December-1943
445
him for something to go on. She had shrunk from consulting her own Pas tor—she wanted none to know of her lost faith—at least not now when she was too tired to argue. The minister had replied promptly and at length, but his reply had given her no help. Still she had tried to fol low it. “ Get so busy helping others that there will be no time to think of your own loss,” had been part of the advice. Red Cross work, blood banks, training for the ambulance corps—all these had filled the hours of the day. But there were the nights. “Remember that sorrow gradually loses its ability to hurt US,” the advice had run. But that was no help for today. “Keep in mind the happiness you had before death struck.” But it hurt so to remember that. She had done little else, and it only made his loss the more poignant. “Deliberately lose yourself in your religion and you will be able to tri umph over disaster. God is love and you can safely trust yourself to Him,” had been the final answer. But it didn’t meet the need. Perhaps she hadn’t given it a fair chance, but God seemed very far away and unreal, unconcerned with her grief. No person had been able to help her. Most of her friends had made embar rassed attempts at consolation and the minister had called several times, but Marjorie had been glad that she was out each time. Surely there could be no comfort for one who knew that the biggest thing in life had been lost. Not even her mother knew that she was facing even a harder thing than los ing her husband. She had lost her faith. Gradually she became conscious of the minister’s voice. She had not listened to him before. But familiar words found an echo in her mind. “If Christ had not come, think what it would mean. No Saviour to bridge the gap between God and man, no ‘Im manuel, God with us,’ if He had not come.” “Imfrianuel, God with us,'and ‘God with us’ makes all the difference in the world”—these were the words Don had sent her. She Straightened a little and put her whole attention on the message. “Beloved,” the pastor was saying, “there would be no resurrection balm when the shadow of death falls across
the home circle, if He had not come. He willingly left a glory which we cannot even begin to imagine, to come to earth to die—yes, to die—that we might have life. Yet on this Christmas morning, there are many thousands of souls right in our own land who have known no difference because of His coming, as far as their lives are con cerned, because they have not received Him. He came the first time to die. He rose and then ascended to heaven, there to intercede for us^ and He is coming again that we may be with Him. But today, His is the indwelling presence that keeps us.” Marjorie lost the next few words, thinking of what Don had written: “The indwelling presence of Christ is a very practical thing out here.” Sud denly her heart began to beat faster, tears filled her eyes, and she felt the coldness breaking up. This, then, was what Don had meant. The indwelling presence of the L'ord Jesus Christ an swered all the questions—even those that would come in the future. She saw suddenly why she had no comfort until this moment—why there had been no faith, why all her Bible reading had brought no solace or un derstanding. She, who had thought of herself as a Christian all her life be cause she attended church and lived a decent life, needed Christ’s indwell ing presence. She had never known Him. She had had “ the form of godli ness,” but had denied its power. Don had had the real thing, she knew now, and he must have known of her own lack and had tried to reach her in that message, one of the last she was to receive from him. She had had to have something bitter in her life be fore she could see her need. “ Forgive me of my sin in refusing Thee, Lord,” she whispered, tears of repentaiice coursing down her face. “I accept the price You paid, and I want to be entirely Yours.” The minister’s words reached her again. “This is Christmas morning, and we are here to worship the Lord and remember His birth. His was a gift that none of us, can fully ap preciate—the gift of eternal life that He gave us when He came—but we can all receive it. ‘For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’ Are there not some here this morning who would like to confess openly the Lord who came from glory to save them, some who have recently received His gift of life
through the Son? Such a confession would be a grecious love gift to Him.” There was no hesitation on Mar jorie’s part. She heard her mother’s startled exclamation as she arose, but she walked- calmly toward the front and knelt at the altar. There were many in the audience that morning who marvelled at the joyful radiance that shone from her dark eyes and lighted her face as she went toward the front. “ It is all right, now, Lord,” Marjorie whispered as she knelt before Him. The loss was still there, the grief would be no less intense. But the bitterness was gone, and in its place was joy— the joy of the indwelling presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another hymn was chosen for the closing song of praise, but Marjorie was singing in her heart, “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,” and it seemed for a' moment as though Don sang it with her. And it was all right. It didn’t even matter, now, how Don had died. He was with the Lord, and the glory of His presence would have blotted out all suffering and hu miliation. "(t come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethle hem; Come and behold Him born the King of angels; O come, let us adore Him,- O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.” ' The Simplicity of Salvation BELIEVE CHRIST “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou- shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). RECEIVE CHRIST ' “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). CONFESS CHRIST “With the mouth confession is , made unto salvation" (Rom. 10: 10 ).
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