"Such treasure by the roadside!" Thats how William H. Harding describes what took place in Bedford as John Bunyan listened into the conversation of a group of women. Bunyan said of this:"Their talk was about a new birth, the work of God in their hearts; also how they were convinced of their miserable state by nature. They talked how God had visited their souls with His love in the Lord Jesus, and what words and promises they had been refreshed, comforted, and supported against the temptations of the devil.
And methought they spake as if joy did make them speak; they spake with such pleasantness of Scripture language, and with such appearance of gracein all they said, that they were to me as if they had found a new world..."
There is much that could be said of Bunyan (and I may in coming days since I'm struggling to set the biography of him aside, even to type this post), but it is the example we see in these ladies in Bedford that I wanted to look at here.
I don't, ever remember walking down through town and hearing a group of people just chatting to each other about the things of God. Indeed, I don't remember a time when I've met a brother or sister while out and the conversation has led to such things as Bunyan described in the conversation of these women.
These women weren't having an open air or an evangelistic campaign, they were simply fellowshipping with each other and encouraging each other in the Lord with their testimonies of grace.
And how our friendships would take on deeper meanings if we could build up the courage to ask each other when we meet about what Jesus is teaching, blessing with or promising them, or to talk of our daily experiences with God and of continual grace from Him. Not with passers by (like Bunyan) as a motive, but simply because 'the weathers great today' hasn't got a patch of depth on 'Jesus is great today'!
As I read of these women I felt challenged about my own conversation with friends, even at those 'passing' moments in the street. About going deeper with them than weather or movies, but of grace and mercy and promises given
