An evangelist was one day talking to a group of Sunday school children. They all watched and listened eagerly as he brought out a row of candles on a board.
A long candle was at one end of the board, and a short one at the other. Between the long one and the short one were candles of various heights. The speaker said: “Now by these candles I want to represent a family—the grandfather, the father and mother, the older boys and girls, and the smallest little boy. Suppose they have never heard the gospel until a servant of Christ comes along and tells them the wonderful story of Jesus and His love. They all receive the message with joy, and all are saved to love and serve the Lord Jesus.
As he spoke he took another candle already lighted, and lit all the rest of the candles. “This other candle,” he explained, “will represent the Holy Spirit by which we are ‘born again’ and who comes to dwell in our hearts when we believe on Christ as our Saviour. And now, children, I want you to tell me what candle represents the grandfather, which ones represent the father and mother, and so on.”
The children all thought the tallest candle would be the grandfather. “No,” said the speaker, “that stands for the littlest one who believes in Jesus.”
There was a silence. Then one little boy said: “I know why. ‘Cause he has the chance to shine the longest for Jesus.”
Oh, won’t you come to Jesus
While you’re young?
Don’t think it will be better
To delay it until later,
But remember your Creator
While you’re young.
“Walk as children of light.”
JESUS bids us shine
With a clear, pure light,
Like a little candle
Burning in the night;
In this world of darkness
So we must shine,
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.
Living for Jesus, working for Jesus,
Seeking in this life others to win;
Loving Him wholly, serving Him only,
This is what gives me true joy within.
ML-10/21/1973