ALL of my dear young friends who read the “Messages of Love” are no doubt going to school. If they did not, they could not read it. Now there are things in school, as well as in the house, which are difficult to learn, hard to take up with. I would therefore remind you that in every difficulty, yea, in all things, you may take the matter to God in prayer, seeking help and wisdom. He can and delights to give you both.
Bring God into your work, or your trouble, and you can easier get your lessons, and do your work, with more pleasure and satisfaction.
One day, a servant of the Lord was much downcast on account of his continued labor and so little result. He took a walk, following a narrow lonely path to the timber with a heavy heart.
Along by the wayside, he met a man hard at work breaking rocks, which you must know is hard work. After greeting the man he addressed him thus: “Well, Peter, hard at work, are you?
Don’t you ever sigh at this work of yours? You surely find rocks that are hard to break.”
“You are right, sir,” was the answer, “such stones” I find not a few, but I have a way of getting at them that the hardest of them Ain have to give way. I go down on my knees as you see, and the work becomes easier and with better results. Yes, this doing of one’s work on one’s knees, I tell you, ‘tis a wonderful thing!”
The minister understood that old Peter would remind him to pray more to God and thus bring down all help and blessing from above. He did not think that because he prayed to God, that there was no need of his working; no, he prayed and then he used his mallet, he dealt hard blows just because he had been praying. He wanted to manifest his confidence in God by diligent work.
Therefore, dear children, pray to the Lord in heaven that He may bless, keep and sustain you. But be diligent and faithful in your .work. “Ask and ye shall receive.” But first of all you must give Him your hearts; receive and confess Jesus as your Saviour; put your whole trust in Him and listen to His voice; and He will lead you in the “paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.”
It is a happy thing to belong to the Lord Jesus and to be one of His lambs. The strong hand of God the Father, and the faithfulness of the Shepherd will guide and protect and keep such on their journey through this world. Therefore take heed to my words and turn to God; go to Him with your sins, your cares, your burdens, through faith in Him become one ofHis, and thus be blessed for time and for eternity!
Hear His gracious invitation—
“I have life and peace to give—
I have wrought out full salvation:
Children, look to Me and live.”
Messages of God’s Love 7/12/1908