A little girl who had been taught of the Lord Jesus, and His love for her soul and body, was sent out one evening to pay a bill for her grandmother. The distance from home was rather long, and the wav somewhat lonely.
After she had paid the money, and received the change, she turned to go home, but it became dark before she reached there.
As she passed along, a man met her in the dark. Surprised at finding a little thing like her alone, he asked, “Little girl! are you not afraid to go in this lonely place in the dark?”
“Ah, no”! she answered “for God is with me!”
Then both of them kept on their ways, and after a little while she reached home, led safely by Him in whom she trusted.
The little girl soon forgot the matter. There did not seem much to remember in simply being asked by a man, if she was not afraid; and a little child of nine years can soon find enough new things to think about, without keeping-such trifles of the past in mind.
But this was no trifle; and God made use of it, as He makes the little seed, dropped without meaning, to grow into a bush or tree alter many days.
This little girl was sent to Sunday-school after a while, and became fond of her teacher, and was no doubt very much beloved by her.
One day her teacher called her back and told her that her husband wished to see her. So she went with the lady to her home, and after she had taken dinner with her, the husband of the teacher said to the little child,
“Do you remember, many months ago, meeting a man on the road in the evening, who asked you if you were not afraid?”
“Yes, sir,” she answered, “I do.”
“Well,” he said, “I was that man; I was drunk at the time; but your answer that God was with you, clung to me, and I thought it over when I became sober, and it has really been used by God, to lead me to become. His child by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to thank you, and to let you know, dear child, that the Lord used you in lily salvation, not only from drunkenness, but from hell.”
Do you not think this dear child felt very happy and very solemn, in hearing such words? Can you say as this little girl did,
“I am not afraid, for God is with me?”
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God.”
ML 08/16/1936