—Gen. 1:1.
EVERY little boy and girl who reads this paper knows something, I dare say, about the sun, that great orb hung in space which gives us light by day, and whose rays of light and heat give strength, not only to man and beast, but also to grass and tree and flower.
And you know, too, dear little rear, about the moon which sheds its soft, gentle light at night, and I doubt not you have often watched it chasing in and out amongst the fleecy clouds, or sidling in majesty across the clear sky.
And perhaps you have looked in wonderment at the myriads of stars scattered through the heavens, far, far above this world; many of them worlds also!
But have you ever stopped to think or ask by whose power and goodness these wonderful things were made, or who formed the world’ in which we live, with its great mountains and rivers and lakes and forests?
There was a time when there was no light; no sun, no moon, no stars; all was one vast chaos. But God began to work, and beauty and order soon reigned everywhere.
God did not need materials in order to build the worlds, as man does when he builds something. If a boy wants to make a kite he gets paper, sticks and paste together and then shapes and forms his kite. And if a man wants to make a table he must have wood and other necessary materials with which to make it. But God creates; do you know what that means? It is to form something out of nothing. And when God spoke the word, worlds sprung into being. In Heb. 11:3, we see these words, “The worlds were framed by the word of God.” Psa. 33:6, tells us “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made;” and the ninth verse of the same Ps. tells us “He spake and it was done.” In the first chapter of Gen., God gives us an account of the creation of the sun, the moon and the stars, the world and what is in it; the great whales and every living creature.
It is well, dear children, to read these scriptures and let God’s word sink down into your heart. There are many people who deny God, but in His word He tells us that those who say there is no God, are fools. There are many who listen to Satan’s lie and will not have God and they are bold in their words against Him. But what a change comes over them when they are brought face to face with eternity! Then their boldness flees; then they see under what an awful delusion they have been; then they would give worlds, if they had them to give, to know God as their friend—to know Jesus as their Saviour.
What madness to wait until it is forever too late! Dear children, read God’s word, and believe what God says to you in it. It is there you will learn about Jesus, through whom alone is salvation. R.
ML 08/27/1899