ANN, as we will call her, looked sad. She had been looking into her heart and had found very unpleasant things there.
Do pray for me, "she said one day," I am so proud.”
She knew that when the Lord Jesus was on earth He was the very opposite of all she was finding in herself, for He could say, "I am meek and lowly in heart," and she longed to be more like Him.
No doubt there are many boys and girls who are finding out sad things about themselves, and wondering how they can alter their hearts. They feel they are very poor, not "rich towards God." They know that their hearts are cold, and that they have not yet learned to be "true worshippers," the kind of people whom God is seeking. (John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23).) They are conscious that their praises are poor, and that they would rather read a story-book than the Bible, but in spite of this they do love the Lord, who gave Himself for them.
Listen to this little parable. There was once a poor man, who became poorer and poorer, and one day looking into his purse he found only coppers. He knew that he could not live long on so little. What was he to do? He was too old to work, and he would not beg.
Suddenly he remembered that he had a friend, a very rich friend, who had said that he would be glad to help him any time he was in need. As the poor man remembered what his rich friend had promised, his face brightened and he hurried off to go to him. He told his sad tale, and soon his purse was well filled, and he returned home a happy and contented man, satisfied and hopeful, as his friend had promised more for the future.
“Well," he said to himself, "I have indeed a true friend, my father's friend, and one I can rely on for the future." His thoughts now were centered on his friend and his goodness in meeting his case, and his riches and ability to do so.
This is what we all need to do when we feel how poor we are towards God, how little our hearts give to our God and Father, who has loved us and blessed us so richly. We, too, can go to the Lord Jesus and He will give us divine riches, and fill our hearts, if we ask Him, with love to God and such a deep sense of His grace, that we shall have something to give to God.
The more we study the life of the Lord Jesus down here, the more we shall be conscious of how unlike Him we are, but at the same time we shall value more and more His holy perfect life and ways, and feel the wonder of His words. Our hearts will become so delighted with Christ that we shall constantly be thinking of Him in glory where He now is, and as we meditate we shall become, without even knowing it, more and more like Him.
So that the way to become more like Jesus and rich towards God, is to be constantly occupied with our Lord Jesus Christ.
"He is worthy"; take it with thee,
This one thought to ponder o'er,
Till His loveliness and beauty
Fill thy soul yet more and more;
Till thy heart o'erflow with longings,
Till thy lips o'erflow with praise,
Till Himself becomes the object
Of thy lips and life and ways.