*
Martha S. Hooker
Ralph and Bobby Decide About An
God’s Workman
‘T H a t t e n
Susan Newman
B OBBY and Ralph were playing with toys in Bobby’s playroom. Mother was in her sittiiig room see the two small boys through the open door, and could hear them talk ing as they played. “Do you like Jimmie?” asked Ralph. “No," answered Bobby, “do you?” “No,” said Ralph. “My daddy said Jimmie's daddy doesn’t even own the house they live in. They don’t have anything much. Jimmie doesn’t even have a tricycle.” Mother thought this was a good time to tell the boys what God has said in His Word about what they were talking about, so she called, “Bobby and Ralph, please come here; I have a story to tell you.” The boys dropped their tools quickly, and hurried into Mother’s room, for they loved her stories. With Bobby and Ralph on stools at her feet, Mother began. “Once, a long time ago, God made the earth.” “He made the sky, too, and the stars, didn’t He?” Bobby interrupted. “Yes, He did,” answered Mother, “He made the earth and everything that is in it. And then He made peo ple.” “Adam was the first man, wasn’t he?” asked Bobby. “Yes, Adani was the first man. He lived in a beautiful garden.” “That was the garden *of Eden,” said Bobby confidently. “Yes, Bobby, you are right. But did you know that God never gave the garden of Eden to Adam?” “He didn’t!” Bobby was surprised. “No,” said Mother, “God never gave the garden to Adam. God did not give His beautiful earth to any body. God said that Adam could live in His garden, but He did not give it to him.” “Did He give us our garden?” asked Bobby. >“No,” replied Mother, “He just lets SEPTEMBER, 1.947
us use it. He has it fixed so nobody can take it from us, but it isn’t really ours.” “Is Ralph’s garden his?” asked Bobby. “No, Ralph and his mother and daddy can use it while they are on the earth, but the garden still be longs to God, We read in God’s Word that ‘The earth is the Lord’s; and the fulness thereof.’ A long time ago the law said no man could really own land. Later, that law was changed, but God never gave the land to people; He really just lent it to them to use.” “Is our house God’s too?” asked Ralph, who had not been to Sunday school regularly. Mother shook her head again. “We have a law that says that a house which is built on another man’s land becomes that man’s house. If we build a house on God’s land, it becomes God’s house.” “Whose house does Jimmie live in?” asked Ralph. “Jimmie lives in a house which his daddy built on God’s land. God let Mr. Brown build the house on His land. Now it is God’s house, just as ours is really God’s house.” “Bobby said the church was God’s house,” said Ralph. “The church is His house,” agreed Mother, “He lets us live in houses like this, but we go to worship Him in houses like the church. You see, boys, none of us really truly own anything. Everything oh this earth belongs to God. Isn’t He good to lend us so many beautiful things for our comfort and happiness?” Then Mother turned to Ralph and asked, “How would you like to go to Bible school with Bobby next Sun day, Ralph?” “At God’s house?” questioned Ralph. • “Yes.” “I’d like to go,” decided Ralph.
mending Bobby’s anklets. She could
Boys sawing olive wood in a Nazareth carpenter shop like thé one in which Jesus worked as a boy. 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a work man that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” A carpenter has to learn the rules That show him how to use shch'tools As plane and saw and handy square; He does not say, “Oh, I don’t care About, the rules! Who gives a pip Which saw I use—crosscut or rip!” For if this man should undertake A house to build or bridge to make He’d have to study many things; He’d learn of angles, stress, and strain, And all the blueprint’s many signs Shown in figures, circles, lines. So likewise God wants us to know His rules that govern us below, So each can build a life that’s strong, One that will shun to do‘the wrong. I want to be His workman true— And study His Word. How about you? — Ruth Christofferson “Bobby may stop for you,” said Mother. Then she laid aside her mending. “Now it’s time we had some lunch,” she said. “You both may help by setting the table while I prepare the food.” The three hurried merrily off to the kitchen. And Bobby and Ralph decided that their mothers and dad dies were no richer 'than Jimmie’s. PAGE TWENTY-THREE
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