JUST a few weeks ago a very dear little boy, named William, was visiting with his parents near a lake in Canada.
One day his parents were both away from the house, and before going, had told William not to go near the water. But there were other children playing around, and one little girl, seven years old, persuaded William, to go down with her, and get into one of the boats.
A little later she left the boat to go over to the other children, not knowing that it was not tied to the shore. When she came back she saw the boat out in the lake, but William was not in it.
She called for help and soon little William was found floating on the water. But it was too late. The dear child was drowned. He had a bruise on his head, and it was thought that when he saw the boat leaving the shore, he tried to jump out, but on account of the unsteadiness of the boat, lost his balance, fell against it, and then into the water perhaps unconscious from the blow on his head.
William was only four years old, but a child of four knows it is wrong to disobey. Probably William would have stayed away from the water, if the older girl had not coaxed him down to the boat.
Dear children, I hope this sad story will make you realize more than ever, the importance of obedience.
We should obey the Lord and our parents, because we love them, and not because we fear some dreadful punishment if we disobey. Yet disobedience does sometimes bring very serious consequences.
Perhaps the little girl did not know that William had been forbidden to go to the water. But if she did know, it was very wrong for her to cause him to disobey especially as she was so much older.
Dear children, no matter how much others may coax you to do what is wrong, or what your parents have forbidden you to do, do not do it.
Your playmates may laugh at you, and may be very unkind to you, if you refuse to take part with them in wrong-doing. But you will gain far more than they can give you, if you obey your parents, and God’s Word which says,
ML 12/21/1924