Ed. Note: These words of our blessed Lord Jesus, spoken to Simon Peter, show how important His “lambs” are to His blessed heart. Beginning this month we plan to include short articles which, we trust, will be of help and interest to the children His “lambs.”
Be a Testimony for Jesus
Elana, a Christian woman, told this story of her father, Anatoly, who was a four-year-old boy when soldiers of the Nazi German army swept into the tiny village where his family lived near Mogilve, Belarus. Little Anatoly had a special, brown cap with a bright red Russian star on its front, which he liked to wear. He was very proud of it because his daddy, the head of the local Communist party, had given it to him. But he did not understand the great danger attached to this cap.
That very day, Anatoly’s daddy had been captured by the feared German SS troops, and, because he was the local political leader, had been taken away to be executed. Terrified by this, Anatoly’s family was expecting that enemy soldiers would appear at their home at any moment. And, indeed, it was not long before the door to their house flew open and in marched a German SS trooper, his rifle in hand. At the very same time, to the horror of the rest of his family, another door opened and into the same room marched Anatoly very proudly wearing his brown hat with its red star! The German soldier looked intently at him for a moment and then motioned for Anatoly to come to him. Without fear or hesitation, the little boy walked up to the soldier.
Reaching into his pocket, the SS trooper took out a piece of candy, handed it to Anatoly, then turned and left the house! A bit later, Anatoly’s father came home too! The people of the village loved his father very much and had pleaded with the German soldiers not to take his life. To everyone’s amazement, they had released him and then left the village!
Christians have Someone far more wonderful and important than Anatoly’s father as their Leader. The Lord Jesus has not given us a “cap with a star” to wear so that others know that we belong to Him. But He does say, “Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled” (1 Peter 3:1314).
Story told to H. Short