THERE are three little verses I have been very often thinking of lately. They are short and easy to learn. And they are all words said by the Lord Jesus when He was on earth:
COME UNTO ME―ABIDE IN ME―WITH ME. What is the meaning of the first, “Come unto Me?”
If you were sitting down quite still, and heard your mother calling you to come to her, you would get up at once and come to her, wherever she was. Now, God calls you to come to Him that you may be His child. He calls you by His Spirit through His word.
I heard of six boys lately who wished to come to Jesus. They were “middies” in the Royal Navy, in one of the Queen’s beautiful ships. They were away from kind parents and friends who could teach them. They felt they were sinful, and wanted to come to Jesus very much. What do you think they did? They obtained leave from the captain, who allowed them to go into a nice quiet little corner by themselves, and there kneel down and pray to the Lord Jesus, and ask Him to teach them, and make them His own forever; and then they would get their bibles, and read them together, believing that the Lord heard their prayers, and would teach them by the Spirit through His word. Did He hear their cry? Oh! yes; He always does, and He is just as ready to hear you now. I pray that the Holy Ghost may draw many of your young hearts to Him as you read this. These boys longed to know the Lord Jesus Himself, to live in His presence on this earth in the midst of their daily work. They were thinking of His great love to them; they knew they could only love Him because He first loved them. And, oh! I think they greatly longed for Him to come again and take them to Himself, that where He is there they might be also. Have you the same desire? the same knowledge of the Son of God? the same life in Him? Oh, be very certain if you have or not.
What is our next little verse? “Abide in Me.” This is the Lord’s word to those who have come unto Him. To abide means to stay. If you have come to Him, then listen to His word, “Abide in Me.” Jesus loves you very much. It is the Holy Spirit who made you come to Jesus and be God’s child forever. Now the Lord Jesus would have your heart ever thinking of Him, ever staying near Him. You are now no longer to please yourself, but to do what the Lord Jesus tells you? Ah! being washed in the precious blood of the Lamb, and loving Him because He first loved you, now you will try to please Him every day and all day long, then you will be happy indeed.
The last of our little verses is “With Me.” What is it that makes your earthly home, bright and happy? Is it all the nice things in the house, the flowers and books, the pictures and toys? or is it being with your loving father and mother, your brothers and sisters? If they were not there, would all the pleasant things I have mentioned make you happy? I think not: you would feel lonely and miserable, no matter how many nice things you were given. And this makes me think of heaven. It is not all the beautiful things that are there that makes the place so pleasant. It is being with the Lord Jesus, in His presence; like Him, seeing Him as He is, with Him forever. He knows that to anyone who loves Him, this is enough to tell. You will not find a long description of heaven in your bible, but you will find that the Lord wishes those who are His to be with Him where He is. Oh! how wonderful, to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus without fear or dread.
And when is all this to happen? We are perfectly righteous before God now, in Christ. But our bodies are still weak, poor bodies, and so will remain, until the Lord comes to take those who love His appearing to Himself. What does His appearing mean? If some kind person, who loved you, went away, promising to return soon, do you not think that, if you missed him much, you would sometimes run to the hall door, or look out of the window to see if he were coming? Oh! yes, I think you would. You would also be careful while he was away not to do anything that would grieve him when he returned, or that would make you feel ashamed to run and meet him the moment he came back. This is like loving the Lord’s appearing. All the beautiful things in the world could not make Christians truly happy, as Christ is not here. Those who have “come to Jesus,” who are “abiding in Him,” and who will soon be “with Him” forever, often now look up, and say, “Come, Lord Jesus.”
K. B.