"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” John 3: 14-15
"Mother, see what I found in the library just now!" exclaimed Annie as she approached her mother, carrying a large, gauzy-winged moth on her finger. "Where did it come from? and how did it get in there?" "Call Herbert and come with me, and I'll finish the story I began to tell you some days ago." said the mother, as she went to the library and took down the cocoon from the corner in which it had been hanging. "Now, children, I told you that a caterpillar spun this cocoon last fall, shutting itself up inside. Then it went to sleep, or apparently died. It has lain in this little casket, as we might call it, all these months - sometimes covered with the snow, sometimes rocked by the cold winds and beating rains. "It was not dead, however. All this time that it was apparently lifeless, there was a change taking place in its body.
The caterpillar.
"In order that you may get an idea of how it looked last fall we shall study this picture briefly. This is the picture of a caterpillar that belongs to the Sphinx family, which usually burrow into the ground and spin their cocoons, but it is very much like the one that spun this cocoon. First we notice that the body is divided into many sections. Beneath those, Just behind the head, we see six legs (three on each side) which look somewhat like claws. These are called the true legs. Besides these we see ten short, thick legs (five on each side), which are called prolegs. It has sixteen legs in all.
"Now, as we look at this beautiful moth we can not see much resemblance between it and an ugly caterpillar. Nevertheless, it was just such a creature last fall. Look at this old cocoon, and you will see in one end an opening, out of which it crawled a few hours ago. When it first came out, its moist wings were folded close to its body. It has only six legs, and they are joined to the thorax, the part of the body closest the head. These legs correspond to the true legs of the caterpillar. The wings and antenne have developed. It has no mouth now; while it was a caterpillar it ate almost continually, but now it will eat no more. It can not live very many days.
"Look at the beautifully colored wings. I am sure that you will agree that the moth is much more beautiful now than it was in the caterpillar stage of development.
"God, who made the laws of nature that brought about the change in the life of a caterpillar, changing it to a beautiful moth, has made also a law by which to change our bodies into a more beautiful and glorified state. Although we may fall asleep and our bodies may lie in the grave for years, he has promised to bring us out some day with immortal bodies‚ bodies that will never die.
"All dead people will be raised from their graves never to die again; but if we wish to be raised with glorified bodies, bodies just like Jesus' own glorious body, we must make some preparation in this life. You will remember that the caterpillar prepared the cocoon while the days were still warm and bright and before it went to sleep.
"While we live in this world, we must build a character that will be pleasing to God. We can not do this ourselves, but if we yield ourselves to God, he will help us. Don't think you are too young to begin this character-building. Every act of your life is making an impression upon your character, which is really yourself. Wrong acts weaken your character. I'm sure you desire to build a strong and noble character so that you will be like Jesus in eternity; so ask Jesus to help you to do only those things that are right.'' Grace Graham.
"Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3
One bright afternoon, Herbert and his little sister went out to gather some of the delicate spring posies that had just bloomed. For many months there had not been a flower in all the woods, and from the dead appearance of everything, one might have thought there would never be anymore flowers. But at last the time had come when, according to the laws of nature, the flowers had sprung up where all looked dead only a few weeks before. How the children enjoyed plucking and arranging the violets, anemones, and hepaticas! Their little hearts beat with delight as they anticipated their mother's pleasure on receiving a bouquet of wild flowers. To be sure, crocus and daffodils were blooming in the flower garden, but they were not nearly so much prized by the children as the dainty-faced flowers of the woods. Annie, musing as she looked into their sweet faces, was busily engaged in gathering some fine violets. Suddenly she heard Herbert exclaim, "O Sis, see what I have found!" as he held up a stick which had a peculiar, ball-like something fastened to it. "What can it be?" cried Annie. "Come on," said Herbert, "Let's ask Mother." Soon the two children were standing by their mother's side asking her to explain the mysterious ball, which was not really a ball, for it was not exactly round. "Children," said Mother, "this is a cocoon. It has a pupa inside. It will take sometime to give you its history, but if you wish to hear it, sit here. "Do you remember those large, pretty-colored moths that we saw last summer?" "Are moths like butterflies?" asked Herbert. "Yes, very much, yet there is quite a difference. Moths fly mostly at night, while butterflies fly in the daytime. When butterflies are resting they hold their wings upright, but moths spread their wings horizontally. The antenne, or "feelers" which project from the front of the head of the butterfly are smooth, usually having little knobs on the ends; but the antenne of a moth are more like feathers. Butterflies suck nectar from flowers; but moths never eat anything, therefore they do not live long. "Last summer while the days were long and the sun shone warm and bright; while the trees were clothed in their green robes, and everything seemed full of life, a moth deposited a large number of eggs on a leaf. By and by the eggs hatched into caterpillars. They were very small at first, but they immediately began eating on the leaf, and - eating made them grow. They grew and grew until their coats became too small. What do you suppose they did then? Do you think they stopped eating? No; they continued eating and growing until their coats split along the back, and then they crawled out with a new, soft, green coat on. They ate and ate, and grew and grew, until the same thing happened again. Their coats became too small and they cast them off as before. This happened several times, until the caterpillars were two or three inches long. "Not all that family of caterpillars reached this age, perhaps only a very few. Many of them were eaten by birds and toads. But one escaped all such enemies and lived until full-grown, or mature. Then he selected this stick and began to spin this little house for himself. He worked faithfully and at last had it finished and the door closed so securely that we can not tell now where it is. What was once the caterpillar is inside, but we call it a pupa now, for it is very different. If you could see it you would think the caterpillar spun this cocoon to conceal his dead form. "Now we shall be patient and wait to see what will happen to the cocoon. I shall finish the story another day. Meanwhile let us place the cocoon in the library, and we shall see what will come of it." Grace Graham.
Just as God leads me I would go; I would not ask to choose my way, Content with what he will bestow, Assured he will not let me stray. So, as he leads, my path I make, And step by step I gladly take‚- A child, in him confiding.
Just as God leads I am content; I rest me calmly in his hands; That which he has decreed and sent‚- That which his will for me commands,- I would that he should all fulfill, That I should do his gracious will In living or in dying.
Just as God leads me, I abide In faith, in hope, in suffering true; His strength is ever by my side‚- Can aught my hold on him undo? I hold me firm in patience, knowing That God my life is still bestowing‚- The best of kindness sending.
Just as God leads I onward go, Out amid thorns and briers keen; God does not yet his guidance show‚- But in the end it shall be seen How, by a loving Father's will, - Faithful and true, he leads me still. And so my heart is resting.
About twenty-seven hundred years ago there was a king of Israel named Ahab. One day he went out with his army to fight against the Syrians. Now, Ahab was a coward. He was afraid that when the Syrians saw him they would try to kill him because he was the king of Israel. So he took off the fine armor and the plumed helmet that kings always wore in battle and put on the armor of an ordinary soldier. He did this so that the Syrians would not know who he was. By and by the battle was being fought and the Syrians looked around for Ahab, but they could not find him. Off there in the Syrian army was a soldier with a bow and a quiver of arrows. He tightened his bowstring, took an arrow and put it against the string and looked for an Israelite to shoot at. He did not see any very near him so he just shot off that arrow into the air, not at anything in particular. That is what we mean by drawing a bow at a venture. Let me tell you what became of that arrow. It went up and over and down, and hit the king of Israel who was trying so hard not to be killed that day. There was a place in the armor where the girdle and the breastplate came together, a little joint, and in there the arrow went and killed King Ahab. The man in the Syrian army did not mean to do that. It is likely that he never knew as long as he lived that his arrow had killed the king. Did you ever hear boys and girls say, "I didn't mean to"? When we start out we very seldom mean to do wrong. How is it, then, that we are so often guilty of doing evil things? There was a story, that I read once in an old school book, of a workman who was busy building a ship. He came upon a wormy plank in a pile of lumber. He ought not to have put it into the ship, but he thought to himself, '' It is only one small plank and it will not matter." So he put it in and forgot all about it. After a while the ship was finished and went to sea. For years it did well, and then it was found that the timbers were eaten with worms. They tried to repair it but it became worse and worse, till one day while out at sea it began to leak badly. They tried to pump out the water, but it came in faster than they could get it out, and the crew only saved themselves by taking to the boats. It was that one wormy plank that caused the loss of that valuable ship. The man who put it in there did not mean to sink the ship, any more than that soldier meant to kill the king, but he did. Some of the little things, that we do not mean to do, are those that most hurt others. The Prophet Jeremiah says that the tongue is like an arrow. It is often like the arrow of this soldier. It does what we do not mean it to do. There was a story in one of our papers about a poor girl in one of our great cities. Her father had been killed, and she was working for her living, and trying to support her mother and her little sisters and brothers. It took so much for all this that she did not have anything left to buy pretty clothes with. Some of the girls in the shop where she worked made fun of her shabby dress. She was very sensitive and thought about it till her mind became affected. Then she ran off and jumped into the river. Those thoughtless girls did not mean to hurt her feelings. Their tongues were like that arrow. They killed when they did not mean to. Good words are as arrows too. One of the great ministers of this country tells of crossing the ocean one summer. On the ship was a lawyer, the attorney-general of his state. One night the minister was passing the lawyer's stateroom. The door was open, and as he looked in he saw him reading his Bible. Just then the lawyer looked up and saw the minister and said, " Come in," and he went in. ''I am very glad," said the minister," to see you reading the Bible." ''Yes," said the other, " I read it through at least once each year. I did not know much about this book till a few years ago. One day a little girl said to me, ''Judge, have you ever read the Bible through?'' I said, ''No, have you?'' She said, ''Yes, of course I have.'' That set me thinking. I said to myself, ''Here I am, the attorney-general of this state, and I have never read through the book upon which our whole civilization rests.'' For pure shame I went and read it to the end, and I have never failed once each year to go through it again." That little girl's arrow had hit the judge. Be sure that the words you speak are good words, so that when they hit, they will help instead of hurt. Hutchison.
I'm Thankful, Lord, as I can be That I can sing sweet songs to Thee. I thank Thee for Thy loving care And for the privilege of prayer. I thank Thee, Lord, that I can say My thankfulness to Thee each day. I thank Thee, Lord, and love Thee, too, For helping me with all I do At home, and with my work at school. I thank Thee for the Golden Rule That helps me know the loving way To treat my playmates everyday. I thank Thee, Lord, that I can know They love protects me and will show How perfect gifts come from above, But thank Thee most, dear God, for love.
"And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who
were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."Acts 10:38
The New Testament tells us many things about Jesus after He became a man. It does not say much about the child Jesus, so we ought to study and treasure very carefully everything that is said about His boyhood. What kind of a place did Jesus live in when He was a boy? It was a very small town and a very poor and very dirty town. The streets were so narrow in some places that a woman could reach her hand out of her window on one side of the street, and shake hands with the woman, who was standing in her window, on the other side of the street. If a cart or a camel came along one of those narrow, dark streets, the children had to run into the houses to get out of the way. The streets were also very dirty. There were no sewers then, or garbage wagons, and there was rubbish and filth everywhere. The only time that the streets were cleaned was when it rained very hard. Jesus lived in a very poor little house. The walls were bare and there was almost no furniture. He had none of the comfortable and pretty things that you have in your homes. He was a very poor boy. There were no beds or chairs in His home, and when He went to sleep at night He lay on the floor on a little rug. Nowadays sometimes we hear boys and girls grumble and complain because they haven't as much as some one else, but there is not one of you who has not a better home, and more to make you contented than Jesus had when He was a little child. What did Jesus do when He was a child? I think that He did pretty much the same things that boys do now. He was like every other healthy boy. He loved to run and play and have a good time. Some of the games that we play now are thousands of years old. "Hide-and-seek," "fox and geese," and some of our other out-of-door games, were played in Nazareth in the time of Jesus, and I have no doubt that some of the very games that you enjoy so much, Jesus used to play long ago when He was on earth. But Jesus did something beside play. We are told that He went about doing good. That means that everywhere He went He tried to make people happier by helping them. There was an old English admiral, long ago, who always carried with him a pocketful of acorns. Whenever a chance came he would plant one. Some one asked him why he did it. He replied, "I want to have plenty of oak trees to make ships for my country." Wouldn't it be a fine thing for every one of us to carry goodness and happiness about with us, and leave a little everywhere we go? That was what Jesus did. " He went about doing good." There was a man of whom I heard, who rode out every evening from business to his home in a railroad train. There isn't much fun in standing every day for three-quarters of an hour on a crowded train. But this man has a good time doing it. Let me tell you how he does it. Every day there are many people on that train who have to stand. Among them are tired women, and old men, who cannot hurry enough to get there before all the seats are taken. This man said to himself: ''I am big and strong and every night, when the rush comes for seats, I am going to get a good seat and hold it for someone who needs it more than I do." So every evening when the crowd pushes through the gate, he is one of the first on the train, and always gets a good seat. Then when it is crowded he gives that seat to the most tired person that he can see, who has not been able to get there in time to find one. He said, "I used to think hard of the railroad because they do not give us enough seats to go around in the rush hours, but I am glad of it now, for it gives me a fine chance to help some one else." There is a little verse that we all ought to know, said to have been written by William Penn, "I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not neglect it, or defer it, for I shall not pass this way again." Hutchison.
What does God look like? Almost every boy and girl asks that question sometimes. When we pray to Him and read about Him in the Bible, we are always wondering and wishing that we could see Him. The Bible tells us that no man can see God and live. This used to trouble me very much. I couldn't understand why, if He is a good and loving God, everybody cannot see Him. One day I heard a little story that made it plainer to me. There was a missionary who was visiting a king in India. He had been trying to tell the old heathen ruler about the true God. At last the king said, "Why don't you show me your God? I tell you about my gods and I take you and show them to you. You tell me about your God, but you never let me see Him." The missionary answered, "But no one can see my God. No one can look on Him and live.'' The old heathen said, "I don't understand that." Then the missionary went to the window and told the king to come and look at something. When the king came he pointed at the sun and told him to look hard at it for a moment. The king tried and then turned his head away and said, "I can't look at the sun. It blinds me." "Yes," said the missionary, "that sun is just one of God's poor servants, and if you are not able to look at that, do you think that you could look at God Himself?" That is the reason we cannot look upon God. He is so great and so wonderful and so bright that the very sight of Him is too much for our eyes to see. Perhaps we cannot see God's face, but we can come very close to Him if we know how. In the time of Moses God came down on Mount Sinai, and the people all ran away. They were afraid, but we are told that Moses went straight up to the place where God was. He was not afraid. Some years ago some men went to Washington to see the president. When they came to the door of the White House where he lived, they were told that he was very busy, and it would be a long time before he could see them. So they sat down there to wait. While they were sitting there, a little boy came up the walk, and opening the door of the president's room, went straight in and sat down by the president. Do you know why he went in while every one else had to wait? It was because he was the son of the president, and he could see him at any time. That is why Moses was not afraid to go into the presence of God. Moses was God's child, and God loved him, and he loved God. If we love God, and He loves us, then we are His children, and He is always ready and willing to have us come to Him. God wants us to know Him. There was once a wise king who desired to know his subjects, and wanted them to know him. While he lived in the palace he could never come to know them very well. They were too far away from him. So he dressed himself so that they would not know he was the king, and went and lived among them as a carpenter. They did not know who this poor workman was, but he was so good and gentle that they all came to love him, and then they found out that he was their king. That is what Jesus did. He came and lived among us as a poor workman. He came to make us love Him and to show us how much He loves us. And before He went away He said, ''He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." It is this that I want you to remember most of all in connection with this text. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. Take the New Testament and read about Him and in learning to know Him you will come to know God. Hutchison.
O'ER Judah's plains sweet Spring had thrown Her flowery robe of living green. And Nature in her gala robes Was mantled like a fairy queen.
High o'er the temple's burnished towers The sunshine fell like molten gold, And flamed and flashed from glittering spire, From pinnacle and turret old. While through the city's busy street Echoed the tread of countless feet.
Far over Judah's hills they come, From shepherd lad to stately priest, To ancient Salem's gates they haste To keep the sacred Paschal Feast.
Look, who is he, that youthful Lad, - Standing within the temple fair? Why do not Israel's sages know That he — the Paschal Lamb — is there?
Strange blindness, that they knew him not, - Those gray haired men, those learned seers: Useless the Rabbi's studied lore, The vain philosophy of years.
From out those sacred, youthful lips Flow wondrous words of heavenly lore, — Such words of purity and grace As man had never heard before.
And now, a kind, obedient Son, No thought had he of earthly fame, But 'mong the hills of Nazareth A humble carpenter became.
He took our fallen nature; he Who made the hosts which roll above Of Abraham's frail seed partook, In godlike sympathy and love.
THUS one by one the days go by Since, in the brightening orient sky, The wise men saw the shining star Gleam over Bethlehem's hills afar, And since the shepherd's hearts were stirred By sweetest song ear ever heard.
But ah ! those echoes scarce had died O'er Judah's hills and vales so wide, — Those hills and vales which lately flung The echoes back from angel tongue, — Ere, from those selfsame hills, arise Loud wails of anguish to the skies.
O Herod ! heed'st thou not the cry Of Rachel's anguish, rising high, — That long, loud wail of mortal pain From tender babes thy sword hath slain? Why dost thou raise thy puny arm To do the Lord's Anointed harm? Dost thou not know th' Eternal One Will shield his well beloved Son?
To far-off Egypt's friendly land He journeys, led by angel hand; There, safe from cruel rage, is borne, While Rama's daughters weep and mourn. O crafty Herod, vain thy might When waged against Eternal Right. Vain, vain shall be thy godless boasts, Thy conflict with the Lord of Hosts.
O'ER Bethlehem's hills the stars of night Were softly shining, clear and bright; The flocks and herds were sleeping still, On verdant dale and dewy hill, And o'er earth's calm and peaceful breast A benediction seemed to rest,
As though the whole creation knew, And smiled a welcome warm and true To Him, her long-expected Lord, Foretold by Inspiration's Word, — Foretold and sung by seer and sage, Bright Star of Hope, from age to age.
Hark, hark! what strains of music rare, Like faintest perfume fill the air! And louder still, and still more loud. Bursts from that swift descending cloud: Such glorious notes ring o'er and o'er As weary earth ne'er heard before; Aloud the heavenly heralds sing. While through the spheres the echoes ring.
''Glory to God in the highest! Peace and good will to men!" And the heavens caught the glad refrain, And echoed it o'er again. Then up from the hills of glory There echoed the thrilling cry, Rejoice, O Earth, for the Christ is born! Glory to God on high!"
I remember that while I was in the military service of our country there was in my company a young man who was a model soldier. He was always prompt and obedient. There never was an inspection, a drill, or a formation but he was there at the first note of the bugle, dressed in the prescribed manner of the day. His officers never found any fault with him, and the men used to wonder why, when promotion came, he was never promoted. What was the matter? Some men envied him, but others thought he should be promoted instead of some of those who were promoted.
He finally became discouraged and went to his commanding officer to inquire into the reason for his non-promotion. He was told that he was better as a private than as a non-commissioned officer. He was made to see that as a private his influence over the others to obey and to emulate him in drills would accomplish more than if he were promoted. So, seeing that he was more useful in the more humble position, he was contented to keep it till those over him saw fit to give him a well-earned promotion.
Though a soldier, he was also a Christian, and that was the secret. of his contentment. Through the exhibition of his Christian qualities he gained the good-will of the men and the respect of his officers, and it was not long after until promotion came.
This is equally true with us; if we seek to do what we can in our present position in the Christian life, no matter how humble or how unnoticed by man our lives are, it will not be long until, instead of being the unknown, we shall be the known, not because of ourselves, but because of Christ in us. If we keep humble before Christ, putting him ever before us, seeking not honors or fame for ourselves, but for Christ who died for us, he will keep us in perfect peace.
It is not always necessary to talk in order to let people know that we are Christians, for "actions speak louder than words." If we are true children of God, our lives will show it, and the influence so shed will manifest more to people than we could tell, perhaps, in many words. Clifton H, Lewis
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
Some years ago, in the State of Kansas, a blinding snow-storm was raging. The stinging winds were silently but furiously piling high the snow drifts, making the wide prairie a stretch of valleys and hills. As the twilight grew into darkness, the blizzard steadily increased its forces until it was impossible for a wayfarer to keep a certain course. In the midst of this cold, bleak scene was a lonely little one-roomed house which had been dug out of the ground, and so was called a dugout. It was much like our outdoor cellars, the roof being about three feet from the surface of the earth. The small window at the back of the room was its only source of light. On this night a bright fire was glowing in the little stove, which sufficiently heated the small room, and in comparison with its cheerless surroundings, this little dugout bore an aspect of coziness and comfort. A young man, George by name, was the sole occupant of this house. That very morning he had come from a town eight miles distant to ''prove up'' the claim on which it was located. Fortunately, he had furnished himself with provisions enough to keep him supplied for several days. As this storm had been predicted, George busied himself during the early part of the day by carrying water, and by laying in fuel and such other provisions as he would need while shut in for perhaps two or three days. This done, he next stopped up the cracks and crevices which admitted the snow. This was not an easy task, for the fine, whirling flakes would insist upon entering through some opening. Early in the afternoon a few snowflakes told of the approaching storm, and ere long the blizzard had begun in earnest. By this time George had succeeded in making himself very comfortable, and with a feeling of security he thankfully settled himself in his place of shelter. Late in the evening George made ready to go to bed. He went to the window, where the candle was shedding its light out across the snow, and was in the act of putting it out when a low, distressed cry met his ears. With anxious interest he paused and peered out into the night, endeavoring to determine the source of the sound; but in vain. What could it be! Perhaps it was the call of a young wolf whose home was on the prairie and whose howl he had often heard during the day. But no; as he intently listened, the stillness was again broken by the same cry, which George now recognized to be the voice of a human being. Guided by George's little light, the wanderer had at last found his way to his only hope of shelter. Realizing the danger and suffering of one who was out. on such a night, George immediately answered the stranger and welcomed him into the humble but much appreciated abode. The poor man was very numb and fatigued from the blinding, whirling snow. After putting his horse in a small shed standing near, George at once set to work making the stranger warm and comfortable, while the latter told his interesting story. He said that he, with his faithful horse, had endeavored to follow an old trail, but that as the storm became more blinding he had lost his way. He also told how his hopes for safety had been blighted just a while before. He had seen a light ahead of him, and with joy was working his way toward it as quickly as possible when, to his dismay, just as he came within calling distance, it suddenly went out, leaving him in a most fearful plight. However, he stumbled on and through the mercy of Providence finally noticed the light in George's window, which had been the means of saving him from a terrible death. My dear young friends, we can learn a valuable lesson from this incident. We who are in the fold of the Good Shepherd, safely sheltered from the cold, sinful world, are lights to those who are still wandering outside. Our light may be small, yea, even as small as a candle; but if we diligently keep our lamp trimmed and. brightly burning, God will permit us to be the means of leading some lost one into the fold of Christ. Under discouragement and temptation we are liable to neglect the precious light which has been committed to us. The enemy suggests to us that it matters very little, for we are so unnoticed that we will not be missed. But think of that small light out on the wide, dismal prairie seen only by the one lost man, and of the keen disappointment and bitter despair he experienced when it faded from his view. Our light may influence only one soul, but is not that one worth more to Christ than this whole world? and should it not be worth more than the world to us? Perhaps those whom we least suspect, schoolmates, brothers, or sisters, are watching our lives with all confidence. Our faithfulness in keeping our lights shining brightly will prove to be of untold value not only to ourselves but also to those who are depending upon us. Remember, the world is greatly in need of people, especially young people, who are lights to bring souls to Christ. Can God depend upon you? Mary Overhiser
