How little Star found the Living God. Part 3.
EVEN in early childhood’s days, Star had been an ardent little idolater. When others stood in worship, she knelt. When others knelt, she fell on her face. “So far did I worship my god” she said sorrowfully when speaking of it. It was she who persuaded her father to spend large sums of money upon works of merit to the honor of their god. It was she who twisted the chickens’ necks when the yearly sacrifice was offered. She loved to see the goats’ blood flow, not because the shedding of blood spoke to her soul of sins put away by that precious blood shed upon Calvary, but because she thought it gave pleasure to Siva, whom she called “her god.”
But now all was changed; Star had learned of a living God, and of a loving Saviour; she had been spending some weeks with a relation, who lived close to the missionaries’ camp, and day by day the child had spent hours with these kind friends, and had been learning by degrees much about the life and death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Her parents, who knew what was going on, appeared to have no objection, “Such stories could not hurt their little Star, she was only a child,” so they said and believed, but perhaps they began to wonder, at last, if all was right, for they sent a messenger to bring her home. “She must,” so they said, “take her part in a great religious festival.” She might return in four days, but come she must. The heart of the missionary sank; she knew so well what it all meant, she knew that the parents would not hesitate to use any means; however cruel or wicked, to bring their child back to the worship of Siva.
But Star had no fear. She danced about with delight. “It will all be lovely,” she exclaimed, “new clothes, new jewels, beautiful decorations, delicious things to eat,” and she added, “I will not be forced to do anything wrong. I will say, I belong to Jesus. I will tell them all about Him; it will be all right, and I shall be back in four days.”
Lovingly the lady talked to the little girl, feeling as she did so, that it might be for the last time, and then with the soft brown hands clasped in hers, she commended her to the almighty power of that One who is able to keep.
Weeks passed by, but Star did not return, and nothing was heard of her. Day by day earnest prayers went up to God, that He would work on behalf of the little lonely child, keeping her true to His Name, and delivering her from the persecution which it was almost certain she was enduring, if she had refused to worship the idol Siva, and to rub his ashes on her forehead. Did not the missionaries know of many cases, where, for a similar fault, the little victim had been beaten or starved, or even kept in chains for months at a time, and finally sent to some far distant part of the country, where it was impossible to trace them?
So the days and weeks passed on, until one Sunday morning. There was a quiet stillness over all, and as the lady sat with her Bible in her hand, reading the precious promises so comforting to all in trouble, her heart went up in a cry to God for the little child who was so dear to her.
There was a sound on the step, a little hand pushed back the door, and Star stood before her.
They never knew quite what had happened, for the little girl was very ill for many weeks. But some things were made plain. There had been a family council; they had mocked the lonely child, had ordered her to worship the idol, and rub his ashes on her forehead, and when she refused, and spoke of Jesus, punishment long and severe had followed, which was borne with such courage and meekness that the hard old father at last gave in, and much to the astonishment of all, allowed her to return to the camp.
“And what helped you most through all those weeks?” she was asked.
“I kept the Gospel of Mark tied up in my dress,” she replied, “until it was discovered and taken away. It was comforting to feel it near me, even though I could not read many verses, but when it was gone, I remembered they could not take Jesus away from me, and I remembered too, how He walked in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and how the fire could not burn their bodies, or anything upon them, except the cords. And I thought it was a good thing it burnt the cords, for they could not have walked in the fire with Jesus if the cords had not, been burnt. So I asked Him to let the fire burn my cords. After that I don’t remember anything. Only I think the fire got cool.”
Five years have passed since that day, and Star is still with the friends who brought her to Jesus. She is a tall girl now, and a great help in the Mission Camp.
She has not been left undisturbed; many a time her father has come to claim her and enforce his right to make her do as he pleased. Each time, as if compelled by an unseen power, he has been forced to go away without her. The missionaries have no human power to keep her, but when the father appears, one of them always goes away alone, and remains waiting upon God until the conflict is over. Once as he went away, he was heard to mutter, “What is the matter with me? My hands are strong to take her. It is as if I were bound and held from touching her.”
Will not some of those children who know the Lord Jesus, pray that this dear girl may be kept ever true to the Lord Jesus, arid may be much used in blessing amongst her own people?
ML 02/18/1912