On a bright morning, a group of happy children went out to the woods to gather flowers. The trees were in their freshest green, the sun shone brightly, the lambs frisked in the green meadows, and all around was fair and beautiful. The children were delighted, and sang merrily as they scampered through the pretty woods, and across the grassy slopes carpeted with flowers.
Daisy, the youngest of the group, a bright child of five, was given in charge by her mother to Elsie her elder sister, with strict injunctions not to leave, or lose sight of her even for a moment, for well she knew the dangers that abounded even amid so fair surroundings, and the possibilties of her darling child being lost in the woods.
All through the forenoon the children gathered flowers and played among the trees. After partaking of the simple lunch which they had brought with them, one suggested a game in an adjoining field, and all being agreed, they mounted the gate and commenced their play. Daisy being too young to join it, wandered along the field picking flowers and otherwise amusing herself.
Busy in their play, the girls failed to observe that at the end of the field there was a herd of cattle feeding. A loud roar arrested their attention, and, looking in the direction from which it came, they saw a young bull with his head down, making directly for them. In a moment the game was stopped, and the girls making as fast as their feet would carry them to the wood. But where was Daisy? All unconscious of her danger, picking flowers at the side of the field.
When her sister reached the gate where she had left her, and found her gone, she was frantic. A glance along the wall showed Daisy’s bright dress, and the wild animal dashing along in that direction. What could they do to save Daisy? Simply nothing; they were helpless. Elsie, who had heard and read in God’s Book of the mighty power that closed the lions’ mouths to save His servant Daniel, and of the shepherd boy of Bethlehem who delivered his father’s lamb from the lion and the bear cried out—
“Lord save little Daisy from that angry bull;” and He who watcheth the sparrows fall, heard that cry.
The animal suddenly turned another way, and Daisy, still unaware of her danger, was lifted across the wall by a boy who hurried from a neighboring field when he heard the animal’s bellow, and rescued her amid many expressions of gratitude from her sister.
That story of deliverance has never been forgotten, but is often related by Daisy to her class of little girls in the Sunday School, who listen eagerly to the stirring incident which she never fails to “follow up” by saying,
“And I knew a greater deliverance than that; when as a sinner, lost and helpless, exposed to Satan’s power and in danger of perishing in sin, Jesus lifted me up and set me by His side in safety on the Rock, to which no power of the adversary can reach, I could do nothing to save myself, but Jesus did it, did it all long, long ago.” And now the word to us is:
“Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now;
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.”
Yes, there is danger to the youngest while they remain out of Christ, in the world, and exposed to sin and Satan’s power. But coming to the Saviour, believing in Him, saved by Him, there is safety, peace and joy.
ML 07/30/1944