Lost in the Woods
Margaret Jean Tuininga
Table of Contents
Lost in the Woods
Mary and Alice were hunting for the cows that had strayed into the woods. It was hard to look for them for there were miles of big timber called Indian land, and often the cows would go far before stopping to rest or graze.
As the girls climbed over logs and pushed through the thick brush they would stop every little while to listen for cow bells. After going a good distance without finding any trace of them at all, Mary noticed that the sun was going down.
“Look, Alice, it will be dark before we know it. We'd better just stop hunting and try to find our way home.”
Alice agreed so they turned about and started homeward. “Oh, Mary! how dark it is already!” she cried in just a few moments. “It will soon be pitch dark, and we're a long way from home!”
“I'm afraid so,” answered Mary. “It does get dark awfully fast here in the big woods. Let's hurry.”
But it seemed of no use. In about half an hour they could scarcely see one another. “We'd better stop or we'll get terribly lost,” Mary finally said. “We'll just be going around in circles now that it's so dark. Perhaps we'd better try calling, for maybe someone is out looking for us.”
So they called, but as they listened for an answer they heard only the hooting of an owl and an echo of their own voices. Again and again they tried, until Alice began to cry with fright.
Mary sat down on a log she had stumbled against and tried to comfort her. “I'm not afraid,” she said, “the Lord will take care of us. Let's just sleep right here on the ground, and we can surely find our way in the morning.” But Alice only sobbed the more. The night grew darker and seemed to be filled with many strange sounds. Now and then they thought they heard a call, but it only proved to be an owl again. Suddenly Mary cried, “What was that? Look——-look, Alice! Isn't that a light———over there? Oh, it's gone, no! there it is! It is a light! Listen——-there's a call—-“and springing up the girls began to shout. Immediately an answer came, and soon the girls found themselves in the light of their father's lantern and with great joy were on their way home.
One time I too was lost, lost in the darkness of sin. No matter how hard I tried I could not find my way out! Then I saw a Light!——-and I heard a call! And I knew my heavenly Father was seeking me. How good it was to be found!
Have you seen the Light? Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world” (John 8:12). Have you heard the call? “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
When Ruth Disobeyed
Ruth was disobeying her father and mother! With one arm holding dolly tightly, and with the other clinging to a post she was balancing on a log at the very edge of a steep, dangerous bank that dropped almost straight down to the neighbor's house below.
Many times she had been warned not to go near the edge of the bank, for Ruth was just a very little girl, not quite three years old.
But, oh! It was so much fun to feel that she was so high up, to watch the neighbor children playing down below, and to even watch their big collie dog that barked so loudly in his excitement over the children's play. Some of the bigger children sometimes walked along the log where she stood, without holding on to the posts to show admiration!
Ruth knew that it was wrong to disobey, and when mother happened to open the kitchen door to look outside she ran quickly away from the dangerous log. But it was hard to remember, and soon she was back to the bank again.
Suddenly someone was calling, “Come quickly! Your little girl has fallen over the bank!”
How frightened mother and father were as they ran to their little girl, for they could think of so many ways in which she might have been hurt. Tenderly father carried little sobbing Ruth into the house. Carefully they looked over her little body to see where she might be bruised or cut, but nowhere could they find even one bad scratch! How they thanked the Lord Jesus for caring for her!
Ruth was very quiet that evening. Her eyes were big and serious as she shook her head, yes, when father asked if she was sorry that she had been naughty.
Did you know, boys and girls, that the very first sin was a sin of disobedience? Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and the Bible speaks of it as their “fall.” Their punishment was death.
Have you ever disobeyed mother, or father, or teacher? I'm afraid we must all say yes, and if so, then we have disobeyed God, and we too must be punished with death unless we receive the Lord Jesus as our Savior from sin. We deserve to be punished, but listen to what God says that the Lord Jesus has done for us, Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement (punishment) of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).
Betty's Broken Arm
“No! Betty, don't jump!” Mother called sharply as she noticed her little six-year-old daughter balancing on the porch rail.
“Just this once—-” Betty answered, giving a little spring. As she jumped the hem of her dress caught on the knob of a chair behind her and threw her forward. Landing on the ground in a little heap she felt a sharp pain in her left arm that made her cry out.
When the doctor came he said it was broken. After a few painful moments Betty found her arm bandaged firmly and resting in a sling.
It was hard to play, hard to dress and undress, and even hard to sleep sometimes! How Betty looked forward to the day the doctor would take the bandages away. Then one day the doctor took his shiny scissors and cut right through the bandages. There was her arm, just as it had been before, only it felt so strange and sort of brand new!
The next day Betty was visiting Aunt Nell. After supper she was playing with a bean bag out on the side walk when Aunt Nell came to the door and called, “It's time to come in now!”
But Betty answered, “Oh, not yet! I want to play a while!” and she threw her bean bag high in the air again. Then as she ran to catch it, it happened! Her toe caught in a crack, and down she fell on her left arm. She felt it snap, and then came the sharp pain again!
Yes, it was broken again, and this time the doctor shook his head as he had to put it into a cast which was to be kept on for a whole month! Poor little disobedient Betty. How well she knew that her arm would not have been broken either time if only she had been obedient!
The month seemed so long, and by the time it was over she had learned that it was best to obey, even though it did not always please her to. Mother explained carefully from God's Word that sin must always be punished. If we grow up with hearts that want their own disobedient way, and do not receive the Savior, God cannot take us into heaven to be with Himself. He will have to allow us to go to hell, the place of everlasting punishment.
But how wonderful to know that Jesus died and took God's punishment for the sins of even boys and girls so that they might be forgiven! Won't you thank Him right now?
“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction” (2 Thess. 1:7- 9).
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
"Be Ye Not as the Mule!"
One day fifteen-year-old Dan was driving a team of mules down the main street of town. Suddenly a voice from the sidewalk shouted, “Whoa!”
The mules gladly came to an immediate stop, and Dan looked around quickly to see who had called. The man on the side of the street wore a broad grin, so Dan realized that he was just trying to make a joke of him. So he slapped the reins on the mules' backs and called, “Giddap! Giddap!”
But the mules were enjoying their rest and were not at all anxious to move! It took a good bit of encouraging before they finally decided to stir. Then came the voice from the sidewalk again, “Whoa!”
Immediately they stopped again! Dan's face grew red with impatience and embarrassment. This time the mules just wouldn't start again. The command from the sidewalk was much more to their liking for it was just what they wanted to do! When they finally decided to move the man shouted again, “Whoa!”
Quite a crowd had gathered by now to watch the fun, and when the man finally tired of his game and walked away, poor Dan hurried his wagon and team of mules out of sight as fast as he could coax the slow mules to move!
“Be ye not... as the mule,” the Bible tells us! Do you know any boys and girls who are stubborn like Dan's mules, and would rather have their own way than to listen to what their fathers and mothers tell them to do? I'm afraid I do!
Dan's mules listened to the wrong voice. Two voices are speaking to you today, I wonder which voice you will listen to!
One voice is that of the Lord Jesus. He asks you to accept Him as your Savior from sin, and promises to give you a gift if you do! The other voice tells you to just live on in your sin, pleasing only yourself and having your own way. Then he promises you wages! That is Satan's voice.
But listen, boys and girls. “The wages of sin is DEATH; but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Which voice will you listen to? Remember “Be ye not... as the mule”! (Psalm 32:9)
Two Prisoners
Grandma was napping when Puss discovered the beautiful soft ball of yarn lying on the table! No one was around to say, “Scat!” as he rolled it onto the floor and bounded after it.
What fun! Puss had the best time he had had for a long time, rolling, tumbling, kicking at the snarls; until he himself began to look like a ball of yarn, for most of it was wound and tangled about him. When he finally decided to stop he found himself a prisoner! So Grandmother found him some time later, fast asleep in the snarls and tangle.
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One day a boy sat on a chair in front of the Sunday school. His teacher stood beside him, and as he spoke he wound strands of thin white thread about him, tying him to the chair.
“This spool of thread is like sin,” he explained. When Johnny does or says anything he should not, Satan binds him with that sin. Perhaps, when Johnny was a small boy there were not so many threads of sin holding him, just as we have only put a few threads about him now. “See if you can break them, John!”
Johnny gave an easy jerk, and the threads were snapped.
But the teacher again began to wind the thread about him, quite a bit more than the first time. “Now, can you get free?”
This time it was harder, but soon with a grin Johnny freed himself.
As the teacher again began to wind the thread he said, “You see, at first, if he had tried to, Johnny could have broken some of the bad habits that may have taken hold of him, just as he quite easily broke the thread. But now as he grows older Johnny finds more and more sins and evil habits binding him. God's Word speaks of it as being caught in the snare of the wicked one, Satan. See, I have wound the whole spool about him. What can you do, Johnny?”
Johnny struggled hard with his face growing red. Finally he had to shake his head and give up.
As the teacher cut the threads with a pair of scissors he finished his little talk. “Each thread is not strong, but oh, the strength of sin to hold us when we grow older! God asks us to 'Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth!'” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
Have you been set free, boys and girls? Or are you still enjoying your own willfulness as the playful kitten, not realizing how sin is binding you? Receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior!
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Mr. Grasshopper
Mr. Grasshopper was caught in a spider web! It was a strange spider web-made like a funnel right over a hole in the ground. Mr. Grasshopper has been hopping along and had not noticed it until suddenly he found himself caught at the end of his last hop!
It did not seem serious at first. Surely he could get out with just a few kicks. The web did not look very strong, and Mr. Grasshopper's back legs were powerful! But somehow every kick only tangled him the more in that strange sticky web.
Then a big black spider came crawling out of the dark hole. Across the web he came, right up to the grasshopper, and stung him! Backing away a moment the spider seemed to be watching him, and then, creeping up, he stung him again.
Of course those stings hurt, and Mr. Grasshopper began to feel rather strange and weak. He could hardly kick any more!
But someone else was watching the grasshopper's struggles besides the spider! A lady had noticed all that had happened as she sat on the ground not far away. She knew Mr. Grasshopper could not save himself, and that another sting from the spider would surely kill him. So right then, before the spider came creeping up again, she reached into the web, and lifting Mr. Grasshopper out placed him on the ground.
Mr. Grasshopper's first hop was a little weak, but each hop grew stronger and longer as he hurried away from that spot.
Is there anyone who can reach down and save boys and girls out of Satan's web of sin? They cannot save themselves for Satan is much too strong and knows just how to tangle each one up in his web. Is there someone who can save sinners?
Oh, yes, boys and girls! Listen to this good news!
“Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1).
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The Stolen Doll
Joan's cheeks felt hot, and if anyone had noticed her just then they would have thought that they were a very rosy red indeed! Oh, what a guilty conscience she had as she listened to the voices of her Aunt and Cousin in the next room! They were hunting for a doll, a very pretty little doll that Joan had just stolen!
Joan had come to visit Aunt Jen whom she dearly loved, but before she had even taken off her hat and coat she had seen the little doll on the bureau, slipped it off when no one was watching, and had hidden it under her hat on the bed.
Now she heard Aunt Jen say, “I just can't imagine where that doll went to. I saw it here just before Joan came. It must be somewhere!”
Joan squirmed as she sat on the floor pretending to be interested in some toys. Though she was just five years old she knew it was a very wicked thing that she had done. Oh, what was that they were saying? It sounded as though they were looking in her coat pockets! Suppose—oh, just suppose they should think to ... ” Aunt Jen!”
“Yes, Joan.”
“Don't—don't look under my hat!”
And of course, that's just what Aunt Jen did! Joan learned that her Aunt had planned to give her the little doll, but now she could not think of giving it to a little girl who would steal.
When Joan's mother heard all about it she opened her Bible and read to Joan about God being able to see even the hidden sin, and that all sinners would be punished in the “lake of fire”!
How terrible that sounded to little Joan! She knew she was a sinner indeed.
Then one day, a short time later, her sister who was just two years older was saved as she read and believed John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (punishment); but is passed from death unto life.” She told Joan all about it, and told her that she too could be saved for God loved her though she was a sinner. The next morning Joan said eagerly to her mother, “Mother, I'm saved!”
“You are? Why, how do you know you are?”
“Didn't Jesus die for little children as well as for big folks?”
“Yes, God's Word says that He died for all, dear.”
“Then,” said Joan happily, “Jesus died for me—I'm saved!”
A Snake and the Sunlight
“Look at that little snake!” cried Sally, “why I believe he's stuck, he doesn't seem to be able to climb up out of that little hollow!”
“I guess you're right,” answered her sister Betty as she came running up to see. “He almost makes it when the sand slides beneath him and he slips back again.”
The girls were down on the sandy beach of the lake that day. It happened to be a very hot day and they were ready for a swim when they noticed the little brown snake. He was just a little fellow, about ten inches long, and he had slipped down into a hollow made by a footprint in the loose sand.
At first he worked so hard, trying first one bank of the hollow and then the other, but the loose sand would always give way before he quite reached the top. After a few minutes Betty noticed, “He seems to be getting tired, see how much slower he wiggles! Why, Sally, look! He has stopped altogether and has slid down into a little heap! Do you suppose he's resting a minute?”
The girls watched a few minutes more but the snake did not move. Finally Sally got a stick and poked him a bit. Still he did not stir.
“Do you know, I think he's dead!” she said in surprise, “Now what do you suppose made him die? He couldn't have been in that hollow more than five minutes!”
That afternoon they were telling about it at home, and a friend who was visiting them explained the mystery for them. “I think I know the reason,” he said, “I have read that most snakes cannot stand the direct sunlight for it overcomes them very quickly. They need to be in the cool damp shadows of the grass and the woods most of the time.”
The girls remembered that lesson of the little snake and one day when Betty had grown older she was thinking about it to herself. “Sin is just like that little snake,” she thought, “and just as that snake could not stand the bright sunlight so Satan cannot stand the brightness of God's presence. So if we do not want sin to have any place in our hearts and lives we must just let the Lord Jesus in. I remember a verse that says, “Greater is He that is in you, than he (Satan) that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). “I'm surely glad that I have accepted the Lord Jesus as my Savior for now I can say, 'Christ liveth in me'!” (Galatians 2:20).
The Red Jacket
One time I heard of some children who had a pet deer. They were spending the summer in a cabin in the north woods where there were lots of wild animals—even bears and wolves! The young deer had grown so tame that he would come each day to look for scraps of food that they had saved for him. The children had become so fond of him that as the summer drew near the end they felt very bad at the thought of leaving their playmate of the woods.
Then one day Johnny thought of something that troubled him very much.
“Mother,” he said, “this fall it will be open season for deer hunting, and I'm afraid our deer will be killed! He's so tame now that he won't know enough to hide or to run away from the hunters.”
John's Mother felt badly about it too. “Let's think hard,” she said, “maybe we can think of something to help him.”
Before they left their cabin that summer Mother had thought of something! She had made a bright red jacket for the deer out of one of Jean's old dresses! He looked strange in the little coat but they hoped that when the hunters would see it they would realize that he belonged to someone.
Upon returning the next summer the children were very eager to see if their old friend would visit them again, if he were still alive. And at last one day he did! He was such a fine big buck that they could hardly believe he was their pet. The red jacket was gone but they knew it was because it had broken and torn as he had grown so big during the year, but they felt it had no doubt really saved his life.
When I heard the story I was reminded of the story in the Bible of the Lord's deliverance in Egypt when the death angel saw the red blood upon the doors of those who believed and obeyed God. Would you not like to read that story too? It is found in the second book of the Bible, Exodus, and chapter twelve.
Some day God is going to look for the blood upon our hearts—the blood of the Lord Jesus which He shed for us on Calvary. God told the people in Egypt, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” and in the New Testament He tells us, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sins” (1 John 1:7). Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour?
The Kitten's Mistake
Jimmy loved to go fishing! He was spending the summer in a log cabin by a big lake, and nearly every day he was out in the boat with his pole and bait. One night he caught the strangest fish-in fact it wasn't a fish at all! Would you like to hear about it?
Jimmy was sleeping one night when the sound of something crying awakened him. Slipping out of bed he found his flashlight and ran quickly to the door. There in the light he saw a strange sight! His fishing pole was still leaning against the cabin where he had left it, and at the end of the line his kitten was caught! She was pawing frantically at her mouth as she tried to pull away from the hook, and, of course, the more she pulled the more she hurt herself.
Kneeling beside her, Jimmy quickly and carefully unfastened the hook from her sore mouth. When at last it was out she crept away and curled up into a little ball in a dark corner. Perhaps she was wondering why that nice smelling little fish had hurt her mouth so!
No doubt the kitten would never have tried to eat the bait if she had known that there was a sharp hook hidden inside of it. Do you know, boys and girls, that Satan has baits he is using to catch you with?
Some of his baits are: “Don't hurry to be saved—wait until you're older,” and, “You can have a lot more fun if you just do as you please,” and many, many others. Sometimes he uses bad habits to catch folks with. Inside of each bait is a sharp, sharp hook of sin from which we can never get away ourselves.
The Lord Jesus wants to save you and set you free if you will trust Him. God says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
“But as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).
Lost
It was Saturday afternoon and Mother and Mary had gone down-town together. They were in one of the big stores when Mary began to coax: “Please, Mother, let's go and see the toys!”
So they made their way through the busy store and into the elevator which took them up a few floors in just a twinkling, and let them out into what seemed like fairyland to Mary!
An electric train with real lights and a shrieking whistle was speeding along on a tiny track, through tunnels and under bridges. In another corner were all the lovely dolls; and then there were games and things to play house with! Mary felt that she would like to stay there all day just looking at everything. She wandered from counter to counter having such a good time!
Then she saw a beautiful doll house that looked almost real enough to live in. After peeking in a window here and there she called her mother to come and see too, “Oh, look, Mother, isn't it nice?”
There were many people all around her so perhaps she was somewhere behind someone; so Mary began to look, calling softly, “Mother, Mother!”
In a few moments Mary grew frightened and wanted to cry. “Mother, Mother,” she cried, louder and louder.
She was lost, lost! Oh, what should she do? And down she sat on a toy chair and sobbed with all her heart. Suddenly she thought she heard a familiar voice. She stopped to listen.
“Mary, Mary!”
“Here I am, Mother! Oh, I'm so glad you found me—I was so scared—I thought, maybe... “
But she didn't have time to finish, for Mother, who had been frightened too, was hugging her so tightly in her arms!
Now, shall I tell you a secret? Do you know that Mary was lost before she knew that she was? Yes, she was! But at first she wasn't frightened for she was having such a good time and she hadn't discovered that she was all alone until she looked around for her mother.
Boys and girls, some of you are lost—and you don't know it! You are happy and having a good time because you haven't realized it yet. You are lost in sin, and far, far away from God. But someone is looking for you, I wonder if He has found you yet? Listen, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
The Storm
Betty rubbed her eyes. My, what a noise! Claps of thunder seemed to be shaking the whole world, and during the vivid flashes of lightning she could see the trees swaying and bending before the wind.
“Mother,” she called, “the rain is blowing in on my bed!”
“Close the window and come, you may get in bed with me,” Mother answered.
As Betty jumped out of bed to obey she found her brother Bob beside her. “Here, I'll close it for you,” he said, and quickly drew the window down. A scamper of feet and Betty and Bob were in bed with Mother!
Betty and Bob were not afraid of the storm, for they were both saved, and knew the One whom the “winds and waves obey”! But it was nice and cozy to be in bed with Mother! As they listened to the raging outside they could hear the crash of trees falling now and then, for their house was right in the midst of a big woods.
“I hope those three Popple trees to the north of the porch don't fall, Mother,” Bob suddenly said. “They're right in the path of the wind and they'll surely smash our roof if they do fall!”
“Let's tell the Lord about it,” Mother answered, and together they prayed. Then before they slept they repeated together, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).
The next morning, shortly after they were up, Bob called from outdoors, “Mother! Betty! Come out here a minute!”
They found Bob beside the twisted stumps of the three trees that they had prayed about the night before. “Just look!” Bob exclaimed, “they did fall—but right away from the house instead of toward it! See the fibers of wood here where they broke off. It looks as though they began to fall toward the house, and then twisted completely around and fell against the wind!”
As Mother and Betty looked closely too, Mother nodded her head as she smiled and answered, “It looks as though you are right, Bob! We asked the Lord to care for us, and this is just another time that the wind 'obeyed His voice'! What a wonderful God we have!”
A great and terrible storm is coming some day, perhaps soon! It is the storm of God's wrath and judgment, but Betty and Bob will not need to fear that either for they will be safe in the Lord Jesus whom they have learned to love and trust. Will you, too?
“And a man (the Lord Jesus) shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest” (Isaiah 32:2).
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgment); but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).
How a Farm Boy Was Saved
Dan was riding the hay rake. The horses were swishing their tails at the flies and the sun was hot, but Dan was not thinking of these things. As the horses patiently pulled the rake these words were going through his mind, “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”
It was a verse a preacher had carefully gone over with him the night before as he tried to show him God's way of salvation. But somehow they were just words to Dan.
For a long time Dan had wanted to be saved. He knew that his heart was sinful, and that he must be saved before he dared to face God. Night after night when the evening chores were done he would sit at the kitchen table reading his Bible. Then after the others had gone to bed he would kneel and pray, again and again, “O God, save me, save me!”
There had even been times when he was out in the fields that he had knelt between the rows of corn where no one could see him, and with tears had begged God to save him.
But his praying and reading the Bible had brought no peace to his troubled heart. He felt that he still was not saved, and if the Lord Jesus should return for those who were redeemed and ready to meet Him, Dan knew that his folks would go to be with the Lord, but that he would be left behind.
Now as he was driving the horses and lifting the rake it seemed to his heavy heart that the Lord must not care for him or He surely would have heard him and taken away his sins.
Suddenly the words of his memorized verse, I Peter 3:18, seemed to speak to him. “Christ HATH also once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust”——-“For ME——-I'm the unjust one” cried Dan to himself, “and He has already done it!” Then as he thought of the rest of the verse his face began to glow with joy, “that He might bring us (bring me!) to God”!
“I'm saved——-saved!” his happy heart rejoiced, “the Lord Jesus has suffered for my sins. There's nothing to worry about——-it's already done!”
The horses were still swishing their tails at the flies and the day was really the same as it had been before, but it seemed to Dan that now the sun was warm with the smile of God; and that the hard seat on the bumpy hay rake was a holy place, for God had met him right there and had spoken to him through His own precious Word!
Have You Tried It?
Jack was curled up in the “big chair” with one long leg hanging over the arm. He was trying to read, but, though his eyes were on the page he was really listening to a conversation across the room.
Mother was telling a young girl who was troubled and wanted to be saved, how she herself had been saved when she was nine years old. Her mother had died two years before, and seeing no one seemed to be interested, she and her little sister decided to find a Sunday school themselves to go to. One day, after having tried several, they found one that seemed more interesting than the others.
They were placed in a class with a teacher who knew the Lord Jesus and loved to tell boys and girls how much He had loved them. Mother's little heart felt warm as she listened, and one night she knelt by her bedside and told the Lord Jesus just how she felt. She thanked Him for dying for her sin, and told Him that she was receiving Him as her Savior.
“And Helen,” Mother continued to her visitor, “you know what the Lord Jesus has done for you, He died for all the sin and wickedness in your heart. Why don't you do just as I did when I was a little girl? Kneel by your bed when you go home and just talk it all over with Him, and tell Him that you will receive Him as your Savior. Remember that He has said, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out’” (John 6:37).
Several nights later as Jack was praying before bedtime his mother heard him thanking the Lord for saving him. When he was through she asked eagerly, “Jack, are you saved? I heard you thanking the Lord for saving you!”
“Yes, Mother, I'm saved now!” answered Jack. “When did it happen?” Mother wanted to know.
“Well, when you were talking to Helen the other day I heard you tell her to just go home and do as you did when you were little. To just talk to the Lord and thank Him for dying for her, and to tell Him that she was going to receive Him as her Savior. Well, I wasn't sure if I was saved or not, but I wanted to be. So that night before I went to bed I tried it myself. And, Mother, it worked!”
“As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).
Spot Gets Caught!
The keeper of the dog-pound looked up into a hot anxious face.
“Say, Mister, your catcher just got my dog! And he's a—he's a swell dog! He's not a stray or anything.” “Well, say! You sure made time, I don't think the catcher's even in from his round. Oh, guess that's him now!” and walking to a rear door the keeper and Jim were just in time to see several dogs being scooted into a pen from the catcher's truck.
“There he is-that one!” cried Jim, and the keeper eyed a small frightened dog scurrying into a corner.
“Well, son, I guess the trouble is that he has no license; or has he?”
Jim's head hung as he had to shake it “no.”
“And rules are rules,” the keeper continued, “he'll have to have one before we let him out.”
Jim fingered two quarters hopefully in his pocket. “How much does one cost?”
“A dollar and a half for a dog like yours.”
“I've only got fifty cents,” Jim said with a troubled voice. Then with a sudden thought, “Say, do you have any work I could do for you to earn some more?”
“Sorry,” the man replied. “You might try the corner store though, you never can tell but what they could use you,” and turning he left the boy.
Mid-afternoon a tired but eager Jim reappeared and placed a dollar and a half in the keeper's hand. As the gate to the dog pen was opened Jim hardly had time to call, “Spot!” before that barking, joyous dog was in his arms.
Half-way home Jim stopped and sat on the curb a minute to examine Spot's shiny new license. “Spot,” he said to the dog, thinking aloud, “you're doubly mine now! Dad gave you to me when you were just a pup, and now I had to buy you back from the pound. You're twice mine!”
Our loving Savior went to the cross of Calvary and there died a death of shame and cruel pain. That was the price He had to give to “buy us back” from sin and Satan. Now those of us who love Him and have accepted Him as our Savior can say we are twice His! His because He created us and gave us life, and His because He has bought us with His own precious blood.
Boys and girls, are you “twice His”?
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,... but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
A Prickly Playmate
Buster was excited! What could this strange thing be? He had seen it climbing down out of a tree, and thinking that it was a cat, had come bounding over to play—or tease! —a bit.
But this creature was not a cat at all. He did not spit or try to scratch, he did not even run away from him. He just curled himself into a ball, tucked his feet under himself, and watched Buster.
Buster barked, loudly and fiercely, but the little eyes just watched him steadily. Even when Buster ran close, as though he were going to bite him, he did not move. It began to make Buster a little cross. All right, he would show him! He would not bite too hard, but-with a little rush Buster ran into him. With a surprised yelp of real pain Buster leaped back!
Why... why... what had happened? The little fellow still had not moved, but something had hurt terribly when he had bitten him. With another dash Buster was back to punish him, but again he bounded away in pain. Now in real fury he tried first one side and then another, until finally he could stand it no longer, and yelping with pain and shameful defeat he ran for home.
Calmly his porcupine playmate uncurled himself, and then walked slowly on his way!
Under the porch floor Buster was in misery. His nose, tongue, and mouth-his whole head was burning and stinging with what felt like fiery needles. Finally, at his master's call he came crawling out. With the help of a pair of pliers the quills were soon removed, and once more Buster crawled under the far corner of the porch, a much wiser, but very unhappy puppy!
Would you be surprised if I told you that many boys and girls choose just as strange a playmate as Buster chose? They choose to play with sin! They like to do many things that are wrong, go places they should not go, listen to things that are not clean. Oh, how many sharp, poisonous quills of sin enter into their hearts and minds that will someday cause great pain and sorrow!
How much better to choose the Lord Jesus for our Friend! He can wash away our sin and heal the sore spots that sin has left. He can and will give us real joy and happiness forever!
For the wages of sin is death; but the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Inside the Sugar Bowl!
Have you ever seen a kitten in a sugar bowl? Of course not! Neither have I! But I did see something very strange in a sugar bowl one day. Would you like to hear about it?
One Sunday morning a Sunday school teacher brought a sugar bowl to Sunday school with her. As the boys and girls looked at it curiously she asked, “Don't you think this is a nice sugar bowl? See how clean and shiny it is; how pretty with its two handles and nice little cover. But I wonder what is inside the bowl. Does anyone know?”
“Sugar!”
“Sugar lumps!”
“Brown sugar!”
The teacher smiled and shook her head. “Perhaps, at least that is what ought to be in this nice sugar bowl if it were to be on your breakfast table at home. Let's hurry and see what really is inside of this one! If anyone thinks he would like some of whatever is in this bowl he may come up and peek inside!”
Little Sally quickly slid from her chair and going to the teacher's side lifted the cover.
“Oh, no!” she cried, and hurried back to her chair laughing.
Then Bobby, curious to see too, took his turn; but was soon going back to his chair, shaking his head and grinning.
After several had peeked inside the teacher took off the cover to let them all see. What do you suppose was inside? Instead of nice clean white sugar they saw sticks and lumps of dirt all mixed in with the sugar. Then she said, “But there is some sugar in this bowl. Why don't you want it?”
“It's dirty!” they cried.
“Of course,” their teacher answered, “and before you will want anything at all from this bowl I must empty it all out, wash it clean, and fill it again with good sugar. Boys and girls, I wonder if any of you have hearts like my sugar bowl?”
As the children looked at one another she went on, “God would like to find nice clean hearts filled with love, unselfishness, and clean thoughts within each one of us. But instead He finds bad tempers, greediness, mean thoughts, spite—and oh, just all kinds of naughtiness.”
“What will God have to do with our hearts? He must take away the old heart with all its sin, and give us a new heart, washed clean in the blood of the Lord Jesus, and filled with the things that please Him? David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God!” (Psalm 51:10). We can ask Him to do that for us too! In Ezekiel 36:26 God says, “A new heart also will I give you.”
“If any man (boy or girl too!) be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Jane and the Red Velvet Motto
It was Saturday morning, and twelve-year-old Jane was busily dusting mother's bedroom. Everything must be dusted very carefully, for mother liked it done nicely.
There was the big walnut bed with its high old-fashioned head and foot, the tall chest of drawers that was almost taller than Jane herself, and finally the bureau with so many things that must be dusted and carefully put back in place. There was the clock, and a red velvet motto that she had dusted so many times that she hardly needed to read it for she knew every word so well.
But as she stood with her duster in hand her eye ran over the words, In Whom (our Lord Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7).
Hardly thinking of what she was doing Jane began to dust it. She was thinking of those words, “the forgiveness of sins.” How she longed to know that her sins were forgiven! She knew that she had many sins, some that no one else knew about except herself and God. For a long time she had wanted to know that they were all forgiven and that she was really saved.
Mother and father were saved. Her sister just two years older was saved too. She had told Jane how she had been so frightened one night alone in bed, thinking that the Lord Jesus might come for father and mother, but not for her, for she was not ready. Then the Lord had reminded her of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Right then she had trusted the Lord and was saved. Now she too was ready for the Lord to come.
Jane rubbed the duster lightly, and just then a light seemed to enter her heart! Oh, how wonderful! The verse said her sins were all forgiven—”through His blood”! Forgiven! Gone! And gone too every doubt and every bit of fear!
Many years have gone by-we won't tell you just how many for you might know this grown-up girl-and now she is an older lady. But she is just as happy, and just as sure her sins are all forgiven for she remembers the Lord's own promise on the old red velvet motto: “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7).
Mother Hen's Busy Day!
With a few last businesslike clucks, Mother Hen spread her wings just a bit more to make room to tuck the last little chick under her wings for the night. How she made room for all of her big family no one could quite tell—but she always did!
What a busy day it had been for Mother Hen! The sky had just been growing light when the big rooster sent out his ringing crow, and the day had begun. All morning long Mother Hen scratched and hunted for food for her hungry little chicks.
Once the neighbor's dog poked his head through the back fence, wondering if he dared have some fun chasing the chickens, but he disappeared in a hurry as Mother Hen flew straight at him with her wings spread out wide and her beak, open, ready to peck at his eyes! Later a shadow fell across the chicken yard, and with her very sharpest cluck Mother Hen called her babies and huddled them safely under her wings until she was sure that all danger was gone. She knew that that shadow had meant that a chicken hawk was circling overhead looking for a stray chick for his dinner!
Then in the afternoon black clouds had gathered in the sky and the air felt suddenly cool, but every chick was safely tucked under before the big drops of rain began to spatter and the storm broke.
Now it was night time. Mother Hen cocked a sleepy eye for a last watchful look about to see that all was well, and then with a soft cluck settled herself for the night!
One day the Lord Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem .... how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37). How sad that they would not! Can you think of any other place so safe, or as happy as to be under the wings of the Lord Jesus?
He would like to have every boy and girl today under His wings too! Life has many dangers and many storms, but no one trusting in the Lord Jesus will ever need to be afraid of them. Boys and girls do not like to think of dying, but how wonderful it will be if when the nightfall of your life comes you may close your eyes, knowing that you are safe in the shelter of those wings!
Will you not take the Lord Jesus as your Savior now? Thank Him for dying for your sin on the cross, and just receive His salvation! Then trust those wonderful Wings as He cares for you each day!
“He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust” (Psalm 91:4).
When the Lion Roared
One day when Ed was at the zoo he stopped to watch some little furry animals in a large cage. They looked a little bit like rabbits with their soft fur and dark eyes, but the sign said that they were conies.
Ed was just thinking what nice pets they would make when suddenly a roar came echoing up through the zoo! It was the roar of a lion who evidently wanted his dinner -and wanted it right away!
Before the lion could roar the second time Ed suddenly realized that every coney had disappeared. It almost seemed as though the ground had swallowed them up, so completely had they vanished! Why! wherever had they gone to? Ed scratched his head as he tried to figure it out. Again the lion roared and it almost seemed as though the earth trembled. Say, was that what had frightened those little conies?
Looking more carefully he noticed a large rock in the back of the cage. As he watched closely he saw many holes in it, and, yes! that was where the conies had hidden! From each hole he could see a pair of beady eyes looking out at him.
Ed chuckled as he realized what a wise animal the little coney was. That old lion could wear his claws out scratching at that rock if he were loose in their cage, but he would never be able to have those conies for his dinner!
Sometime or other he had heard a Bible verse about the conies being a “feeble folk,” but that they made their houses in the rocks, and that that was their refuge. While he stood there watching and thinking he thought of another verse: “The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
“And I know who he's looking for to 'devour,' it's me, and every other boy and girl—grown-ups, too!” he thought, “just like this old lion would like to make a mouthful out of one of these conies if he had a chance to!
“But, say! We've got a Refuge just like these conies have! I can remember lots of places in the Psalms where it says the Lord is our Rock and our Refuge. And in John 6:37 He says, 'Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out.' That's just another way of saying if we come to Him He won't let the devil get us! If the conies have a good refuge we surely have a wonderful one!
“Say! I really learned something from these conies today!”
The Best Gift
Billy could hardly sleep the night before his birthday! How he wished he knew for sure that Mother and Dad would give him what he wanted most of all the next day—a dog!
What fun it would be to have a dog all his own! They could play together, go fishing together, and be real pals. Billy could think of lots of tricks to teach a smart dog. He could even sleep on the foot of his bed at night if Mom didn't mind... and just about that time Billy fell asleep.
The next morning without waiting to dress he almost flew down the stairs. There at his place at the table were some packages, on his chair were some more, and on the floor was a big one... big enough to hold a small dog! Dad was at the table already, and with a big smile he said, “Happy birthday, Son! It looks like you'll have a whole day's job unwrapping presents!”
Billy's fingers seemed to be all thumbs in his eagerness to open the big box first. Suddenly the box moved a bit... “Woof! Woof!” came a puppy's bark! In a few seconds a happy Billy was hugging the little dog that he had decided to call Pal. Running to first Mother and then Dad, Billy gave them each a good hug and said, “Thank you!”
After the other gifts had been opened, too, Dad had just a few moments before he had to hurry to work. Opening his Bible he said, “Billy boy, what is the best gift you have received?”
Billy answered promptly, “Pal!”
“God has a Gift for you too, a better Gift than Pal. It is the greatest Gift in all the world,” Paul said, ‘Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift.’ Your Mother and I pray each day that you will receive that Gift. Do you know what that Gift is?”
Billy looked puzzled so Father went on, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,' that is God's Gift to you. God gave Him to die on the cross for your sins, Billy. He took your punishment. Then God says, ‘that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’” (John 3:16).
After a few moments Billy said, “I would like to have God's Gift. May I tell Him so?” Then Billy bowed his head and prayed, “Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to die for me, and thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking away my sin.”
Then Father prayed, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift.”
A Letter for Rose
“The red flag is up, Aunt Mary! Shall I get the mail?”
In a few seconds Rose was back, waving a letter excitedly. “It's for me!” she cried, “A letter from Mother and Dad. Oh, do you suppose they're coming? I can't wait to see!”
“Well,” smiled Aunt Mary, “You'd better read it quickly before you burst with excitement!”
As Rose read her letter a big smile grew on her face. When she finished she ran to Aunt Mary and gave her a hug.
“They're coming, Aunt Mary! And guess when? They'll be here tomorrow morning. Do you suppose I can wait that long—that's about twenty hours? Here, you must read it too, and then I'll have to read it again. They want me to be all ready to go with them for we're going to take a trip together to visit Grandma and Grandpa.”
The next morning Rose watched the window eagerly and when the familiar car turned into the lane she was off to meet it with a joyous welcome. Then after a short rest and visit with Aunt Mary they were off to “Grandma's” together.
Let's “suppose” for a few moments! What if Rose had said, “I have a letter from Mother and Dad, Aunt Mary. When I have time, I'm going to read it!” Then perhaps just before bed she opened it, but oh my! she was too sleepy to read more than a line or two. The next morning she forgot all about it! When the familiar car drove up to the house no one was watching, and when Rose came to the door in surprise, Mother asked, “But Rose! Didn't you get my letter?”
How Rose would blush with shame to have to say that she had not read it! How foolish it would sound to try to say she had been too busy, too tired, and then had forgotten! Perhaps Mother would say, “I'm so sorry. We had planned a nice trip together, but if you are not ready we will have to go without you for we cannot wait!”
As you read this perhaps you think that such a foolish thing would never happen. But I would like to ask if you have read your letter? I mean your Bible, the letter God has written to you!
How much you are missing if you have not! In His letter God tells us that the Lord Jesus is coming for us and how we can be ready for Him. Many boys and girls are going to be so surprised when He comes, and perhaps the Lord will ask them, “Did you not read my letter?”
What excuse can be given? “Too busy,” “Too tired,” “I forgot”—how foolish any excuse will sound!
Oh, be sure you are ready! “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:13). Those who are not ready will be left behind for awful judgment and punishment.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3).
"Consider Her Ways and Be Wise!"
Paul and Anne were watching the ants busy at work. Some were crawling into the ant hill carrying big loads of food to store away in the rooms down below. Others seemed to be cleaning house. They crawled out of the ant hole with dirt and trash that they threw away. Everywhere it seemed to be, “Hurry! Hurry!”
One day in Sunday school Paul and Anne's teacher talked to them about the ants. They were surprised when they heard her read from the Bible, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6).
Then she told them many interesting things. They learned that there were ant soldiers that guarded the ant hill. Dairy maid ants milked the little green bugs called ant “cows” and then stored the sweet juice in ants that hung like bags from the ceiling of one of the dark rooms. Others had other work, and all were busy.
“God has put within these little ants the instinct to store away much food during the warm summer,” their teacher told them. “In Proverbs 30:24-25, God says, ‘There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer.’ They seem to know that the storms of winter will come and keep them in their ant hill for many long months. The winter does not catch them unprepared.
“I wonder if we are as wise as the little ants? God has put within the hearts of boys and girls, and men and women everywhere, the knowledge that there is a time coming for which they too must be prepared. It is the time of the great storm of God's wrath and judgment against sin.
“But so many do not listen to God's voice. They waste their days in pleasure and their own interests, and try to forget that some day they must meet God. They need to ‘Go to the ant... consider her ways and be wise.’
“How can we be prepared? Listen to how clearly the Lord Jesus tells us: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (punishment); but is passed from death unto life’ (John 5:24).”
“The prudent (wise) man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished” Proverbs 27:12).
Courtesy of BibleTruthPublishers.com. Any suggestions for spelling or punctuation corrections would be warmly received. Please email them to: BTPmail@bibletruthpublishers.com.