ONLY two verses to learn, see, mother! Miss Linwood marked them in my own little Bible, so that I might not forget. Shall I read them to you?" So Mabel Evans read in a clear, distinct voice, "Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: fire, and hail; snow, and vapors, stormy wind fulfilling his word." (Psa. 148:7, 87Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: 8Fire, and hail; snow, and vapor; stormy wind fulfilling his word: (Psalm 148:7‑8).)
Mabel gave quite a deep sigh as she stopped reading; then said, I can learn my verses, but I think they are very hard to understand. I would much rather learn easy verses in the Gospel by John, all about the kind things the Lord Jesus used to do; don't you think they are the best, mother?”
Mrs. Evans smiled, as she answered, "My little girl must not expect to have easy lessons always, but must just learn to trust her teachers, and believe they know what is really best.
“Still I think mother can help to make your hard lesson seem more easy to you, and it may be we shall both learn something which will be helpful, for you know, God loves to teach those who are ready to learn. Even those portions of God's Word which seem so hard to understand are really quite simple, and made plain to those who wait upon Him. Tell me what you cannot understand.”
“Oh, the last part, ‘Stormy wind fulfilling his word.' Can you think of a true story about the wind, please, mamma?”
“Yes, darling, you have often heard the wind blow round the house when you lie at night warm and snug in your little bed. Sometimes the wind shakes the doors and windows, as if it wanted to say, ‘Please let me come in.' One day last week you laughed very much when you came in from school, and said you and Louie had run all the way down the road after her straw hat which had been blown off by the wind.
“Do you remember one day when we were at Brighton last year, the sea was so rough that the small boats could not go out?”
“Oh yes, mamma, and you were talking to one of the boatmen, and he told you he thought they were having very bad weather out at sea. He said he had been a sailor, and knew what it was to be on the sea in storms. I think he said, too, God had been very good to him, and since he had known the Lord Jesus as his own Savior, he knew that he was as safe on the sea in a storm as on the land in the sunshine.”
“Yes, Mabel, you have remembered the words of our sailor friend very well indeed. Now I am going to tell you about a storm at sea that took place many, many years ago.
“All through the busy day the Lord Jesus had been making poor sick people well, saying kind words to those who were in any trouble; not one who really wanted His help had been sent away. At last the time came when the Lord wanted to sail across the Sea of Galilee. Shall we look for it on the map? Yes, there it is, a piece of water, with hills all round it. The Lord and His disciples got into a fishing boat, and very soon sailed away from the shore.
“I think the Lord Jesus must have been very tired, for we read in the gospels that He went to sleep, and while He slept, a great storm arose. The wind blew, and large waves began to dash over the ship, almost filling it with water. The poor disciples were in sad trouble; in their fear they forgot the One who was with them was quite able to take care of them, so they awoke Him, saying, Master, master, we perish.' (Luke 8:2424And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. (Luke 8:24).)
"But Jesus spoke to the wind and waves, saying, ‘Peace be still,' just telling them to be quiet, and they knew His voice, the voice of the Son of God, and they obeyed Him, and in a moment they were calm and still.”
“Oh, mamma, how glad the poor disciples must have been, don't you think they were?”
“Yes, Mabel, I have no doubt of it. But I think the Lord would have been more pleased with them if they had quietly trusted Him, feeling sure they could not perish as long as He was with them.
“Some day, God willing, I will tell you another true story about the wind; but you may run and play now, as I have some letters to write, and shall be glad to be alone till I have finished them.”