A LITTLE GIRL of ten years of age, whose name was Milly Green, had a grandfather who was very old. He grew weaker every day, and his friends said he could not live much longer.
Milly heard this and was sorry, for she loved him very much. Being a little girl who trusted in Jesus, she prayed that her grandfather might believe on Him and be saved; for she felt what an awful doom would be his if he died in his sins. He lived a good distance from her home, so she could do no more than pray for him; and God heard her prayer and answered it.
One day her mother received a letter saying how very ill the old man was, and how much he would like to see Milly. Although his home was a long way off, Mrs. Green let her little girl go; and thus made the grandfather’s heart glad. When he saw his little favorite, he cried with joy, and when the others had gone from the room, and they were left alone, he said to her:
“Well, Milly dear, and what have you been learning at Sunday School? Can you sing something to me?”
“O yes, grandfather,” the little girl replied, and in a moment her childish voice was sounding through the room, and the aged pilgrim bent to listen to that sweet hymn,
“Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.”
When it was finished, he asked, “How do you know that Jesus loves, you, Milly?”
Because the Bible says so,” was the ready answer, “and He loves you, too.”
“Can you show me, Milly?”
“O yes, I’ll run and get my Bible,” the little girl replied, as she ran off, returning soon with her finger pointing to John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16), which she slowly read: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“But, Milly, that does not mean me,” said the old man.
“O yes, grandpa, it does, for it says ‘whosoever.’”
“And what does ‘whosoever’ mean, dear?”
“O, just any one who will believe that Jesus died for them, and they shall have everlasting life,” was the beautiful answer.
“Read it again, Milly,” was the only reply, and again the childish voice was heard repeating those words of eternal life.
“It means me, I see, Milly, and I am one of the ‘whosoevers.’ Well, I do believe,” exclaimed the old man.
Milly was delighted when she heard this, and all his friends were pleased too, for now he would be sure of being saved and when he would be called away from this world he would go straight to be with the Lord Jesus, because he believed on Him as his Saviour. His sins were forgiven, and he was made fit to stand in the presence of his Redeemer.
ML 02/04/1917