David had just had his fourth birthday. Now he felt he was big enough to sit up in the front row with the other children in Sunday school and say a Bible verse too. He learned his verse carefully at home. On Sunday morning he sat very quietly with the other children and listened as each one stood up and repeated the memory verse. Soon it was David’s turn.
David stood up very slowly and looked all around the room. It seemed as though everyone was looking right at him! He suddenly became shy and then either forgot the verse or he didn’t want to say it.
The Sunday school teacher smiled at David to encourage him, but still he couldn’t seem to get the words out. The teacher decided to help him with the first few words to get him started. “Come unto Me,” the teacher prompted. And David did just that. He believed what the teacher had said and ran up to where the teacher was standing. Then he threw his little arms around the teacher’s legs and looked up at him with a smiling face.
The teacher welcomed David and picked him up in his arms. Then the teacher asked the other children, “Who is it in the Bible that said, ‘Come unto Me?’ ”
Most of the children knew the answer. “It’s Jesus,” they said.
“Yes,” said the teacher, “and He wants us not just to say the words but to really believe them and come to Him, just like David believed what I said and came up here to me. Jesus will welcome us when we come to Him and will wash all our sins away if we will trust Him in our hearts. Then we belong to Him as one of His children. That is how we become ‘born again.’ ”
The Lord Jesus has a special place in His loving heart for each one of His children. Wouldn’t you like to be born again and become one of His happy children?
Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)). He also said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:33Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)).
ML-01/08/2006