A poor mother lay dying in a neglected tenement in a great city. She had not much to leave to her little girl, but calling her to her bedside, the mother said,
“Nellie, I’m going to die; and there is just one thing I have to say to you—find Jesus!”
Soon after that the mother died, and little Nellie was left to the mercy of a neighbor who took her in and cared for her. But her mother’s last words filled little Nellie’s mind.
“Mother told me to find Jesus.” So she asked the woman who had taken her in “Where can I find Jesus?”
“I don’t know,” brusquely answered the woman, “I am busy: don’t bother me”—like many others too busy to find Jesus herself, and unable to show the way to another.
Nellie, after that, went into the street “to find Jesus,” and asked the first man she met, “Sir, please tell inc where to find Jesus!”
“I don’t know,’ he, answered; and hurried on his way.
Nellie next saw a man coming out from a saloon, and asked,
“Mister, do you know Jesus?”
“No I don’t,” was the reply, “but I ought to.”
Now as little Nellie passed on and was crossing the street, the poor child was knocked down, run over, and being badly hurt, was carried to the hospital. After a time she regained conciousness, and found herself in a nice clean hospital ward; she looked around, all was quite strange to her, and seeing the nurse, she asked the same question, If this was the place to find Jesus?
“I don’t know; you had better go to sleep and rest,” kindly answered the nurse. So, like an obedient child, Nellie did so, and many days she lay on her cot in the hospital wondering where she should find Jesus. But God never lets a seeking one go away without a blessing; for His own Word says, “Seek, and ye shall find.” Not only so, but all the time Nellie was seeng Jesus, ‘twas he Himself who was seeking her One day she called,
“Nurse! Nurse! come here—come!” and with a bright glad face, she said, “I have found Jesus; He is here in my heart. Nurse, won’t you have Him too?” And indeed the nurse was finally led to the Lord Jesus; and others too, in that hospital, in the few days that Nellie lingered before going to Heaven—to Jesus whom she had sought and found.
Children have you found Him? or rather, have you let Him find you? If you are seeking Him, you may be sure that He is seeking you, and wants you. Neither is it far away you should go to find him, but He is very near to you, even knocking at the very door of your heart, as He has said,
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Rev. 3:20. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” Isa; 55:6
ML 11/23/1941