LITTLE Fred listens with interest to grandpa’s instructions as to how the ship should be built. Although a thorough knowledge of some kind of trade or profession is very useful for everyone, there is a lesson of far greater importance, and that is to learn to attend to whatever God tells us.
We must pay the utmost attention to the very first step in this lesson, for if we do not learn it properly we shall never be able to learn anything else in the things of God.
This first step of such moment is to believe our great need of a Saviour and God’s love in providing that Saviour. We are all aware that we have sinned: we have had wrong thoughts in our minds, we have said things which we should not have said, and we have done things we should not have done. These three ways of sinning are probably used by us every day of our lives. If we multiply every day we have lived by three, we shall see the least number of sins we have.
It is not alone what men call sins that we need be concerned about, but it is all that will not come up to God’s holiness. What a great measure that is, and what great sinners it shows us up to be.
How then, can we be saved? All, God has not only shown us what we are, but has also shown us what we need, and has provided for that need. We need a Saviour, and God has given His only begotten Son to die in our stead and thereby save us. Those sins that are many, may all be forgiven us through Jesus having paid the debt, in giving His life in our place. This is what we need to pay strict attention to, and after we truly grasp the truth of this we can go on to learn other things in God’s Word.
ML 08/27/1933