ELKANAH Beard, a missionary who worked many years in the East of India ‘ tells the following story of a little girl who lived with her parents in the city of Benares. He knew the family well and vouches for the actual truth of the story.
The mother of the child lay sick. She had not left her bed for many months, and saw certain death in front of her. Every hope of recovery according to human reckoning was closed.
Her little daughter was eight years old, and clung with the deepest affection to her mother. Her intelligence had early ripened, as is very often the case in these hot countries.
She saw her mother slowly sinking, and her young heart almost broke with the thought of having soon to lose her beloved mother.
One day as she was reading in her New Testament, she found there the promises which God had given to the believer. Among them she read: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” ( Matt. 7:7, 87Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7‑8).) For some time she sat thinking, then she rose and entered the sick-room of her mother.
“Mother, dear,” said she, “can the Lord Jesus not make you strong again?”
“Yes, my child, He can indeed; but it is not His will.”
“Why not, mother? Have you ever prayed to Him about it?”
“No, my child. For see _____“.
“But, mother,” interrupted the little one eagerly, “I know that you often pray to God.”
“Certainly, I do.”
“And, what do you pray for then?”
“Ah, my dear, I cannot talk about it with you now; my pain is too great. Go away and play.”
The child hung her head, but accustomed to obey, she left the room immediately, and going into the garden, sat under a large tree. She thought and prayed there for a long time. Suddenly, however, she sprang up, went back to her mother’s room, and kneeling down at her bedside said:
“Mamma, the Lord Jesus has said: ‘Ask and it shall be given you.’ I will pray to Him now, and you, mamma, must pray with met” And without waiting for her mother’s answer, she began:
“O Jesus, dear Lord Jesus, my mother has been sick for three months, and I have no happy days now. She is so sick, that she cannot talk any more with her little girl. O Lord Jesus, she is so ill and has so much pain! O, make my poor dear mamma better again. Lord Jesus, Thou canst do it, and Thou wilt do it. Mamma loves Thee, and her little girl loves Thee——— “. All at once, she sprang up, and clapping her hands, cried: “He will, Mamma, He will, He will!” And what happened? On that very day, the mother, who for weeks had not been able to move a limb, rose up, dressed, and began as formerly to attend to her household duties. She was completely healed. How her heart rejoiced, and yet she felt deeply humbled.
When her husband returned home in the evening, he met her standing at the door and waiting for him. Deeply moved and with tearful eyes, he clasped his dear wife in his arms, who had been given to him again from God, contrary to all hope; and when he heard from her own mouth what had taken place, he sank on his knees, and thanked God, asking Him to make him worthy of the blessing that had so unexpectedly come to his home. His little daughter stood beside him and with her face beaming with joy, she cried again and again: “O papa, Jesus has done it! Jesus has done it!”
Jesus how much Thy name unfolds
To every opened ear;
The pardoned sinner’s memory holds
None other half so dear.
The mention of Thy name shall bow
Our hearts to worship Thee;
The chiefest of ten thousand Thou,
Whose love has set us free.
Messages of God’s Love 4/23/1911