THE winter has passed and now we have reached the beautiful month of flowers, with which God has decked and adorned this creation. How delicate some of them are, unable to withstand the cold blast that sometimes comes during the nights in May. In the morning, we see them wilted and their marvelous beauty all gone; but in a few days, some more come up, just as beautiful, and we forget about the withered ones, but we are occupied with the fresh and beautiful ones that are before our eyes. The children, like the little girl in our picture, go outside the cities and delight to gather the wild flowers, but they, too, in a few days wither and have to be thrown away.
What a picture we get in this of our own lives! We come upon the scene, young and fresh; sometimes a cold blast, or some disease cuts off our dear ones in early life, but whether or not, the end comes to all down here in time, and we may well be reminded of that Scripture, “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.” 1 Peter 1:2424For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (1 Peter 1:24).
But there is this difference between us and those beautiful things God has made for us; when they come to their end here, that is the last of them, but not so with us. God lets us know we shall live on forever and ever, either with Him, or separated from Him, but He has provided a way so that none need be separated from I lim. Our sins would have called for us to be cut off from Him forever, because He is holy; but God gave His only Son, who alone was able to bear the awful results of sin, to die in our stead—to be separated from God. So He took that place on Calvary, and gained the victory for sinners; and all who believe in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
May each dear reader, young or old, consider how quickly the beautiful flowers are gone, and think how soon, too, we will be done with this life, and if you have not put your trust in Jesus as your Saviour, I beg of you to do so now. He is ready and willing to save all who will come to Him. Tomorrow you may be gone from this life, and if without Christ as your Saviour, the wrath of God will remain upon you.
ML 05/02/1909