Near to a town in the far north of Russia years ago, there lived a Christian peasant and his wife and two children. They were very poor as far as this world’s goods are concerned, but they were rich in faith, for they had heard and believed the glad tidings of the Saviour’s love. The children, too, had been saved early in life, and in their own humble way they sought to please and to serve the Lord.
Young Ivan went to the market with his mother one day, and for a small sum he bought a book which told of how in far-off heathen lands many children had never heard the Saviour’s name, nor read the Word of God. Ivan’s tender heart was touched, and he wondered what he could do to help send the gospel to them. He had just four Russian coins, worth about a penny apiece, in his box, and he resolved to give them to the Lord.
Soon after this, the dear boy became sick and the Lord took him home to heaven. Before he died, however, he expressed the wish that the four coins that he had saved might be used to buy a little printing type, enough at least, as he expressed it, “to put the dot above the ‘i’ in Christ’s precious Name.” Thus his little legacy was used in sending the gospel to the poor in far-off lands.
For when the precious boy had gone
To Jesus’ home above,
His sorrowing father handed o’er
The little gift of love
To one who on a distant shore,
Made known that blessed Name,
And to the heathen children told
Of Christ the Saviour’s fame.
And when he told the way of life,
The tidings of great joy,
He loved to show its saving power
In that dear Russian boy.
ML 04/04/1965