“MAMMA,” said little Mary one day as she came in from Sunday-school, “my teacher says that if we ask God for anything we need, He will give it to us. Is this really true, Mamma?” and the child looked up wonderingly into her mother’s face.
Little Mary’s mother was a poor widow. She possessed few indeed of this world’s goods, but that did not make her less peaceful and contented, because she knew there was a treasure laid up for her in heaven.
“Quite true, Mary,” replied her mother, “the Lord Jesus Christ said to His disciples, ‘All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ But, remember, Mary it is only true believing faith that God will reward.”
“Well then,” said Mary quickly, “tonight when I say my prayer, I will ask God that we may find a loaf of bread in our cupboard in the morning, and I will run down early,” she added lightly, “and see if it is there.”
The widow made no reply. She looked sorrowfully at her little girl, and offered up a silent prayer that God would teach her, in His own way, how real a thing faith us, and give her, too, that faith which alone can save her, and make her happy.
The day wore away, and evening found little Mary at the accustomed hour, kneeling beside her bed, offering up her usual prayer. She did not forget the special request—this was added; then she slipped into bed, and was soon fast asleep.
The dawn was just breaking in the far-off east, and a star or two were still shining brightly when Mary awoke. Her first thought was about the loaf.
“It is morning now,” she said to herself, “I will go and see if it is there.” She slid quickly from her bed, crossed the room noiselessly lest she should wake her mother, crept down stairs, and glided over the kitchen to the cupboard, the door of which she threw open and peeped in.
Only a faint ray of light shone in through the small window, but there was sufficient to show Mary that what she sought for was not there.
“There now, just what I expected!” exclaimed the child, with a shade of triumph in the tone, as she turned away and hastily regained her bed.
She would gladly have run at once and told her mother, but the hour was too early, and she would not disturb her, so she lay quiet for a time listening for her mother to awake.
An hour or so after she awoke. In an instant Mary was at her side.
“Mamma, mamma!” she exclaimed earnestly, “it is just what I expected, I have been down to the cupboard, and the loaf I prayed for is not there.”
The mother looked for a moment into the face of her child—a look full of sadness—then with marked emphasis, she said, “Just what you expected, do you say, Mary? Then God has given you what you expected—NOTHING!”
There was no need to say more. Quick as lightning she saw her mother’s meaning, and like a knife it cut her to the quick. She felt how very, very unbelieving she had been, and, burying her head in her mother’s lap, she wept bitterly.
Mary never forgot this lesson. Many a time afterward, when she was tempted to doubt, her mother’s words, “It is only true believing faith that God will reward,” came to her remembrance; and she would thank God for the lesson which He Himself had surely taught her.
May each one of our young readers learn a lesson, too, from the story of little Mary’s lack of faith—and not to trust their own deceitful hearts, but look to the Lord Jesus to give them, first of all, the faith that can save them; then entire faith in Him who alone can satisfy and meet their every need.
ML-06/13/1920