JIM Barton was proud of his little daughter, Susan. She was a pretty child, and made an appealing picture as she stood with a pleased, surprised expression, now glancing at a new coin that lay in the palm of her hand, now looking up into the smiling face of the old man who had just given it to her.
"What do you say for it, Susie, dear?" asked her father.
"Oh, she did say 'Thank you," said the old man as he patted the curly head. "Good-by! God bless you, little one!" he added, looking kindly at the upturned little face.
With a brisk step he moved on towards the exit gate, Jim Barton going with him to see him off on his return journey.
"Your little Susie has learned her lesson well, Barton!" he remarked.
"What lesson, Mr. Stacey?" asked Jim.
"To say 'Thank you' for gifts received! Have you learned to say 'Thank you' for all that has been given to you, James?"
"I hope I have, Mr. Stacey," replied Jim, wondering what his old friend could mean.
"God gave His Son for you so that, believing in Him, you should not perish but have everlasting life. Have you ever said, 'Thank you, Lord, for that gift,' James?"
Jim Barton was silent.
"Have you ever taken—accepted—Christ?" added Mr. Stacey by way of explaining his former question.
"No, I am afraid I have not." The confession came slowly, shyly, from Jim.
"Then of course you think no thanks are due from you. But isn't this just a little rude and ungrateful? If you don't want a thing when a friend offers it, you ought at least to thank him for offering it. Will you do this today? Just tell God that you are much obliged to Him for His offer of His Son, Jesus Christ, but that you can do without Him."
"Do without Him! Mr. Stacey! Why—why how—what can I do without Him? Oh, I never saw it like this before!" Jim's voice broke as he went on: "Can I be saved simply by accepting Christ as God's gift?"
"Yes, James; God says, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. It is not what we think, or feel, but what God says, and believing with the heart that Jesus is God's gift to us—a living receipt that our debt has been paid—this is accepting Christ."
Mr. Stacey silently lifted up his heart in prayer for Jim Barton. Then Jim, turning to his old friend with tears in his eyes, grasped his hand and said, "I do accept God's gift, and thank Him for it. And, God helping me, I will show my thanks in my life!"
Now let me ask you: Have you accepted the Gift of God? If not, what will you do without it—without Him?
God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to be your Savior, to die on the cross for your sins. All He asks is that you will accept Him. Can you refuse Him?