A friend of ours was for some time living, in Russia; she was the first English lady to distribute the Scriptures, in the Russian language, among the poor benighted souls there; so when she went out of the town for a country walk she used to take a few copies of the gospels with her. On one such occasion she saw a poor woman drawing water from a well, so going up to her she said,
“Would you like a little book in which God tells you something about His Son Jesus Christ?”
The woman turned, and eagerly stretched out her hand to receive the book offered to her. Our friend gave her one of the gospels printed in the Russian language, then thinking that most likely the poor woman could not read, put out her hand again as if to take it back and said, “But can you read? if not, it will be of no use to you.”
The woman clutched tight her prize and pressed it to her, fearful lest she should lose it, and answered quite angrily,
“If I can’t read my neighbor’s daughter can.”
Such was her anxious desire to learn what God had to say to her about His Son that she would on no account give up the book which told her such truths.
Let me ask you who may read this true incident, Do you value the Scriptures of truth? Have they ever conveyed God’s message to your soul? Are they the greatest treasure you possess? They contain wondrous messages of love, for there we read,
STOP A MOMENT
and consider whether you have ever bowed to Christ as Lord, and accepted His message of salvation.
It would be well for us also who have accepted God’s message to ask ourselves the same question,
Do we prize the Bible as we should? Is it a great treasure to us? What hidden jewels are to be found in its pages if we only search diligently for them! What wondrous truths are revealed in this wonderful Book. In it we find direction for the path: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psa. 119:105105NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105). How often
OUR WAY SEEMS CLOUDED,
we cannot see the path before us; it is at such times that we specially need thy Lord’s direction, and it is then that in real waiting of heart before Him He may make His mind known to us through the medium of the Scriptures, and we may thus find a sure guide to our footsteps.
Again, in times of sorrow or bereavement, when trouble comes, have we not over and over again proved how the Lord can comfort us as no one else can! How cheeringly do His promises come to our bowed hearts. Such words as, “I will not, leave you comfortless, I will come to you” are indeed balm to the wounded heart. May we cling to its truths, as the poor Russian woman did to the book itself, willing on no account to lose such a treasure.
ML 09/17/1922