It was a very dark night as a lady passed along the street, and there were very few people about.
“Please would you mind?” It was the plaintive voice of a little girl about seven years old that caught her ear. Looking down she saw, as she came under a street lamp, the child looking up appealingly at her.
“Please, would you mind taking me to my mummy?” said the little girl again. “It is so dark and I am afraid to go any farther.”
“Where do you live, dear?” said the lady.
“Only just a little way off—I know the way,” said the little one, “but it is so dark.”
“Come along then,” said her new friend. And taking the little girl’s hand, they both set off down the street home. It was quite true, it was dark. But the child did not mind now. She walked along, keeping tight hold of the lady’s hand, and chatting happily. “I’m not afraid now,” she said. After quite a short journey they reached the entrance of the child’s home, which was at the top of some steps.
“Will you wait here, please, till I see my mummy?” asked the child. “Then I will call out ‘good-by’ and you will know I am all right.” The lady of course said she would. So the little one climbed up the steps, and in a minute a bright light streamed out of the open door, and she heard Mother greet her little daughter. Then a shrill voice called out, “Good-by; thank you,” and all was well.
What a difference it makes to have someone to take care of you, doesn’t it? Someone you can trust, someone who is stronger than you are.
The lady was on her way to see an old gentleman who was very ill—in fact so ill that he was not likely ever to get better. When she reached his bedside, she told him about this little girl, and her simple trust; and it reminded them both of what we read in the twenty-third Psalm, when King David wrote, thinking of God, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for THOU ART WITH ME.” Isn’t that a lovely verse? You see, the Lord Jesus has promised all those who love Him, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” This old gentleman did love Jesus, and what a comfort it was to him to know that the Lord Jesus was always caring for him; to know that even if he did not get better, he would just go to be with Jesus.
That little girl trusted the lady who was quite a stranger to her. We can have the Lord Jesus for our Friend, the One whom we have heard of so often, who knows us so well.
Would you like to have Him for your Friend? In these sad days we live in, what a comfort to have Jesus always with you (even though you cannot see Him)—at home, at school, at play, always, everywhere! You can have this wonderful Friend, if you will just give your heart to Him, and own Him as your Lord and your Saviour. Can you sing truly this chorus?
“Into my heart; into my heart; Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay, Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.”
ML 07/02/1961