WE have reached the beautiful summer month with all its gorgeous flowers with which God has decked and adorned this creation. How delicate some of them are, unable to withstand a cold blast which sometimes comes over night. In the morning, we see them wilted and their marvelous beauty all gone; but in a few days, some more come, just as beautiful, and we forget about the withered ones, but we get occupied with the fresh and beautiful ones that are before our eyes. The children, like the little girl in our picture, delight to gather the wild flowers, but they, too, in a few days wither and have to be thrown away.
What a picture we get in this of our own lives! We came upon the scene, young and fresh; sometimes a cold blast, or some disease cuts off our dear ones in early life, but whether or not, the end comes to all down here in time, and we may well be reminded of that Scripture, “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.” (1 Peter 1:2424For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (1 Peter 1:24).)
But there is this difference between us and those beautiful flowers; when they come to their end here, that is the last of them, but not so with us. God lets us know we Shall live forever and ever, either with Him, or separated from Him but He has provided a way so that none need be separated from Him. Our sins would have caused us to be cut off from Him forever, because He is holy; but God gave His only Son, who alone was able to bear the awful results of sin, to die in our stead —to be forsaken of God. So He took that place on Calvary, and gained the victory for sinners; so that all who believe in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him.” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36).)
May each dear reader, young or old, consider how quickly the beautiful flowers are gone, and think how soon, too, we will be done with this life, and if you have not put your trust in Jesus as your Saviour, I beg of you to do so now. He is ready and willing to save all who will come to Him. Tomorrow you may be gone from this life, and if without Christ as your Saviour, the wrath of God will remain upon you.
ML 07/01/1917