Florence was the daughter of Christian parents and was about eleven years old at the time of our story. Her home was a comfortable one, with all the advantages which a child’s heart could wish. Yet, richly blessed as Florence had been, she was of happy in the most important way, for as yet the precious name of Jesus was not sweet in her ear. Not only was this so, but Florence really disliked the mention of the things of God.
One morning, while in the schoolroom, her private teacher asked her to bring her Bible and read aloud to her the usual daily chapter. Something raised Florence’s passionate temper, for, seizing the Word of God hastily, and uttering these terrible words, “Oh, I’m so tired of this dull, stupid book. I hate it!” she dashed it violently to the floor and stamped her foot upon it.
Her teacher, in silent horror at the terrible act, went for Florence’s mother, who returned at once. With equal horror her mother stood for a moment almost overwhelmed by the thought, rising above all other, that her blessed Lord and Saviour had been dishonored, and His holy Word had had the grossest dishonor cast upon it, and that by her own dearly loved and carefully taught daughter. She bade her child to follow her at once to her room.
When there, the poor grieved mother strove to point out to Florence the exceeding sinfulness of her act, adding that she had a firm conviction that God would not in righteousness suffer such a willful slight cast upon His most holy Word to be unmarked and unpunished.
Her mother went on to say that this fact did not in any way free her from her own responsibility toward God, and from her duty towards her child. So, taking a small whip, she punished Florence for her sinful conduct. After this she knelt before the Lord, with her child by her side, confessing the sin, owning the Lord’s perfect right to deal with her child Himself about it, if He saw fit, only entreating with many tears that her precious soul might be saved for His name’s sake alone.
Florence was greatly changed from that day, and her mother believed that God the Holy Spirit had indeed begun to show her herself, as a lost sinner before God, and one who needed just such a precious Saviour as the Lord Jesus, who is ever “mighty to save.”
Not long after, Florence and her mother were near a bad explosion one night, and dear Florence was missing. She was at length found lying under a hedge, where she had been thrown by the force of the explosion. Her mother anxiously bent over her, and Florence calmly told her that her foot seemed badly hurt. She added in an awed whisper, as she fixed her eyes upon her mother’s face, “Oh, Mother, it is the very foot that dared to trample upon God’s holy Word!”
Very patiently and bravely poor Florence bore the suffering of her hopelessly shattered and burnt foot, which eventually had to be taken off. The great trial, however, proved a lasting blessing to her soul. Florence took the Lord Jesus as her own Saviour, and could now rejoice in the knowledge that not only that one dreadful sin of hers, but all her sins had been washed away in the precious blood of Christ. The Bible too, once so hated, she had now learned to love and enjoy. May God send this story home with His own power to the heart of each young rear, teaching them to revere, honor, and love His most holy Word.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6: 7.
What a solemn thing it will be for those who have despised the Word of God, to find that in a coming day they will be judged by it.
ML 03/29/1953