Thousands of children who are reading this paper, live in Christian countries and know little or nothing about idols and idol-worship.
But there are some heathen countries where the people know as little about our God, as we know about idols.
They have a desire to worship something, and they make idols of clay, wood, and stone, —likenesses of men and animals. To these they pray for help and blessing.
Some years ago, in China, there was a boy named Lem, five years old, who bonged to a family of idol-worshipers, and at that age he, too, began to worship idols.
There were missionaries in China, who went there to tell these people about the true God and His Son Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save sinners.
Lem’s people had heard about Jesus, but did not believe in Him. They hated Christianity and taught Lem to hate it.
Four years later, when Lem was nine years old, he went to one of the missionary schools to learn English.
His teacher told the children about Jesus, and His love, and Lem was very much interested. He wanted to hear more and he wanted to ask questions, but was afraid to ask anyone outside of the school, because he knew that his relatives and friends hated that precious Name.
So he just listened and learned what he could at school.
When Lem was fourteen years old he started to Sunday School. There he was able to hear much more about the Saviour than in day school. He learned, too, how displeasing to the Lord were some of the things he was doing.
When Lem was only six years old he played around in the slums with boys and men who gambled and loafed about the streets instead of studying and working and behaving themselves.
So Lem learned to gamble. But later on, when his parents found out and punished him for it, he tried to stop. Poor Lem, it was too late then, for the habit had become so strong that he seemed unable to stop, even though he knew he would receive a thrashing.
Dear children, if you play and associate with those who do wicked things, you will soon be doing the same things.
Ask the Saviour to keep you out of bad company. Ask Him to keep you from forming bad habits from which you would find it very hard to break away.
Lem kept on gambling till he was fifteen years old and had lost his last cent. Then he turned to Jesus, and asked for help, for he had come to have a simple faith in that blessed One.
Lem’s prayer was answered, for he never gambled again. He also stopped worshiping idols.
He kept on going to Sunday School, though he was often punished for doing so. The love of Jesus had won his heart and exercised his conscience.
His family tried to persuade him to give up Christ, but Lem refused. His Uncle offered to give him a good education, and spending money, and books to read. But no, Lem would not forsake the Friend who had given up even His own life for him.
So he has gone on studying hard and working hard to pay his own expenses.
Lem hands out tracts to others that they too, may learn about Jesus and the way of salvation. And his hope and desire is that when he is a little older, and has learned more about God’s Word, he can go out and preach the gospel.
How many of you love the Lord Jesus enough to suffer for Him? Enough to go without the things you would like to have, rather than deny His blessed Name?
ML 03/08/1931