Would you like to come with me to visit a happy man? He does not live in a palace or even in a nice home. He does not have nice clothes or food, nor a bed to sleep on. Nov, my reader, is it possible for a man to be happy without all of those things?
The Lord Jesus said, “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Luke 12:1515And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (Luke 12:15). How we like to multiply the things that we possess, and often think that happiness lies in having just one or two things more than God has given to us. That lie comes from Satan, and is about six thousand years old. Satan told Eve long ago that it would be so much better if she had just one thing more!
The happy man of my story lives in a prison in Brazil, and his name is Pedro. There are about a dozen men in his room, but they have no beds, chairs or tables, and no door. The window has a double row of strong bars, and the only entrance to the cell is through a hole in the ceiling. Pedro has been there for fifteen years, and Pedro is a happy man.
I need scarcely tell the secret of his joy. Someone gave this poor prisoner a Bible, and through reading it he learned to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour. Indeed he read his Bible through many times, and is learning more and more each day of the One with whom he is going to spend eternity.
Does the Bible speak to you like that? Is it the word of the living God to you? Has it shown you ye.ur sin and guilt, and revealed Christ to you as the Saviour of sinners? If so, then you too are saved and happy. If not, would you not like, to be?
I am glad to tell you that Pedro is no longer in prison. Released after some years, he lives to serve the Lord Jesus, telling others of His love. He has learned that true happiness is in Christ alone, and his earnest desire is that others might be saved from their sins and find peace and joy in Him too.
ML 03/11/1956