At a Special Olympics track meet, a young girl had just won the 50-yard dash. Excitedly jumping up and down she yelled out to her parents, “Look, Mom and Dad, I won!”
Upon hearing this exclamation, her parents immediately burst into tears. Later, at the awards ceremony the young girl stood proudly as a ribbon with a large gold-colored medal was placed around her neck. After receiving her award she excitedly ran to her parents who were sobbing even more than before. Even as the three of them hugged each other, the parents kept sobbing and weeping.
One of the officials, noticing the whole scene, became quite concerned with their increasing weeping. He finally went over to them and gently said, “Excuse me folks, but I’ve been watching you and I wondered if there is something wrong?”
Through her tears the mother smiled at him. “Oh no, nothing’s wrong. Everything’s right—everything is wonderful!”
Seeing the official’s confused look the girl’s father added, “We just heard our daughter speak for the first time in her life!”
Christian parents can easily identify with the feelings of this dear couple. Longing for the first signs of real life—eternal life—in their child, how diligently they listen for those words and watch for those actions which express the reality of personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We read in Romans 10:9, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” What joy and comfort to a parent’s heart to hear a beloved child clearly and simply confess the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour for the first time.
It must have been a tremendous joy and comfort to dear Elisha, as he knelt in the room of the Shunemite’s dead son, to hear that young man sneeze seven times (2 Kings 4:32-36). He had felt the lad’s flesh grow warm—a sign of life. Now the man of God heard the sound of life and he was able to deliver the living child back to his mother.
In Luke 7:11-18 we read of the eternal Son of the Father raising to life the dead son of the mother. What divine, glorious power was expressed in the blessed Lord’s words, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.”
Death must ever flee the presence and power of this glorious Eternal Life. What joy that dear widowed mother must have felt when he that was dead sat up and began to speak! Let us praise God for His infinite power and goodness, and trust Him for the salvation of our beloved children.
Ed.