THE time will surely come when each one must decide whether his or her life shall be given to God or used in the service of the world. It is utterly impossible to live both for the world and for God, and the life spent in the endeavor to serve both God and mammon is ever a failure and a disappointment.
Many of our readers were but a few years ago children, and several, the children of Christian parents. They loved the hour spent over the Bible, and the pleasant words of Scripture were sweet to them. Have the last three or four years made a difference to them? Has the necessity of going out into the busy world changed their early simplicity? Think over it, dear young friends! For not a few forsake their piety on leaving the shelter of a parent’s house.
Fight the battle of life you must, each one of you. Will you enter the strife decided for Christ, or shall the world be your master?
As the elder son of Isaac his father, to Esau pertained the blessings of birthright. Heirship was his. But on a day the temptation came to him; would he part with these privileges for a present enjoyment? He was returning hungry from the chase, when he saw a mess of pottage in his brother’s hand, and, being faint with hunger, he naturally asked his brother for the food. Ungenerous Jacob tempted him. He said Esau might have the food if he would sell his birthright to him, and for the gratification of the moment Esau gave up his heirship. He yielded, saying, “Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” That act was his ruin. God speaks of him as a profane person, throwing away for a morsel of food his birthright. Once cast aside, those privileges were never to be recovered. No heart-burnings, no tears, could ever bring again what he had despised and rejected.
Now, the testing day will come to each one, and frequently in the case of young people brought up in the Christian home, it comes when they enter the world and see for themselves its varied attractions; “What profit shall this birthright do to me?” they are ready to say; and they give up the good which is to come for the pleasure of present enjoyment―they surrender Christ for the things of the world.
Yes, the test will come, and you will be called to make your decision, and upon your decision, your future will depend. We have seen those who, like Esau, threw aside the blessing for the present moment’s gratification, lamenting upon their death-bed the folly of a wasted life, and grieving over the painful fact that they had no opportunity to serve Christ on earth. Saved indeed were they by God’s great grace, but saved as by fire―their life-work burned up, consumed by the judgment of God as dross and utterly unworthy.
Moses, like Esau, was the heir to great things, but the great things in his case were of a worldly nature. He had been brought up by Pharaoh’s daughter, and the day came when it was necessary for him to decide between the heirship of Egypt’s glories or the path of suffering with God’s despised people. He gave up the glories of earth, and chose the affliction of Israel; he gave up present things of honor to take hold of present things of shame. No doubt many of his companions ridiculed his choice, but Moses stands before all time as one of the noblest of God’s people, and in heaven his name is recorded in highest honor, for we read of the victors there over the world’s greatest power―antichrist himself, singing “the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.”
One step often marks out the path of life and decides our everlasting future. The downfall of Esau may be traced to his desire for the “morsel of food,” for which he sold his birthright; the glory of Moses may be traced to his decision in refusing, when he was come to years, to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter.
These lines are addressed to our young friends, who themselves will soon be “come to years.” May they each one follow the noble example of him whom we have mentioned, and may prosperity be theirs for time and eternity!