I had long wanted to speak about Jesus to a little girl, who lived near my cottage. I knew her father was an infidel, and that for six years some Christians had been praying for his conversion. When I saw his child my heart was sad, fearing she was growing up without any knowledge of God.
One bright morning the little girl was playing out of doors, quite alone, so I thought this was my opportunity for the long-wished-for talk. I quickly went out to her, and asked kindly, “Would you like to come with me, dear, and pick some pretty flowers in this field?”
“O! yes, I should,” she answered brightly. “I shall be so pleased to get some.”
We were soon both of us busy filling our hands with the pretty wild flowers in the field—big white daisies and bright king-cups, ragged-robin and quaking grass, and sweet purple and white clover.
“Do you know, my dear,” I asked, “that this field is a bit of God’s great flower-garden, and that in the love of His heart He made these sweet blossoms to give us pleasure?”
“O! yes,” she answered, “I know He made them all, and made us too, and everything in this world. There are many people who won’t believe it, but they will have to see it is true someday, will they not?” she added, looking up earnestly into my face.
“Indeed they will,” I answered gravely, “and it will be a terrible moment for those who do not know Jesus as their Saviour. Dear child, do you believe on God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ?”
“O, yes,” she replied, “I do believe that He died for our sins, and if we do confess and own them to Jesus, He will rejoice over us, won’t He? It is so strange that people try to keep their sins secret from Him, for they will all come out at the judgment day, for Jesus knows everything about us. We ought to try and please Him for dying for us, shouldn’t we?”
“Yes, indeed, we should, my child,” I answered, my heart full of joy to see that truly my Saviour was her Saviour, too. “You and I love Jesus, do we not, though we have not seen Him?”
“Yes; there is a text in the Bible I like so much: it is this, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” John 20:29.
When Jesus was on earth there were some people who would not believe on Him, although they did see Him; but now we believe on Him without seeing Him.”
This simple confession of faith from the child of an infidel greatly surprised me, and I asked her where she had learned and read the Bible. She told me that it was at the school she attended.
O, what joy to know that God had let His light shine into this dear child’s heart, and to hear how freely and confidently she spoke of what she really knew of Jesus! She also said,
“You know Jesus is alive on the throne of God today, and He will come again to this world, won’t He?” What joy it was to me to see the reality with which the little girl spoke!
What a blessing this dear little lamb of Christ may be in this sinful world!
Every time I have since seen her, she has run to me joyfully, wanting to go and pick flowers and have another talk. Yes, heart is linked with heart in those that love the blessed name of Jesus; yes, my heart was drawn to her as soon as she began to tell out all she knew of that blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear children, do you know Him? If you do, tell others of His love. If you do not know that precious and blessed Saviour, Jesus, come now, just as you are; come straight to Him, in all your sins, all your wickedness, and He will receive you. I pray you, do not try to hide your sins from Jesus, but tell Him everything, and His forgiving mercy will flow like a stream. He cannot save you unless you come, and those who come to Him He will in no wise cast out. It was for sinners Christ died, not the righteous. Sinners, Jesus calls. O! won’t you come?
ML 11/22/1931