Or, Good News for Little Ones. ―1 Sam. 3.
“AND the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for Thy servant heareth.” — 1 Samuel 3:1010And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. (1 Samuel 3:10).
“THE Lord called Samuel,” once and again and again, but it was so gently that He spoke that the little boy thought it was his aged friend Eli who had been calling him. If the Lord had called in a voice like the thunder, Samuel would have known at once who it was; but God loved little Samuel, and did not want to make him afraid; so he “came, and stood, and called,” just the same as He had done three times before, “Samuel, Samuel.” And now he knew it was the Lord who called his name, and he said, “Speak, for thy servant heareth,” and when God spoke he listened to every word, and told Eli in the morning.
Dear little boy, or girl, reading this little book, the “Good News” we have for you is that the same Lord is calling to you now. You do not hear Him perhaps; you think you only read what we have to say to you, but be quite sure that it is Jesus Himself who is really calling you to come to Him, that He may do you good, and lead you in the good and right way, and make you to know how much He loves you. A poor blind man once heard that Jesus was going by, and he asked Jesus to take pity on him and give him his sight. When Jesus knew, He stood still and said, “Call him.” So the people did. They said to the blind man, “Rise, He calleth thee.” Now this is just what we try to do for you in GOOD NEWS. It is we who speak to you, but it is to tell you that Jesus calls you, not that we do.
Only Jesus could give that blind man sight. Only Jesus can truly bless you and make you happy; but He can, and He calls to you, “Come unto me.” Have you thought that it was what friends have written that you read in GOOD NEWS, as Samuel thought it was Eli calling him? Learn now that it is the Lord Jesus who speaks to you in His word and by His servants, telling you how He loves you, and has died to put away your sins, how He is coming again very soon to “call” into the clouds those who have heard His word, and come to Him and believed in Him on earth.
“If I come to Jesus,
Happy I shall be,
He is gently calling,
Little ones like me.”
W. T.