WHEN you read the Bible, or hear it read, do you really understand that the words are said to you, and are meant for you?
No matter how young or how childish you may be, you are not too young to hear the voice of God; not too childish to stop and think, “That is what God says to me”; or, “That is what God says about me.” God would have us believe all He says to us or about us, because He says it, but the devil is always trying to make us think the wonderful words in the Bible are meant for someone else, so that we should not take them for our own selves.
The little boy of whom I am going to tell you, in a short life of nine years and a half, learned to know that the words of God were meant for him, and he learned to use them, too.
One day, Freddy (for that is his name) was reading a chapter with his mother and brother and sister before he went to bed. It was the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, and when Freddy had read the last verse― “Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you,” he looked up and said softly, “Mother, that’s my prayer.”
“What do you mean, dear?” said his mother, for she thought he always prayed a little prayer she had taught him.
“Oh! nothing; only I just say to God, ‘Make me kind to others, tender-hearted, forgiving others, even as Thou, for Christ’s sake hast forgiven me,’”
Soon after this, Freddy went to school, and very proud he was at the thought of being a schoolboy. Perhaps you will think he forgot his little prayer, No, he needed it now more than ever, for, though boys at school meet with plenty of kindness from their school fellows, they are sure to find plenty of trials, too, as I am sure all schoolboys know.
It was a happy day for this little boy whey his mother came to see him. It was late when she arrived, so he had gone to bed, but you may be sure he did not go to sleep until he had seen her and given her the pretty little pincushion of painted wood he had bought with his pocket-money to surprise her Next day, when bedtime came, Freddy’s mother went upstairs with her little boy, and in the course of the nice talk they had together, she found that he still prayed the same prayer.
“Who put it into your head, Freddy?” she asked.
“I put it into my own head,” said little Freddy.
We know it was God’s Holy Spirit who put these blessed words, not into his head only but also into his heart, and enabled him to keep them there, like a precious treasure.
But did the Lord answer Freddy’s prayer? You know he asked that he might be made kind to others. He had many beautiful books and toys, and, being a very careful little boy he did not like to lend them at first, and would often refuse to do so, but soon he grew quite ready to lend, and would give up what he most prized, only saying, “Take care and don’t spoil it.”
The Lord made him forgiving, too, for even a little boy may have things to forgive, and we can never forgive the least thing of ourselves; our hearts cannot bear the thought of it; only knowing how God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven us, can make us do it.
Thus the same blessed God who put it into this little child’s heart to pray to Him answered his prayer, and now that time has rolled by I like to tell you this little story.
May you, too, learn to take the sweet word! of the Bible for your own, and to come to God in the name of the Lord Jesus, and just tell Him what you really want. Many things seem too little for us to think of, because we are so small ourselves, but God is so great and so full of love that He forgets nothing, and thinks even of you, and of all you want. C. P.