Riches of grace

by E. E. Byrum

He said: "Are you a Jew and a believer in Jesus? Are you willing to give yourself up for his sake? Do you know what it means to give yourself up? It means three or four years in the penitentiary and to be dishonorably discharged."

I told him that I would gladly do anything to make this matter right before man and before God.

"I am also a Jew," he replied, "and I do not know how you can believe in Jesus and suffer these things for his sake."

Then he doubted my being a deserter. I begged him to put me in the guard-house and to go and investigate the matter.

He said, "I wish that I had the power to set you free now; but you are too honorable a man to call the guard to take you to the guard-house, and so I will walk there with you myself."

Upon coming to the guard-house, he called the sergeant of the guard and said, "Sergeant, do not search this boy, for I know that he will not take in anything but that which is lawful."

He then asked me whether I wanted to stay in the big cell with the rest of the prisoners or go into one small cell by myself. I asked him for one by myself so that I might study the Bible.

When he was bidding me good-by, he said: "For the first time I shake a prisoner's hand, and I must say that I do not look upon you as a prisoner but as the most honorable man that we have in this post, and I must confess that you have done a most honorable thing in the sight of man and God, and I will help you with all that lies within my power to make everything easy for you."

The next morning the lieutenant-colonel came into the guard-house asking for me. When I came near the door, he reached out his hand and grasped mine, saying, "Neither my wife nor I have slept during the night, and I have decided to recommend you for a year's clemency, so that you will have only two years to serve."

It did not sound very good to me, but I went into the guard-house and prayed. The thought came to me, "Can you not trust the Lord to carry you through all these difficulties?" I said to myself, "Yes, I leave all in the hands of the Lord."