THERE was once a learned judge who was in the habit of buying fruit at an apple stand, kept by a good old Christian woman, whose name was Molly. He would often stop and have a talk with Molly. One day he said, “Well, Molly, don’t you get tired sitting here these cold dismal days?” Her answer was “It’s only a little while, Sir.” The judge said, “And the hot dusty days?” “It’s only a little while,” was her answer. “And the rainy, drizzly days?” “It’s only a little while.” was Molly’s reply. Then the judge said, “And your sick rheumatic days?” She gave him the same answer, “It’s only a little while, Sir.” I suppose you know what the old woman meant by this, don’t you? When she thought of her life in the light of eternity it was only a little while. You will see a verse in the Epistle of James that says (open your Bible and read it for yourself) in chapter iv and verse 14, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away”.
It may look to be a long time for you little ones (and your larger ones too) to look forward to 10 or 20 years, but I have asked a great many old people if their life seems to have been a long one. They have told me that it seems to be only a few days. It does not look to be long when we look back. Time goes by very fast, and the older you grow the more you will find this to be so. It is very true that our life is like a vapor. Sometimes you have looked out early in the morning and you have seen a mist or vapor all around. You look out again in a few minutes and it is gone. That is just like our life. It is soon over.
The judge asked Molly another question, and I am going to ask all my readers to ask themselves the same question. It was this, “Well Molly, when the little while is over, what then?” I wonder what answer you would give to this question? Molly’s answer was, “Oh, then, Sir, I shall enter into the rest that remaineth for the people of God, and all the hardships of the way will be forgotten! It’s only a little while, Sir.” What was it that gave this old Christian such a blessed hope? Was it anything that she had ever done? What could she do that would give her the right to say that she was going to enter the rest that remained for the people of God? She was not trusting in anything she had done, but in what Christ did on the cross. She had accepted Him as her Saviour, and was happy in the thought that He bore her sins during those hours of darkness on the cross. She had good reason to be sure that she was going to be at rest with the Lord. Hadn’t she? And having this hope she was enabled to endure the trials of this world, and she had many of them. And you, my dear readers, may have the assurance which dear old Molly had if you but rest in Christ and His finished work. May it be so with you now, is my prayer.
But I haven’t told you all about old Molly yet. The judge bought a few apples, and said as he walked away, “Well, Molly, I must look into these things”. “There is only a little while for that, Sir,” said she, “and you are not quite sure of having even a little while.”
The only time that we can call our own is the present. God has set His time for all to be saved that will. Whether it is old or young, His time to save them is NOW. As His word says, “Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Now is God’s time to save, whoever you may be,
Rich or poor, old or young, now is God’s time for thee.
ML 09/21/1902