Mrs. Woodley was tired and lonely and sick. The time seemed to pass slowly as she lay on her sickbed. She rang for her maid, and in a moment Peggy appeared at her bedside with a bright smile.
“Good morning, Ma’am. What may I do for you?”
“Peggy, would you mind bringing my box of jewels? I would just like to look them over.”
I imagine that you have already decided that Mrs. Woodley was a very rich woman and indeed she was. She had spent a good deal of her time in the pleasures of this world, and had been looked up to and envied by all her friends. But now she was lying on a sickbed and feeling quite sorry for herself.
Presently Peggy returned with the jewel box and stood aside while Mrs. Woodley lifted out and admired one by one, the magnificent jewels that she had worn at the many parties she had attended.
“Peggy,” she said, “would you not like to have some of these jewels? Aren’t they beautiful?”
“Yes, Ma’am, they are very beautiful. But I don’t feel that I would like them for myself, for I have much better jewels than those.”
“Finer than mine, nurse? But mine are the finest in the land. Where are yours? You never wear them.”
The nurse held up her Bible saying, “My jewels are in here.”
Mrs. Woodley, thinking that they were hidden away somewhere in the Book, said: “Take them out and show them to me.”
“Why, Ma’am, my jewels are so precious I can only show you them one at a time.”
Then she opened her Bible and read: “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).
“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rans 6:23.
She told Mrs. Woodley of the Saviour she had in heaven and that, although poor, she had a loving Father who provided for her. She also told her of the great happiness she had in Jesus, and that now she was waiting to be taken to her home in heaven to be with Jesus.
“Why, nurse, I have never heard of anything like that. How happy you must be to feel as you do. I wish I could feel the same.”
The next day she called her once again, and said,
“Nurse, I would like to see more of your jewels. The ones you showed me were beautiful.”
You will be glad to know that Mrs. Woodley soon realized that although she was envied by all her friends and was a very rich woman, yet in the sight of God she was a poor sinner, and needed to be saved. When she made this discovery, she bowed at the feet of the Lord Jesus and accepted Him as her own Saviour.
For many happy days after this, she and her nurse used to enjoy together looking at the precious jewels to be found in God’s Word.
Dear children, are these precious jewels yours? You may have them, and many more which are found in the Bible, if you will only accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your own Saviour and Lord. They are all to be found in Him.
ML 10/07/1956