Early one morning, William Gladstone was at his desk at No. 10 Downing Street, London. A timid knock on the door called him from preparing an important speech he was to deliver that day in Parliament.

Standing at the door was a little boy whose friendship Gladstone had won by little deeds of kindness. The boy said, “My brother is dying. Won’t you please come and show him the way to heaven?”

Leaving his important work for the most important work any Christian can do, Gladstone went to the bedside of the dying boy. In a matter of moments, the boy was rejoicing in his newly found Saviour!

Returning to his office, Gladstone wrote at the bottom of the speech he had been preparing: “I am the happiest man in London today!” He had been the human instrument in the hands of God, to lead a boy to the Saviour.

Gladstone was there in the hour of reaping and rejoiced. Some, however, miss the moment of reaping, yet share in the winning of lost people. They are the sowers.

Sowers may have difficulty finding courage or words for the moment of decision in soul wining, but they faithfully witness and give out the gospel. Some sowers mail scores of letters with enclosed tracts. Other sowers live consistent Christian lives and show compassion to those in need.

In the harvest, the sowers and reapers rejoice together! (See John 4:37,38.)