In the 1800s in London, a little boy wanted to hear the great American evangelist D. L. Moody, who had come to town to preach.

This little street urchin made his way across the entire city of London, risking his very life, with no food or proper shoes.
After a long journey, he finally came to the great church where Moody was scheduled to speak.

As he made his way up to the door, an old usher scowled at him and asked, “What are you doing, young man?”

The boy said, “I am going to go hear the great evangelist D. L. Moody.”

“Not looking like that! You are filthy. Go away!”

The little boy was crushed. He was sitting on the steps, crying, when a black carriage pulled up in front of the church.

Out of it stepped a large man.
He saw the sad little boy on the steps and asked, “Young man, what is wrong?”

The boy answered, “I came here to hear the great preacher D. L. Moody, but they won’t let me in the church.”

“Is that so?” the big man said. “You just put your hand in my hand, and I will see what I can do to help you.”

The little boy put his dirty little hand into the man’s big clean hand.

The man led him right down the middle aisle, past the usher who wouldn’t let him in, to the front row.
The big guy sat him in a front-row seat.

Then the man stepped up to the pulpit.
That man was, of course, D. L. Moody.

That young boy couldn’t get in on his own, but when he held Moody’s hand, he walked through the front door.

So it is with us—because of Jesus.

We are filthy in sin, but he takes our dirty hands in his clean one and leads us to the front-row seats in the palace.

(PR)