THE door is shut behind them, and these two little ones are all dressed up to go away. I suppose Mother is coming too. It looks as if her loving hands had dressed the little girl, and when she is done taking the picture, she will push the little one herself.
It isn't wise for little children to wander away by themselves. They are too small to meet the dangers of a busy world, and too small to find their way home again.
How old should a boy be, before he in, allowed to go away by himself? .is ten, while I tell you a story about that. A great many of the Lord's followers once decided to leave Him, and to go away by themselves. The Lord Jesus then turned to the few who were left, and asked them, "Will ye also go away?"
What did those men say? They were full-grown men. Surely they were old enough to go away by themselves! But Peter spoke up at once and answered,
"Lord, to whom shall we go' Thou hast the words of eternal life." Other people seemed to find lots of different places to go, but Peter's heart was filled with Christ. Apart from Jesus, he had no place to go.
Oh, dear boys and girls, carry a heart like that all your life long. You will always be too small and helpless to go anywhere without Jesus. Other people may think they are old enough to follow lights and big signs, but if your heart is filled with Christ, those places just don't count. Apart from Jesus, you have no place to go.
Our God knows well that young people love to go places to be active. Peter was a very active man, and if your heart is filled with Christ, He will show you also where to go, but not without Him. The Lord led Peter into many joys and sorrows, on land and sea, with others and alone, until at last he laid down his life for the Lord's sake. Dear young Christian reader, are you willing to follow Him, and not to take one step away from Him? Our blessed Lord has many things for you to do, and to suffer, for His sake.
Memory Verse: "IF ANY MAN SERVE ME, LET HIM FOLLOW ME; AND WHERE I AM, THERE SHALL ALSO MY SERVANT BE." John 12;26.
Messages of the Love of God 8/10/1952