For the very young
My Friend
I have a friend. I have never met him, though he often sends messages to me. I received a card from him once showing how beautiful his homeland is, and although I have never been there, I have always wanted to go and meet him and see his country. He lives in Australia.
I have another friend who is much more precious to me, though I have never seen Him either. His name is Jesus. He loved me so much that He died for me! Now He lives in heaven, and He tells me how much He cares for me each day. He has provided just what is best for me many times, and He tells me that He has a home reserved for me in the place where He lives. He has promised to take me there soon, then it will be my home too.
Maybe you value your friends here also, but do you know and enjoy the companionship of Jesus every day? He wants to be your friend too.
“Whom having not seen, ye love” (1 Peter 1:8)
extracted from the Sep 2020 issue of Youthful Days
The Cake Stall
Many years ago, when my children were young, I was helping on the cake stall at a sale at their school. All the cakes had been donated by the parents, and in pride of place in the centre of the stall was a lovely chocolate cake which had been baked by one of the parents.
Just after the sale started a little boy came up and asked to buy it. As I packed it into a box for him to take away, he said to me, “It’s twice mine now – my Mum made it and I bought it!”
It made me think – this cake is a little like us. God created us, and His Son, the Lord Jesus, bought us by paying the price to save us. And what a price He paid, dying for us on the cross! As the Bible says, redeemed “… with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19).
Have you ever considered that the God who made you also gave His only Son to save you? You belong to Him. If someone loved you so much that they gave their life for you, wouldn’t you love them? Jesus did!
extracted from the May 2020 issue of Youthful Days
A New Beginning
Susan was buttoning up her cardigan, but she put the first button into the second hole. “It’s alright Mum, it will come right in the end!” she said cheerily as her mother tried to help her. But of course it didn’t because, in the end, there was a puzzled little girl with one button over and no hole to put it in.
Life is like that – we all start wrongly! And then, not only do we start wrongly, but it is not long before we find we are going on wrongly too – telling lies, being disobedient, thinking wrong thoughts. In short, we are sinners.
It is no use thinking it will all come right in the end! We need to be changed – cleansed from our sins, and in His love, God has provided the remedy. He gave His only begotten Son – Jesus – to suffer for our sins at Calvary so that He might be our Saviour. The Bible tells us that Jesus gave “Himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6). That includes you!
If you’re trusting in Jesus as your Saviour, you will have made a new beginning – a right beginning. And because you started right, you can be sure of a right ending too.
extracted from the Jan 2020 issue of Youthful Days