MRS. Ling and her husband were moving from Australia to Hong Kong. Her mother and her daughter, and her daughter's friend, were also traveling with them. At the airport she obtained her baggage carts, one for her mother and the girls and the other for herself and her husband. All through the trip she had carefully guarded the small carryon bag containing all their valuable documents and papers, including their passports and her daughter's school transfer records. Now Mrs. Ling set that bag also on the cart, trusting that it would arrive safely at their car which was parked a short distance away. She then hurried to take her daughter's friend to meet her parents.
On returning, she asked the porter how many bags he had and he answered, "Five."
"No, no!" she exclaimed. "There were three on each cart!"
"There are only two on this one," he said.
A thief had taken the carry-on bag! How true it is that while we are in this world we must guard all of our treasures, but the Lord Jesus said, Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... where thieves do not break through nor steal.
Everyone searched frantically, but it was of no use. Mr. Ling scolded the porter for not watching the luggage more carefully, but Mrs. Ling stopped him and said that it was all her own fault: "I shouldn't have left it on the cart."
She suggested that they should pray about it, which they did. When they arrived home they all went to their knees and prayed again, asking the Lord to help them recover the important papers which would be very difficult to replace. Mrs. Ling prayed many times in the days that followed, confessing all the time that she was entirely to blame.
After two weeks had passed with no sign of the papers, she began to think and fret and prayed less and less. She went to the consulate office and filled out all necessary forms to secure duplicates, which would be very expensive and time-consuming to replace. She began to feel her prayers were not answered, and concluded that God was punishing her for her carelessness.
Two days after her visit to the consulate a package came addressed to her. It was wrapped in plain paper and taped tightly shut. Inside were all the papers and documents that had been stolen! There was a note also, signed: "A greedy man." He said that he had spent $11.00 of what he had taken for postage to return the papers, for something kept telling him that these papers were too important to throw away.
The book of Proverbs tells us that a thief coveteth greedily all the day long, but the Lord, in answer to prayer, had touched this greedy thief's conscience.
In reflecting on her frantic efforts at the consulate office, Mrs. Ling said: "I didn't have the patience or faith to let the Lord work; He heard my prayers and answered in His time and way."
God does answer prayer. Like a human parent, it is His joy to answer the request of His children. But one must come and ask in faith, for without faith it is impossible to please God. He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Only a true child of God has the right to expect an answer to his prayers.
It is necessary first to make sure of our position in the family of God, to know that we are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Then—like Mrs. Ling—like countless millions through the ages past—like millions more today—we can confidently bring every need and problem to our loving Father.
Isn't it great to be a Christian, a child of God?