THE CHILDREN'S TREASURES

The Lord Jesus spoke of being rich towards God which is something that believers, young and old, should strive after. Just as the fear of the Lord will be Israel's treasure in the thousand-year reign of Jesus over the earth, so it is ours now. It means that we refer everything to Him, not that we are afraid of a God who has proved His love in the precious blood of Christ. The cost of redemption of even one child's undying soul cannot be compared with silver and gold.

Yet gold is very valuable in this world. How strange that it should be dug from the earth in one place and then most of it buried again in vaults elsewhere! But faith is much more precious than gold which perishes. The deep mine from which faith comes is the word of God and it is won by hearkening so that we may use and enjoy it.

The apostle Peter wrote of precious promises that have been given to us. The meaning is that we have actually received the things promised so as to give us a longing to know better the God who has given us these blessings and to keep us from the growing wickedness in the world around.

From Moses we learn that the reproach of God's suffering people is great riches. Suppose for a moment that it could be put in one side of a great pair of scales and all the attractive treasures of the world in the other! Can you say which side would go down and which side would go up like emptiness?

J.C.Evershed