And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof (Zech. 8:5).
What a sign of peace and prosperity is this--city streets filled with boys and girls at play! Nothing more wonderful can happen to a family than the birth of a child. A young minster, filled with joy and wonder at the birth of his first child, telegraphed the glad news to his parents. His father replied with Psalm 127:3-5: "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord....As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that that his quiver full of them."
"Why do you bow to that newsboy?" President Garfield was asked by a friend.
"Because," the president answered, "no one knows what's buttoned up in that boys' jacket."
Whenever we look into the eyes of a child we are beholding the face of tomorrow, and possibly the face of greatness. Who knows but that it may be a young John Know, a John or Charles Wesley, a George Whitefield; or a Florence Nightingale, a Clara Barton, a Helen Keller? Jesus said, "Suffer little children to come unto me,...for of such is the kingdom of God" (Luke 18:16). On this basis, as Bishop William Taylor used to say, "there are no heathen children. They are not such until misled by the influences that surround them."
The deacons of the church had asked the pastor to resign. "We love you," they said, "but there hasn't been a convert this year."
"Oh, yes," said the pastor. "You forgot little Bobby. Of course, he's very young, and I don't suppose it's right to count him."
Years later when Robert Moffat came back from his great missionary work in Africa, the king of England arose and bared his head in his presence. Let us take an interest in the boys and girls playing in our streets, that we may see them later in the streets of a brighter city.
MEDITATION PRAYER: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength" (Ps. 8:2).
What a sign of peace and prosperity is this--city streets filled with boys and girls at play! Nothing more wonderful can happen to a family than the birth of a child. A young minster, filled with joy and wonder at the birth of his first child, telegraphed the glad news to his parents. His father replied with Psalm 127:3-5: "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord....As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that that his quiver full of them."
"Why do you bow to that newsboy?" President Garfield was asked by a friend.
"Because," the president answered, "no one knows what's buttoned up in that boys' jacket."
Whenever we look into the eyes of a child we are beholding the face of tomorrow, and possibly the face of greatness. Who knows but that it may be a young John Know, a John or Charles Wesley, a George Whitefield; or a Florence Nightingale, a Clara Barton, a Helen Keller? Jesus said, "Suffer little children to come unto me,...for of such is the kingdom of God" (Luke 18:16). On this basis, as Bishop William Taylor used to say, "there are no heathen children. They are not such until misled by the influences that surround them."
The deacons of the church had asked the pastor to resign. "We love you," they said, "but there hasn't been a convert this year."
"Oh, yes," said the pastor. "You forgot little Bobby. Of course, he's very young, and I don't suppose it's right to count him."
Years later when Robert Moffat came back from his great missionary work in Africa, the king of England arose and bared his head in his presence. Let us take an interest in the boys and girls playing in our streets, that we may see them later in the streets of a brighter city.
MEDITATION PRAYER: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength" (Ps. 8:2).
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