This is what I read, “LOOK SINNER, LOOK TO JESUS.”
How strange! Who could have wrien those words? And what fine words they are too. Have you looked to Jesus, my dear reader? I hope you have leard that you are a sinner, for God’s Word says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23). And the only One to whom a sinner may turn for forgiveness is the very God against whom you have sinned, who delights to forgive through the blood of Jesus.
I wandered still further among the hills and found another text also cut out of the turf. “PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD.” And yet another. “WHICH ROAD, HEAVEN OR HELL?” I just must find out who wrote these messages! As I was looking at the last one, a strong young shepherd came along and greeted me.
“Who wrote these Words?” I asked, pointing to the message on the hill, “I did, sir,” he said. “The Lord Jesus saved my soul, and it has made me so happy that I want others to be saved too, so this is my way of preaching, and I have seen many people stop and read the messages.”
“Tell me how you were saved,” I asked.
“Well, sir, I wasn’t what folks would call a bad sort of fellow, That is, I was honest and truthful, and I tended my sheep carefully, and was even a bit religious, and thought that everything was all right with me before God.
“One day a friend gave me a little paper with three verses on it, and they were these:
“When I read these verses over and over, I began to reckon that I was trusting in myself instead of the Saviour that God had sent into this world. I knew I was a sinner, so I came as a sinner before God and thanked Him for sending Jesus to be my Saviour. He saved my soul, praise His name, and then I began to wish other folks would get saved too, so I started writing these messages on the hills as I-tend my sheep. Folks all call me ‘Salvation Jack.’”
Jack and I had had a long talk and a word of prayer together, and as I walked slowly home from the hills, I thanked God for Jack’s hillside messages, and prayed God’s blessing on them to others. May I repeat just one of them to you again?
ML 07/08/1951