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 every one, 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 sitting 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. One man counted up, and found out he had sinned 70,000 times, and no doubt many more than that. Yet many people consider themselves good enough to go to heaven.
It is not alone what men call sins that we need he 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? Ah, God has not only shown 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 the 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.
ML 03/09/1941