A LITTLE girl of seven years of age was in great trouble about her sins, so much so that her father, who is a faithful minister of Christ, said of her, “That to see her great sorrow about her soul, you might think she must be the greatest sinner in the world.”
But—no! She had been a good and obedient child, and had been brought up in the fear of God. It was God’s Holy Spirit who was showing her what her sins were in God’s sight, and this made her feel herself so very sinful before Him.
“O, dear papa,” she said, as she came to tell him her trouble, “do pray for me that God will pardon all my sins and give me peace!”
After praying and talking with the child, her father saw that his little girl was trusting to him instead of going to Jesus Christ for herself. So he unclasped her arms, which were fastened around his neck, and though he felt very sorry to leave her so unhappy, he tenderly said that his little girl could not be saved by his prayers. He told her that he must leave her quite alone with God, and that she must go to God herself, that the Lord Jesus could and would save her soul if she went to God through Him. The little girl entreated her father not to go away; but he rose, and left the room.
When quite alone, the trembling child knelt down and prayed to God to forgive her all her sins, and to fill her with His Holy Spirit. She went by faith to the Saviour—she put her whole trust in Him; and when her father, who had been pleading with God elsewhere, came again into the room he found his child quite happy. God had received her in His love, and had given her pardon and peace in believing in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and since that day this little girl has been a happy follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
No one can go to God for us, we must go to Him ourselves; and if we go as poor, lost sinners, forsaking our sins and seeking His mercy in the Saviour’s name, and through His precious blood, God will give us pardon and peace, and put His holy Spirit within us. No one who has gone to the Lord Jesus has been turned away, and He says, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out,” and though heaven and earth shall pass away, not one word of His shall ever pass away till all be fulfilled. Come, then, to Him for yourselves, and you shall, like the little girl, be a happy follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
ML 12/09/1917