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The lesson in this story is that we must obey God, even when things do not seem to go right.
Many years ago there lived a barber in the city of Bath, England. For a long time he had been in the habit of keeping his shop open on Sunday. But after he became a Christian, he believed that he was breaking the Sabbath and that he must close his barber shop on Sundays. Yet, he was afraid to do so. He thought if he did so, he would offend his customers and lose all his business.
The barber went to ask the minister about his problem. The minister advised him to close his shop on the Sabbath and trust God to take care of him.
He did so. He hung out a sign that said “Closed Sundays,” and tried to trust God to take care of him. But it turned out as the barber feared. His customers were offended. Because he would not shave them and cut their hair on Sunday, they refused to come to him during the week. He was forced to give up his fashionable shop and open up a shop in a dingy basement where he had hardly enough business to get himself bread to eat.
Well, what then? Did God’s promise fail in the case of this poor barber? Did he suffer loss by closing his shop on the Sabbath for the sake of Jesus? Wait a little, and see!
One Saturday evening, just as it was getting dark, a strange gentleman, who had just arrived by coach, asked for a barber. One of the drivers pointed to the cellar across the street. He came in hastily, and asked for a quick shave and a haircut while they were changing horses, as it would be too late at night when he reached the end of his journey, and he did not like to break the Sabbath. This touched the barber’s feelings, so that he could not help weeping. He asked the stranger to lend him a penny to buy a candle, as it was not light enough to work. The gentleman gave it, pitying the great poverty of the poor barber.
When the barber was finished, the stranger said, “It seems to me, my friend, that there is something unusual in your past, and I’d like to hear about it, but I really must go now. Here is some money for your services. When I come back this way I would like to visit you again. What is your name?”
“William Reed.”
The gentleman looked startled, and ex- claimed, “William Reed? Are you from the west of England?”
“Yes, sir; from Kingston, near Taunton.”
“What was your father’s name?”
“Thomas.”
“Did he have a brother?”
“Yes, sir; one, after whom I was named. But he went to the East Indies, and as we never heard from him, we suppose him to be dead.”
“You must come with me,” exclaimed the gentleman. “I am going to see a person who claims to be William Reed, of Kingston, near Taunton. If you can prove that he is an imposter, and you are the person I am seeking, I have some amazing news for you. Your uncle died recently, and has left an immense fortune, which I will hand over to you, as soon as I am sure that you are the William Reed I am seeking.”
The barber went with the gentleman. He had no difficulty proving that he was the real William Reed, and his uncle’s large fortune was soon put into his possession.
How amazing this was! God brought it about in such a way as to reward him for his faithfulness. When he decided to close his shop on Sunday, he was doing it for the Lord. It seemed, at first, as if he was going to suffer a great loss for what he had done. But, in the end, he was rewarded more than a hundredfold. For, if he had not closed his shop on Sundays, he would not have lost his customers. And if he had not lost his customers, he would not have been in that cellar, so poor as to have to beg a penny for a candle. And if it had not been for this, the gentleman who was in charge of his uncle’s fortune would not have discovered who he was.
Children, this is a very remarkable story. I do not want you to think that God rewards all of His children with great amounts of money; God’s children must serve and obey Him out of love for God. They must be willing, as this barber was before he became rich, to obey God no matter what the cost. You must remember that God’s children can also be truly happy and content even if they are very poor, or in great pain, or in great trouble. The lesson in this story is that we must obey God, even when things do not seem to go right. God wants our whole heart, and He is worthy of it!
Question: Can you remember which of the Ten Commandments the barber was keeping when he refused to work on the Lord’s day?
Scripture Reading: Luke 18:28-30.
Excerpt from
How God Used A snowdrift And Other Devotional Stories
By Joel R. Beeke & Diana Kleyn
