Edward Hoare, son of a London banker, was a well-respected evangelical preacher in Tunbridge Wells at the end of the 19th century. One day a businessman requested a tour of the graveyard so he could select a spot for his “final resting-place.” After he had made his choice, Hoare turned to him and asked, “You have found a resting-place for your body, but have you yet found a resting-place for your soul?” Turning abruptly and looking the questioner full in the face, the elderly man replied, “You are the first clergyman who has asked me that question. I am most interested in what you can tell me.” Hoare led him into his study where he opened to him the Scriptures, showing the man who was not yet “rich toward God” (Lk 12:21) how he might “find rest” for his soul (Mt 11:29). Shortly thereafter, the man presented Edward Hoare with a painting titled “Rescued,” showing a drowning mariner being pulled from the sea. It hung in Hoare’s study till the time of his death in 1894.
Today’s Reading: Psalms 137-139 Memorize: John 3:16-17