Devotional

Our very dear Uncle Leonard sent us this devotional. I wanted to share this story, it has a powerful message on God's protection.

The Horse that Wouldn't Go

Ling Su looked up as her grandfather strode into the room. She knew that something had happened to frighten him, for he usually walked slowly and deliberately but now he had almost burst into the house and he was all out of breath. How anxious he seemed! But Ling Su soon understood why when he explained that he had been walking on the city walls when he had seen in the distance a band of soldiers approaching the gates.

Ling Su shivered as she thought of that band of lawless bandits who had once before come to their city and to their house. Although she had been younger then, she could remember how cruelly they treated each of them, and how they had just decided to stay as long as they wanted, stealing whatever came to their hands. How very, very glad she had been when she saw them leave their house! What if they did even worse things? And Ling Su, now eight years old, would remember even more vividly than when she had been younger.

The old grandfather was thoughtfull as he wondered what he could do to protect his household against another invasion from these lawless, roaming soldiers. Suddenly Ling Su saw her grandfather's face lighten. He must have thought of a good way to ward off these evil men.

"Ling Su, " he was saying, "Ling Su, will you pray to your Jesus that He will protect us from these wicked men?" She could hardly believe her ears. Why in the past her grandfather had beaten her every time he had heard her praying in the name of Jesus. He did not want any new god to take the place of their ancestral idols. But the men might be approaching even now, and Ling Su must pray and pray as she had never done before. Seizing her, he shook her roughly. "If ever you prayed in your life, pray now, little one," he shouted in her ear. Then he pushed her at the same time into a small room and banging the door, shut it behind him.

It all happened so very quickly, but Ling Su had become a Christian some time before, and she had tried so hard to be a bright light in her home so that she might show them how wonderful the stories of Jesus were which the missionary had told her. Perhaps this was her best opportunity to prove to them that Jesus hears and answers prayer. She was used to talking to her Heavenly Father when there was no danger, and so it was natural to just ask Him when trouble threatened them.

"Heavenly Father," she began. "I am so happy, so thankful because my grandfather told me to pray. Always before, he beat or kicked me if I prayed and was so very angry! But now he has told me to pray. Heavenly Father, now's Your chance. Please show my grandfather that You do hear and answer prayer. Please don't let those soldiers come to our house." And always, as before, her prayer was in the name of Jesus.

Meanwhile the rest of the family were peering out of the window very cautiously to see what would happen. Ling Su's mother with one ear listened to the child pouring out her simple prayer to the Lord Jesus in the next room, but with the other ear she could also hear something else. The tramp, tramp, tramp of feet sounded faintly, but was growing louder and there was the clatter of horses' hoofs as well. She thought, "God certainly had not answered yet for the officer in charge was riding a big horse and they were coming straight up to their courtyard door. Grandfather had left it open, knowing it would be far worse for them if he shut or bolted it.

From behind the curtain, they watched the soldier turning his horse's head. He was trying to make the animal enter their courtyard gate. Their hearts were beating wildly in the suspense of the moment. And still Ling Su, quietly knelt saying, "Don't let them come to our house, Heavenly Father. Now's Your chance! Please show grandfather that You do answer prayer."

Then a very strange thing happened. The horse would not obey it's master. It shied and kicked. It tossed its head and tried to back away. It reared up but would not go forward. Over and over again, the bandit dug his spurs into its sides to make it enter the gate. But it was of no use. The creature would not go into that yard.

In desperation and despair the officer turned to his men exclaiming, "Why this courtyard is full of demons! We cannot see them, but the horse can. Not one of you go in there!" he commanded pointing to their house. Grandfather could scarcely believe what he was hearing and seeing. These soldiers were actually turning around and marching away in the very direction from which they had come.

The next day, the missionary who lived in that city had an unusual visitor at his door. It was grandfather. With tears in his eyes, he begged to be taught how to pray. "To think," he said, "That all the while, that little granddaughter of mine was right and I was wrong! Teach me about the God Who answers prayer like that."

We do not know what the horse saw on that day. The bandits said it was demons. We know that God heard a little girl's cry and sent and filled the courtyard with shining angels who guarded them. If the donkey that belonged to Baalam in the Bible could see an angel with a sword in his hand guarding the way, is it not possible for that bandit's horse to have seen angels when others could see nothing? God has hosts of angels and they are sent to help those who trust in Jesus for their salvation and protection. David, writing in one of the Psalms said, "He shall give His angels charge over thee."

taken from the book titled, "Asking Father" by E & L Harvey & Trudy Tait