January 16

Courageous in our witness


“Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good” (2 Chron. 19:11).
“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

Two men came into a moderately filled railway carriage and sat down in front of a Christian named John Smith, and soon began to drink, sing, swear, and blaspheme. After a while Mr. Smith held the following soliloquy with himself:
“John, those men belong to the devil. There is no doubt about it, and they are not a bit ashamed of it. To whom do you belong? Why, to the Lord Jesus of course. Are you glad or sorry? Glad of course. Who knows that those men belong to the devil? Everybody who hears them. Who knows that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why, no one, I’m afraid. Are you willing that those men and others should know it? Of course I am. Will you let them know it? I will. When? Now.”


Then John Smith sang, “All hail the power of Jesus’ Name.” The other passengers became interested; the swearers became abusive, and presently asked, “What are you making that row for?”
“I’m singing for my Master,” replied John Smith. “For the last half hour you have been singing and standing by your master; for the rest of the journey I am going to stand by mine. Christ is my Master. I am as proud of Him as you are of your master. Now, if the other passengers do not object, I am going to have my turn.”
“Sing on,” cried a chorus of voices. And sing he did. The blasphemers soon changed into another carriage.
Then an old gray-headed man grasped John Smith’s hand and said, “I am eighty years old. I have preached the Gospel for many years. I wanted to rebuke those blasphemers, but I had not the courage. I have not much longer to live, but, God helping me, I will never again refuse to show my colors.”

What have I said for Jesus today?
Though I have talked of numberless things,
(Words that were commonplace, grave, or gay,
I have sent forth on invisible wings).
Have I spoken one word for my Lord—
Dropped one seed by the way
As the moments have sped,
And the chances have fled—
Today?
—Jean H. Watson.

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