WHY is this? Sunny little Ella’s face bedewed with tears! Her simple, happy little countenance clouded with sorrow! Why is this? Has Ella done anything very wrong? She has been a very good child all through the day, we know. Yet little Ella is in sore trouble; and this is her grief — she knows she is not truly good in God’s sight. She fears she does not really love the Lord Jesus. What is she to do?
One and another of her kind friends speak to Ella. They tell her how Jesus loves little children, For He took up the very little ones in His arms, and He blessed them, and said, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not.” But still the child weeps. Her little heart is not at rest.
Oh, God looks right into little children’s hearts. He sees all that is in the heart. When we look into a room through the window we see a great deal that is in the room, but as some things are behind others, we cannot see all. But God sees all that is in our hearts — nothing is hidden from Him; and He sees into Ella’s heart, and that sorrow, because she fears she is not really a lamb of Jesus’ flock, is there.
“My child,” said a kind friend to Ella, after she had told out her trouble, “when you think of what you are, just say to the Lord Jesus in heaven, ‘Jesus died for me!’”
Then a smile lighted up Ella’s face, and a rainbow shone upon her tears, as she said to herself, “Jesus died for me.”
Dear children, the great God knows your hearts. Perhaps you would not be able to tell anyone quite what is in your heart, but God looks through the window right into your heart, and knows all that is there. Nothing will be ever hidden from Him. You have not to explain things to God, for He knows all things. So when you are sorry because you do not think you belong to the Lord Jesus, remember, Jesus died for sinners.
Jesus died for sinners — for little and for big. He is the Way, and as much for children as for grown-up persons. There is only one way to heaven. When you run along the road you see the old and young, the rich and poor, moving upon it. Surely never yet was a road from one place to another made only for children, and another road made only for old persons, but one road for all. So Jesus is the Way for all.
“Jesus died for me!” What wonderful words are these! He made the sky above and the pretty flowers at our feet, but His hands were nailed to the cross of wood, and on that cross He died to save our souls. Jesus is full of love and kindness: these are some of His words — “I will in no wise cast out,” and He will not cast you out, for He has said, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me.”
When anyone comes to the Lord He puts happiness into the heart, which was never before known. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and Jesus gives His secret to even the little children who trust in Him, so we need not be surprised that little Ella’s face showed how happy her heart was when she was able truly to say, “Jesus died for me.” Oh! what wonderful love is this, that Jesus, the Son of God, should die for a little child. May every believing child love Him more and more every day.