An American, who was very fond of hunting, lived in a wooded part of the country where there was plenty of deer and other wild life. One morning, as he was walking across his field, he heard the baying of hounds in the distance. As the dogs approached, he looked through a crack in a picket fence, and there he saw a poor little fawn, wearied from the chase, its tongue hanging out, and its sides lathered with foam. The little thing had just strength enough to clear the fence, and stood there for a moment with its great liquid eyes gazing about in a most frightened manner.
Then it saw a hound leap over the fence not far away, and its first impulse was to take flight again. But instead of running away, it came and fell down in a heap at the man’s feet.
In telling the story, our friend said: “I couldn’t stand there and see that poor little thing torn to pieces by the dogs—no, not after it had appealed to me for protection. As the hounds gathered round I defended the little creature. I stood there and fought the dogs for half an hour. I just felt that all the dogs in the county could not capture that little fawn after its weakness had appealed to my strength.”
The little deer cast itself upon the mercy of the man, who in turn protected it and saved its life. So poor sinners now, who cast themselves upon the mercies of the Lord, find in Him a Saviour and a Defender. Had the little deer trusted its own strength in flight, the dogs would soon have overtaken it and it would have perished. Those who try to outrun sin, Satan, and the judgment of God, will find to their own everlasting sorrow that they have perished.
Dear boys and girls, and older ones too, if you are unsaved, judgment is on your track. “Flee from the wrath to come,"—flee to the Lord Jesus, the only refuge of the soul. You will find in Him a Friend, who defends all those who put their trust in Him. At Calvary’s cross he stood in the breach, and received all the mighty blows of God’s eternal judgment against sin, in order that you and I might be spared. Now God can say, “Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).)
In our weakness and need, we can never appeal to the Lord in vain. He says, “Whosoever will, may come"; “and Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37).
ML-04/03/1966