I fancy I hear the reader exclaim, “What a funny title! Whatever can it mean?” Just listen to me while I relate an incident that happened some years ago. A Christian father had in his keeping the money boxes of his two little children. They were kept locked, and the children did not know how much money was in them. One of the children came to his father one day and said that he would like to get a present for his mother on her birthday, which was drawing near. His father explained to him that it would not be a present from him unless he paid for it out of his own money. The child was quite willing to do so.
Soon after, the father took the boy to the store to buy the present. They looked around, and at last the little fellow selected an article. On hearing the price, the father told him he had not enough to pay for it and that he must choose something else. In a short time he did so. When the price was known, the father told the child he would be able to pay for that, but it would take the most of his money. The dear little fellow did not mind that in the least, but said he would like to get it for his mamma.
It was bought, paid for out of the boy’s money, and given to the mother on her birthday.
The father was so much pleased with the unselfishness shown in the matter, and at the affection manifested by the boy for his mother, that he determined that the child should not be the loser. From time to time the father slipped into the money box a penny, or sometimes more, till, without the child knowing it, the amount was more than replaced.
Dear fellow-believer, is there no lesson in the foregoing for you and for me?
If the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and (through grace) our God and our Father (John 20:1717Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17)), sees us spending on ourselves, and our own interests the most of what He has entrusted us with (1 Cor. 4:22Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2)), Will He not very likely do what He did as recorded in Haggai? (1:3-11, 2:15-17). Then Haggai 1:12-1412Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord. 13Then spake Haggai the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. 14And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, (Haggai 1:12‑14) and 2:18-19 show us the result of the word of the Lord having taken effect in the hearts and consciences of the people, and His consequent blessing upon them.
If our God and Father sees you and me diligent in caring for the interests of His blessed Son, Jesus our Lord, will it not delight His heart more than that of the father in the incident we have referred to?
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things (temporal things) shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:3333But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)), which means that if we seek His things, He will look after our interests.
In 2 Corinthians 9:6-86But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (2 Corinthians 9:6‑8) we read, “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him. give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”
We trust each one of our young friends will weigh this matter before the Lord; but be careful that nothing is done in order to get something in return.
Let everything be done simply and solely for the Lord and His interests and He will never let us be the losers.
“The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14-1514For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14‑15)).
“O, what a debt we owe
To Him who shed His blood,
And cleansed our souls, and gave us power
To stand before His God!
Saviour and Lord, we own
The riches of Thy grace;
For we can call Thy God our God—
Can bow before His face.
Thy Father, too, above,
We worship as our own,
Who gave with Thee the Spirit’s cry,
To us His sons foreknown.
Again, ponder over this magnificent verse, “My God shall abundantly supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:1919But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) N. T.)
What an inexhaustible amount in such safekeeping, and in such a money box!