A LITTLE girl was very fond of watering the garden in the blazing sun. Her mother told her she must not do it, and she explained how it was only spoiling the flowers. One evening, at bedtime, her mother said,
“Has my little girl been good today, and done all her mother told her?”
“No, I have not been good,” said the child, “I have done something you told me not to do. I watered your flowers with my little pitcher in the heat of the sun.”
Again her mother told her she was spoiling the flowers, and that she must not do it. The next evening, at bedtime, the same question was asked:
“Have you been a good girl today, and done what I told you?” and again the same reply,
“No, I haven’t been good. I yielded, again to the tempter, and feel so unhappy. I watered the flowers with my little pitcher in the heat of the sun.”
“I shall be very vexed with you,” said the mother, “if you do it again, and shall have to punish you. You are quite spoiling my garden, and by your disobedience you are grieving Jesus your Saviour.”
The following evening the little girl came, and throwing her arms around her mother’s neck, said,
“I am never going to water your flowers again in the heat of the sun.”
“How do you know,” asked her mother, “that you are never going to do it again?”
“Because,” said the little girl, “I have broken my pitcher.”
Let me ask, have you broken your pitcher? There is something in your life about which the Lord has a controversy. Something you know is grieving Him—some idol, it may be, which ought to be “broken.” Some evil habit or doubtful practice, some form of pleasure which is “not of the Father but of the world” (1 John 2:1616For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)), or even some so-called innocent amusement, harmless in itself, perhaps, but which is eating away the strength out of your spiritual life. Will you, like the little girl, “break” it?
It must have cost her something, and it may cost you much to “break the pitcher.” Are you willing? That is the question for, as someone has said,
“God never asks if we are able to give up, but only if we are willing,” and the moment we indicate our willingness, that moment the answer comes, “I will; be thou clean.” (Matt. 8:33And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:3)).
ML 10/08/1922