A quaker living in Paris was waited on by four of his workmen in order to offer then compliments and ask for their uaual New Year’s gifts.
“Well, my friends,” said the Quaker, “here are your gifts; choose fifteen francs or the Bible.”
“I don’t know how to read,” said the first, “so I take the fifteen francs.”
“I can read,” said the second, “but I have pressing wants.” He took the fifteen francs.
The third also made the same choice. The fourth was a young boy of thirteen or fourteen. The Quaker asked him,
“Will you too take these fifteen francs, which you may obtain at any time by your labor and industry?”
“As you say the book is good, I will take it, and read from it to my mother,” replied the boy. He took the Bible, opened it, and found between the leaves a gold piece of forty francs. The others hung clown their heads, and the Quaker told them he was sorry they had not made a better choice.
Now, we have not told this story to make you think that if you read the Bible you will then become rich. But just as that boy made a pleasant discovery on opening the leaves of the Bible, so if you read the Word of God, and put your trust in the Saviour of whom it speaks, you will make a glorious discovery, for you will be able to say,
“I have found Christ”; and when anyone can say that, he has something very much more valuable than a gold piece of forty francs. Forty francs are soon spent, but the gift which God wants you to receive lasts forever. That gift is called “eternal life,” and it becomes yours the moment you receive Christ, by believing in Him.
ML 02/01/1942