FIVE LITTLE PEBBLES
Five little pebbles lay in a brook,
Five little pebbles hid in a nook.
"What are we good for?" one said to the other.
"Little or nothing, I'm thinking, my brother."
Wearing away, day after day,
It seemed that for ever those pebbles might stay.
If they were flowers, ever so gay,
Doubtless someone would take them away;
Or if they were big stones that builders could use,
Perhaps then some builder those stones would choose,
Wait, little pebbles, rounded and clean,
Long in your loneliness, lying unseen,
God has a future awaiting for you.
Five little pebbles, sturdy and true.
Five little pebbles hid in a brook,
David came down and gave them a look,
Picked them up carefully out of the sand;
Five little pebbles great in his hand.
"Hark!" there is shouting, there's fighting today,
Boldly these pebbles are borne to the fray;
One of them chosen and put in a sling -
Could we have thought that a stone could thus wing?
Onward it sped, with a might not its own,
Onward it sped, by the shepherd boy thrown;
Swift as an arrow, straight as a dart,
For the whole nation that stone played its part,
Striking the giant's great terrible head,
Laying him low - a mighty man dead.
Five little pebbles lay in a brook,
Mentioned with honour in God's Holy Book.
Be thou a pebble, contented and low,
Ever kept clean by His mercy's pure flow,
Hidden and ready till Jesus shall look,
And choose you, and use you, a stone from the brook.
S.J.B.Carter
BELIEVING CHILDREN
One of the great apostles, Thomas, had doubts as to whether the appearing of the Lord Jesus as risen from the dead was really and truly his own Master. Jesus said to him, "be not un believing, but believing". Perhaps these words could be said to someone reading this and who does not yet believe on the Lord Jesus. He is now not only risen but ascended and glorified, yet available to all as Saviour and Master.
Paul's epistle to Titus, which mentions "believing children", tells us that the grace of God has come as a teacher whilst we are in this present world, which is therefore like a schoolroom. Grace has brought with it salvation without which we could not begin learning. We have every help in turning away from wrong things and following what is right. One of the first lessons is to live "soberly", that is to behave ourselves well in all things. Then to live "justly" relates us to what is due to all around us, whilst "piously" is to give pleasure to our Master.
We are at all times in God's school and not waiting to be dismissed or sent on holiday. There is a window in the schoolroom through which we are encouraged to look for the coming of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He will come secretly for those whom He has redeemed and then in glory He will come again with them all. Will you be amongst these?
J.C.Evershed