Harry and his little sister Sally were playing one morning in the dining room. Mother came in with a plate of freshly baked cupcakes which she placed on the table; then she went back to the kitchen.
“How good they look!” said Harry, and reached out his hand to take one.
His sister however drew his hand back, saying, “We ought not to touch them unless Mother said so.”
“But likely Mother didn’t count them,” pressed Harry.
“Maybe not,” answered Sally, “but perhaps God did.”
So Harry withdrew from the temptation and sitting down he seemed to be thinking seriously.
“Yes, Sally, you were right,” he said, looking at her with a cheerful yet serious air. “God does count, for the Bible says, The very hairs of our head are all numbered.”
A little later, at lunch time, Mother smilingly placed one of her tempting fresh-baked cupcakes in the hands of each of her children. How glad they were then that they had not yielded to temptation, but had waited for their dear mother to give them herself what each so desired. Mother had baked those cakes for them anyway.
“Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin;
Each victory will help you
Some other to win.
Fight manfully onward,
Dark passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.”
ML 09/22/1968