WE have been telling you, dear children, the story of Cain and Abel, and you will see from it how bad the heart of man is; for when Cain rose up and killed his brother, and then went out from the Lord’s presence and tried to make himself happy without God, he was only acting according to what was in his heart. Our hearts have evil in them, and it is only as God’s restraining power is exercised, that we are kept from doing wrong. But God laid sore punishment upon Cain for his wicked ways; and here again we may learn a lesson, for God has told us that we shall reap as we sow. If a farmer sows wheat in his ground, he expects to reap wheat in due time; but if he sows tares—that is a kind of weed—he must expect to reap tares. And just so with boys and girls, if they are sowing words of kindness and deeds of love they will reap love and kindness in return; but if they are cross and unkind and ugly in their ways they will reap sorrow.
We are all sowing, and God tells us “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall be also reap,” and this will surely come to pass.
But I was going to tell you something about Enoch, whose history is much brighter and happier than that of Cain. I want you to see what a blessed reaping time he had. After Cain had killed Abel, God gave to Adam and Eve another son to take Abel’s place, and this son they called Seth; and Enoch, about whom I wish to tell you, was the great, great, great grandson of Seth, so that six generations of people had lived, and many of them had passed away, when Enoch came into the world.
At this time there was much wickedness in the world; but while others were going their own way and doing their own will, Enoch “walked with God.” He felt the evil of what was going on about him, and instead of taking part in what was wrong he turned away from it and found his happiness in walking with God. He told the people around him that the Lord was coming to execute judgment upon all because of their wickedness.
God was well pleased with the way that Enoch walked and He showed His pleasure in a wonderful way. Let me tell you how it was. He took Enoch right up to Himself in heaven—caught him away from a scene where there was labor and sorrow and toil, up to the bright glory where God dwells. Enoch did not get sick and die; Adam died, and Seth died and Mahalaleel and all the other people that lived before and after Enoch, died; but God was so well pleased with Enoch’s walk that He took him to Himself without his going through death. What a happy reaping time that was for Enoch!
Now learn from this, dear children, that God takes note of all you do and say, and that you are either pleasing Him, or displeasing Him in all your ways. And if you stand apart from evil and seek to please the Lord in all you do, you will have a very bright reward. God loves those that love Him, and He watches over them to do them good; and He tells them they shall reap in due season if they faint not.
Enoch did not know that he would be suddenly caught away from earth to heaven; and how wonderful it must have seemed to him to be placed in a moment where all was pure and bright and lovely, beyond all that we can think of!
But we know that Jesus is coming to take His loved people to Himself, and when He comes, those who have, like Enoch, been walking with Him, will, in a moment, be caught away in the clouds to meet Him in the air.
May the Lord help us, each one, to walk with Him, and to please Him in all our ways! R.
“Happy children who are waiting For that bright and joyful day, Knowing Jesus as their Saviour, They can watch for Him and say,
Come, Lord Jesus!
Take Thy little ones away.”
ML 11/19/1899