WITH deep interest little Fred (we will call him) listens to grandpa’s instructions as to how the ship should be built. The writer knows very little about ships, so cannot give what instructions grandpa gave little Fred; but there is a lesson that comes before his mind, as he looks at Fred’s attentive manner, and that is the very great need of attending to whatever God tells us.
Now there is one lesson I would like very much to have you pay attention to, as it is the first lesson, and if we do not learn it properly we will never be able to learn anything else in the things of God.
The first lesson is our great need of a Saviour and God’s love in providing that Saviour. I suppose all my readers are aware they have sinned. You know you have had wrong thoughts in your mind, and you have said things that you should not have said, and you have done things you should not have done. So, there are three ways you could have sinned and these very likely you have done every day in your life. Just multiply every day you have lived by three and you will see how many, many sins you must at least have. It is not what people call sins that we need be only concerned about, but it is all that will not come up to God’s holiness. What a great measure that is, and what great sinners it shows us up to be. How then can we be saved? Ah, God has not only shown us what we are, but has also shown us what we need, and has provided that need. We need a Saviour and God has given His only begotten Son to die in our stead and thereby save us. Those sins that are many, may all be forgiven us through Jesus having paid the debt, in giving His life in our place. This is what we need to pay strict attention to, and after that lesson is fully learned, we can go on to learn other things in God’s word.
ML 08/26/1906