The stories we are about to relate in this chapter are concerning the simple things of every-day life. We desire for the children of God, that they may tell their Father not only their large, but also their small wants and difficulties. God has often answered great prayers, such as that of Elias, who was " a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." (James 5:17, 1817Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. (James 5:17‑18).) And there are very, very often day by day continually answers granted to our simple prayers.
The Lord Jesus says to His disciples: "Ask, and it shall be given, you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him, that knocketh it shall be opened." And then graciously speaks to us of the daily wants of children, as if to show us that we should ask God for, all good things. "What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" (Matt. 7:7-117Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:7‑11).) Bread to eat is a very simple thing to ask a father for; it is a "good" thing which no father, who had it, would deny his child. And we may all take courage by the Lord's illustration to ask our Father in heaven for the things we need.
True prayer arises out of confidence. You run to your parents and ask them for what you want, because you know that they love you. You trust them, and learn to be satisfied, whether they give to you or withhold from you that for which you ask. Some of our prayers are asking God for things which are not good. Our Father in heaven does not promise to give bad things to His children, but good things.
You have often seen very small children cry piteously because their nurse would not allow them to carry a great, dirty stone in their clean clothes! Very likely the little ones think that nurse is unkind; but you, who are older, understand that such is not the case. Many of our prayers, if answered, would do us much more harm than carrying the dirty stone would do the little child. If we were wiser we should not ask for foolish things, but tell God all our troubles and all our pleasures, and trust Him. The truly happy Christian is he who has no secrets from God. Not that we can hide anything from God, but still many a time we act in our hearts as if we would not have God know what we like and what troubles us. Children who hide things from their parents are not happy; neither are the children of God happy who do not tell Him all things. They cannot speak truly of " the confidence that we have in Him." (1 John 5:1414And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (1 John 5:14).)
Confidence in God arises out of faith in Him. The sinner is told by God to believe; he obeys, and the blessings of salvation become his. 'The more the children of God know of their Father, the more confidence they have in Him.
Let us explain what confidence is. A young girl was sent by her parents to a school at some distance from home. Her parents told her that the lady at its head would be very kind, and the young girl believed the word of her parents. She expected to find a kind heart in the lady, and so comforted herself upon leaving home. After she had been at the school for some weeks, the girl proved how kind the lady was. She would call the young pupil aside and talk with her about her difficulties and troubles: Thus the lady became a friend, and the young girl had confidence in her. It was always a happy thing to go to the lady's room, and to tell her everything.
The schoolgirl believed her parents' word, and as she learned what the lady's heart was, she trusted her and had confidence in her.
God is our Friend, and it is His gracious pleasure to call us aside and to speak to our hearts. And so good is God that it is pleasing to Him whenever we run to Him and speak to Him. "Pray to thy Father in secret."
A few illustrations will help us to see what confidence is.
LED BLINDFOLD.
Marion was a little girl about nine years old. I have nothing wonderful or unusual to tell you about her, but I want to help you by this simple story to understand what confidence is.
One day Marion went out with her mamma and grandmamma. It was a hot summer day, and the sun poured down on the white stones of the pavement, giving everything a glittering look, which was very trying to the eyes. Little Marion's eyes were not very strong, so the sun tired them sorely. She longed to shut them, but she was afraid to walk along blindfold lest she should fall. But was not her mamma by her side, and would she not take care of her little daughter? Marion knew that she would, so without saying a word, she closed her tired eyes, and slipping her hand into her mother's, walked along in perfect safety close to her mother's side. And was she now afraid of falling? No, for her mother held her hand, and she felt perfectly safe although her eyes were shut.
When Marion's grandmamma saw how the little child trusted in her mamma, she said, "That is a true type of what confidence in God is, to trust Him perfectly, and to know that we are safe near Him."
L. A. M. B.
TRUSTING IN THE DARK.
Little Henry used to say, " You will come and see me in my bed, mamma; " and when his mamma promised that she would do so, he gave her his good-night kiss, and ran away happily to his nurse. And each night his mother stood over his little bed and watched her dear boy in his sleep before retiring to her own room.
The little boy's belief in his mother's care lulled him to rest. Her one word of promise was quite sufficient for him; her love gave confidence to his young heart.
" Please, Mary, do not take away the candle," said a little girl of six years old to her kind nurse, who had just put her to bed, and was about to leave her in the dark.
" Your mamma does not wish you to have a light now, for you are six years old," was the nurse's reply; " but as I am only going into the nursery, next door, if you want anything just call me, and I promise to come immediately."
But little Emily would not be comforted, and began to cry twice as much as before. Presently there was a step upon the stairs, and the child heard a kind voice saying, "Why does my little girl cry?"
Little Emily then felt so much ashamed of herself that she could find neither voice nor words to answer her father, but at length she sobbed out, "Mary has taken away the candle and left me in the dark."
"And what harm can the darkness do you? I see," said her father, "you trust to the candle. What, cannot my little girl trust God? "
"Oh, papa, indeed, indeed, I do trust God."
"Well, my dear, if you did, you would not cry for a light, 'for the darkness and the light are both alike to God,' and He is just as near at one time as at the other."
When her good father was gone, and little Emily found herself alone once more, her heart beat very fast, and she was nearly crying again, but then she whispered in her heart, " Please, O God, take care of me, and help me not to be afraid," and saying this over and over again, she fell asleep.
C. A. W.
Now a great part of our lives is spent as it were in the dark. That is, we cannot see what is going to take place; we do not know what even a day will bring forth. What a happy thing, then, it is to be quite sure that our Father is caring for us, and, like the little children of whom we have just read, to be quiet and confident in His love.
A child's confidence in his parents will lead him to tell them not only his troubles but his faults. It is our great privilege as children of God to speak to Him about those things which we may have done contrary to His holy will
"SHALL I TELL JESUS?"
"Shall I tell Jesus I have been naughty?" asked little Annie.
"Yes," I said, "we must never hide anything from Him, and it will not make Him love you less to hear about it, though He hates your naughty ways."
So she knelt clown, and in a few simple words told the Lord Jesus she had not done her lessons well, and would He not help her day. Then, lifting up to please Him next her tearful little face, she said, " Shall I ask Him to let me think of Him? "
On my assenting she went on, "And please, Jesus, let me think of ' Thee, and don't let Satan get a place in my naughty little heart."
I did not say anything more to her; but I saw that she did not forget what she had said. Next day she came running to me, saying, "I asked Jesus to make me a good child to-day, so I'm sure He will." And it was true; I had no fault to find with her.
What I want you all to notice is, that it is as Jesus gets a place in your hearts that there will be no room for anything else. Little Annie knew that if she was thinking of Jesus there would be no place for Satan, and so it is. Tie likes to know that the youngest child wishes to think of Him, and He will take care that nothing contrary to Him shall be in your hearts when He is there.
Little children, He is worthy of all your thoughts; do you not think He is? Think how He has proved. His love for you, in leaving the joy. and peace of His home with His Father, and bearing our sins, which caused God's face to be hidden from Him, for God cannot look upon sin. It was because He wanted you to share that home with Him, so He puts away the sins which prevent our tasting that joy with Him.
I think if you believed this, you would often think of Jesus, like little Annie.
C. A. W.
God listens to all that we have to tell Him. His ear is ever open to our cry. And a child's prayer is never rejected by God. The more confidence we have in God, the more simple will be our prayers to Him. Let us read of a few instances of such requests.
I ASKED HIM.
WE heard of a little boy, not quite four years old, whose mother was very, very ill. Little Ernest fondly loved his mother, and he began to speak to the Lord Jesus about her sickness. After some time of anxiety, the little boy was taken away from home by his aunt, so as to make the house as quiet as possible. But Ernest prayed to Jesus to make his dear mother well, if such were His will; and after a short time, the post brought joyful news. When Ernest heard that his mother was getting well, he said, "Yes, gentle Jesus did it-I asked Him."
A WORD FROM GOD.
There was a little boy, named Samuel, who loved the Lord Jesus. When he was ten years old he went to his grandmamma's to be nursed during an illness. He was very happy there, and often talked with his grandmamma about the dear Savior.
When Samuel became strong he was told that his parents wanted him to go to a boarding-school. He had not left his home before, and he was afraid that he might not be faithful to Christ among so many playfellows and schoolmates-for the school contained a hundred boys. When he told his grandmamma how tried he was about going to school, lest he should not be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, she said, "Samuel, my dear, when I am in trouble I always pray to God to give me some word to help me. You go and pray to Him, and ask Him to give you a word to help you. God can answer your prayer by laying some beautiful text upon your heart, or by guiding your eye to one when you are reading your Bible."
Samuel thought much about what his grandmamma said, but he scarcely could think God would give him a word about such a thing as going to school. Still, he prayed for a word from God, for he wanted His help very much.
The day before he was to leave, his grand-mamma spoke to him of the comfort in having God's word for every trouble; but he made no reply, and bade her good-night, looking still sad.
But what a change came over the dear boy the next morning! As he ran to bid his grandmamma good-morning, his face beamed with happiness, and, after kissing her, he exclaimed, with great delight, "Oh, grand-mamma, God has given me such a beautiful word! When I went to bed last night I asked Him again to give me a word out of the Bible to help me this morning; and before I got into my bed I put my Bible under the pillow, and directly it was light I opened it, and I found such a beautiful word that I shut it up, nor did I look for another verse; so now you must guess what my word from God is."
"Oh, Samuel, I might guess a hundred beautiful texts, and, after all, not come to yours; so I think you had better tell me what it is."
" Well, it is the 3rd verse of Psalm—'What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.' And now, grandmamma, you must say it over six times, that you may not forget my text! "
The man-servant, who traveled with little Samuel, told his grandmamma, on his return, " Master Samuel was so happy in the train, singing hymns all the way." After Samuel lead been a week at his school, his grand-mamma received a letter from him, telling her how well he had got through his lessons, and how happy he was. " I feel quite well, grandmamma, though I have had no tonic medicine since I left you, except Psa. 56;5. 3-'What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.'
SHOW ME THE WAY.
Eliza was a little orphan girl in whom we were especially interested, for she loved the Lord Jesus, and told Him all her troubles.
When a little servant maid she was sent out one very hot summer's day upon an errand. Eliza lost her way, and wandered about for a long time, not knowing where to go. She was afraid to ask the passers-by, lest she should be directed wrong; and she began to feel in great trouble.
Then she thought, "I will ask the Lord Jesus in heaven, for He knows quite well just where I am, and the house to which I want to go, and the nearest way to it." So the little girl prayed Him, in His kindness, to show her the way.
She had hardly spoken to the Lord in her heart, before a lady drew near, and Eliza at once asked her to tell her the way to Mrs.—'s.
" Follow me, little girl," the lady said; " I live next door, and you will soon be there."
" Thank you, ma'am," replied Eliza, " I knew you would show me, for Jesus told me to ask you the way."
What the lady thought of such an answer I do not know; but Eliza was quite happy, and was soon at the house she wished. Will our young readers, like this little child, remember to ask God for everything, for He listens to little children's prayers? You will find it a pleasant task to look in the Bible for the answers to prayer there recorded, and the more you speak to God about all your wants, the more happy you will grow.
"YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWETH"
The children of whom I am now going to tell you had a kind and loving father, and to see them sad or in want was his greatest grief. Their good mother was in heaven, and so the father had to work for them, and mind them.
In the stormy weather it was difficult for him to catch fish enough to buy his children food, and one winter the weather was so rough for a long time together that he knew not what to do. His children cried for food, and he did not know where to find it for them. So he prayed to God, for he loved Him, and believed the Lord's words: " Consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap: which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? "
He was too poor to have a storehouse or a barn; he was only a poor fisherman; but his Father in heaven, to whom all the earth belongs, knew that there was not bread enough in the fisherman's house to feed his little ones.
With a sad heart, the good man went out of doors, and seated his little girl upon his shoulder. As he walked along, presently a pieman came down the street, with a tray upon his head, laden with nice things. Little Mary, being upon her father's shoulder, was just as high as the pieman's tray, and she reached out her hand to snatch off a cake.
" No, my child," her father said, " those are not ours, and I have no money to buy you any." And as he spoke, his little Mary began to cry bitterly, nor would she be comforted, so her father sorrowfully returned to his home.
When her father had put her down, he took of his thick sailor's jacket, and as he threw it aside out rolled a bright shilling from the pocket. At first he could not believe his eyes, or understand where it had come from. Then he called to mind that just when his little Mary was crying for the cakes a woman had pushed against him, and she, no doubt, had put the money into the pocket.
You may be sure the good father did not allow the hungry little children to wait long for their meal, neither did he forget to teach them to thank God for His mercies in sending them the food.
And, dear young friends, never let us forget to praise God for His answers to our prayers, for He Himself, who is so good and kind, says to us, " Be ye thankful."
Let us end this chapter with some texts of Scripture upon prayer to God.
MY FATHER'S CARE.
IF e'en a little sparrow falls,
My heavenly Father knows;
'Tis He the scented lily clothes,
And every flower which blows.
He gives the hungry bird its food,
The drooping bud its shower,
But I am dearer far to Him
Than sparrow or than flower.
Because He made His creatures all,
He guards them 'neath His eye;
He made me too-but, oh! far more,
For me His Son did die.
When troubles cause my heart to droop
Or wet my cheek with tears,
My Father's love, my Father's care,
Shall soothe away my fears.