It was during a time of war. A regiment of soldiers had arrived at a village and the villagers were expected to provide lodgings for the men for the night.
There lived in the village a number of Christians who were in the habit of coming together to read the Word of God and to pray. All the soldiers were soon lodged among the villagers except one whose untrimmed beard and long hair gave him the appearance of a savage, so much so that he terrified everyone. Accompanied by an officer this soldier rapped at the door of a citizen who was so frightened at his appearance, that he begged the officer to send him two soldiers instead of the one he had brought. The offer was accepted, and the officer and soldier went away elsewhere. No one wand to take the fierce-looking fellow in, so the officer left him to get out of his difficulty the best way he could.
Repulsed from house to house, he came at length before the door of a building where a number of Christians were gathered together. The owner was standing at the entrance, and seeing this soldier walking up and down he asked him where he was lodged.
“No one has been willing to take me in,” was his frank reply; “and I hope you will not refuse me.”
The owner was about to refuse when the words of Scripture came to his mind. “Come in,” said he, “but promise me that you will conduct yourself properly.” So in he went.
The hall, which was filled with seats, made quite an impression on the soldier, and he asked, “Is this a church?”
The master of the house asked him to sit down which he did at once. Soon the hall was filled. After a hymn and prayer, there was a portion of Scripture read and explained. The happiness of knowing Jesus and the peace that comes from trusting in Him was much dwelt upon.
The soldier, who for the first time in his life found himself in a meeting of Christians, was greatly moved, even to tears, and could not refrain from crying out: “Oh! if I were only like you! But I am a wretched, godless fellow, probably destined to be killed in bale and then to stand before God. Oh, if I were only like you!”
He was soon surrounded by friends who spoke to him of the Saviour’s love, whose heart never turned away even the worst of sinners. They told him of the Shepherd’s happiness in seeking and in saving the lost.
That night the soldier was soundly converted to God, and he went to rest full of joy and gratitude towards his Saviour.
The next morning at daybreak he came again to the first man who had refused him a lodging. “I must tell you,” said he, by way of salutation, “by what good people I have been received,” and he told him his experience of the previous evening. The villager was frightened at first by the return of the “savage” whom he had repulsed, but he recovered himself on seeing that his intentions were good and began to laugh, saying: “My poor fellow, those Christians have turned your head and you will become like one of them unless you stop your ears when they speak of mercy, grace, and salvation, or of judgment. I detest the whole crowd and I certainly shall never attend one of their meetings.”
“And I tell you that you shall come,” said the soldier in a voice of command that did not admit of any reply. “How dare you curse people who love God sincerely, and show the sincerity of their words by their actions? This evening I shall come for you to take you to their meeting.”
Sure enough at the appointed time the soldier returned and the villager, frightened again by his appearance, followed him without saying a word. The soldier led him to a seat in the hall where he sat down, and then sat down beside him.
“Attention! Open your ears,” said the soldier to the villager as the meeting began. The man did so, and so effectually that before the close of the meeting his rebellious heart was broken. His debt of sin toward God came home to him in all its immensity, and the simple announcement of the love of God to the sinner won his heart too.
“Well, what do you say to it now? Is not this a house of God?” asked the soldier on coming out. “Shall it be necessary to come and fetch you again?”
“No, certainly not; and I thank you for having brought me to a house where I have found the salvation of my soul,” replied the villager, pressing his hand.
The following day the regiment moved on to the field of battle. Nothing was heard again of the young-converted soldier. It is probable that he had fallen among the slain, as he had feared; but death only brought him into the presence of God whom he had come to know as his Father through the Lord Jesus.
As to the villager, he became a faithful follower of the Lord, loving His Word and His people whom hitherto he had detested.
Dear reader, we have here two fruits from a single grain. How marvelous are God’s ways of grace to the undeserving.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light:
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus and I found
In Him, my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk
Till traveling days be done.
ML-09/18/1966