HAVE my little readers ever asked themselves this question? The Lord Jesus has done so much for us. He could not have done more. He not only left the glory above, but He gave His life—Himself—for us. He says: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Those who have tasted the love of Christ, love Him in return; and those who know what great things He has done for them, will ask themselves: “What can I do for Jesus?” It is well too that such questions should rise in our hearts, for His people are entreated to not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again.
I read something recently about a little Armenian boy, who with many other Armenian children had been taken into an orphans’ home in Marash. The little boy of whom I want to speak was not only poor, but he was always sick. He had bad blood and had to be in bed a great deal. Well, this boy had heard of the love of the Lord Jesus, and it had won his heart, so that he often asked himself this question: “What can I do for Jesus?” But he was a poor, sick orphan boy; what could he do? He had nothing and could do nothing.
Finally the boy thought of a way, but to carry out his plan would need the cooperation of the nurse who waited on him. He had purposed to refuse the dessert at every meal, which according to the custom there consisted of dry bread and walnuts, or raisins and almonds, or cheese or some fruit, and once in a week he would fast altogether to save money for the home. After a certain length of time, he handed the head man of the home a slip of paper on which he had written: “For the value of 68 half meals, and 16 whole meals which I did not eat, please buy a Bible, and give it to whoever would like to have one.”
The head of the establishment, who, by the way, was a God-fearing man, and who knew nothing of the boy’s plan and fasting was astonished, yet he gladly owned the claims of the boy. He writes afterwards as follows: “It was not hard to find someone to give the Bible to, for there has been an awakening here; souls feel their need of a Saviour, and there is a hunger for God’s word. May the Lord bless the boy, who purchased a Bible with the value of the food he denied himself of, and the recipient of that Bible especially, and may the question rise up in many a heart: ‘What can I do for Jesus?”
Do you, who know the Lord Jesus as you Saviour, not want to ask yourselves this question? The lust of the flesh and the lust of eye is so great in these days, even in children, they want to see all, want to have all. Could you not deny yourselves one or another of your pleasures, and use the money for the work of the Lord, or for His poor? You will Have more good, more joy, more blessing and eternal gain if you really do it for the Lord Jesus. The very words of the Lord Jesus are that it is more blessed to give than to receive; moreover the first mark of His disciples is to deny themselves, etc.
It is undoubtedly true that we cannot really do anything for Jesus until we have learned to know what He has done for us; until we have surrendered to Him and tasted His love. But where the soul enjoys the Saviour and His love, that soul will find a way to serve Him and serve His people. The little boy found a way, and what a sweet savor it must have been to the Lord Jesus to see him denying himself food which naturally he would have relished so well.
ML 09/12/1909