DIANA, a little girl of nine years old, had been taught some wonderful things about God and about heaven. She knew that God had forgiven her sins for Christ's sake, and that if she left this world she would go to a better one where Jesus lives, He who had died for her sins, and brought her to God.
She loved to read the Bible, and one story she was very fond of was the account of the Shunammite, the rich woman who cared for God's servant, Elisha, and built him a room on the wall of her house. (2 Kings 4.) Although this woman was rich, she had no child, and God rewarded her for her goodness to His servant, Elisha, by giving her a son. Then one sad day, when the little boy was out in the harvest-field he was taken suddenly ill. He said to his father, "My head, my head,” and the reapers carried him in to his mother and he lay on her knees for a little while and then he died.
His mother was very sad indeed, for he was her only little boy! She took him up to Elisha's room, laid him on the bed and hurried off with one of the servants to find Elisha, for she knew that he was a man of God, and the only one who could help her in her trouble.
Elisha saw her coming to him, and sent his servant Gehazi to meet her. Elisha told him to run and ask, “Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?”
Gehazi did so, and the rich woman answered, "It is well.”
It seemed a strange thing to say, but the sorrowful mother knew that all that God allowed was well.
Diana knew this too, although she was only nine years old. She was taken ill, and as she grew worse she knew that the Lord Jesus was taking her home to Himself in heaven.
One day she said to the aunt with whom she lived, “When I am dead, I should like Mr. Griffen to preach to the children and persuade them to love the Lord Jesus, and not to tell lies, but obey their parents and think of dying and going to heaven. I have been thinking what text I should like him to preach from-I should like 2 Kings 4. 26, ' It is well.' You are the Shunammite, auntie, Mr. Griffen is the prophet, and I am the Shunammite's child. When I am dead I daresay you will grieve, but you need not. The prophet will come to see you, and when he says, How is it with the child? ' you may say, It is well.' I am sure it will be well with me, for I shall, be in heaven and singing the praises of God and you must try and think it well too.”
When little Diana died this was done. Mr. Griffen told the children how happy she had been to go to the Lord Jesus, for she knew that He had redeemed her. She was His own, one of His jewels, and she had gone to perfect happiness, never to have an ache again, but to enter into the presence of Jesus, to be with the One who loved her and gave Himself for her forever.
Suppose you were to die quite soon, would your parents be able to say, “It is well with the child "? There are many little graves in the cemeteries, showing clearly that children do die. There is no doubt about that, but it is so wonderful to know that God so loved the world, which means the people on this earth, that boys and girls as well as grown-ups might live forever with Him.
He wants boys and girls in His home above, and says, as no one else on earth could ever say it, with so much tenderness and love, "Come unto me.”
If you come to Him, which means speak to Him and give Him your heart, and "Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously"; then, should you die, your friends will be able to say truthfully," It is well with the child.”