THE CHILDREN'S LEISURE

It often happens, especially during the school holidays, that children say 'What shall I do?'. A good thing to do then - or sooner - is to write down all the people in the Bible who have asked the same question, and why. It will occupy your mind and develop your soul. At least seven very different persons have uttered this and with none of them was it through idleness, but often in very deep feeling.

In one of His parables Jesus spoke of the lord of a certain vineyard, when all his messengers had been illtreated, as saying "What shall I do? I will send my beloved son". But when his son came to the vineyard he also was cast out and even killed. How deeply Jesus Himself must have felt this! As God's Son, sent into this world when a Man He suffered and was crucified. Yet to this we owe our salvation, so marvellous are God's ways! Pilate in careless doubt asked what he should do with Jesus: to the unbeliever the question really is 'What shall I do without Him?'

A religious young man asked the Lord what he should do to gain eternal life. The answer in effect was to deny self in exchange for treasure in heaven now, and to follow Jesus here on earth. An infidel man was so prospered by his Creator that he asked what he could do with all his goods. His answer to his own question showed that he thought only of his property and not at all of the Giver. Like everyone else he had to leave all, but God gave him a very short time - as He has given you - to consider urgently the eternal welfare of his own soul. Another man who also talked to himself was a worldly-wise man; he wondered what he could do to avoid the consequences of his own unfaithfulness. One lesson for us is to use what we have for God's glory. The poor widow did not have to ask what to do with her two mites - she knew!

How many loving and longing fathers and mothers are just now saying "What shall I do for my son?" - or maybe 'my daughter'? How many persons in deep anxiety of soul are asking what to do to be saved? With the jailer at Philippi there was no time to consider alternatives. He said " What must I do to be saved?" There was and is only one answer. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus? Yes, well then as a baptised person even simple duties like laying the table can be done for Him.

J.C.Evershed