JUNIOR KING'S BUSINESS Edited by Martha S. Hooker
I have something in my possession, boys and girls, which I would like to show each one of you. It is some thing round and gold and shiny. No, it is not very large, but something I can easily hide away in my hand. I fear you will never guess what it is, so I will tell you. It is a gold button from the uniform of a captain of a passenger vessel on the great Ham- burg-American Steamship Line. This gold button was given to me several years ago by a Christian woman. It was one of her treasures, and now it is one of mine. I call it the “Honor Button,” and I am sure that after you have heard the story connected with it, you will agree that it rightly de serves the name of “Honor Button.” Years ago, when the one who gave me this button was quite young, she took a trip across the ocean to Italy. She boarded the large steamer “Wie- land” at New York Harbor and was soon sailing away. There were many wealthy and worldly passengers on board this fine ship, seeking pleasure only. My friend was a Christian. She loved the Lord Jesus dearly and al ways sought to honor Him and make Him known to others wherever she went. Her first thoughts, therefore, as she began this trip, were of how she could best testify for her Saviour among all of these people. When she reached her stateroom, she prayed to God, asking Him to show her how she might best honor Him. After pray ing she seemed impressed with the thought that she could at least read her Bible in the deck room where all the people passed through. This would be one way to honor her Lord and His Word. The next day, with her Bible, she sought out a place in the deck room and began reading. The first one to pass by and to notice what she was doing was the captain of the great liner. He stopped before the girl and said, “ Pray for me, too.” Of course he was only joking, but my friend very earnestly answered, “ I
too, must have seen her reading her Bible, and he respected her for it. Into his hands she' dropped the gold but tons, and he kept them for her until the end of the voyage, so that the jealous passengers could not have them. Some months after her trip, my friend received an added joy as a result of her testimony for the Lord Jesus on the great ocean liner. She received a postcard from the big, tall man who had rescued the buttons. The message on the card showed that he had received the Lord Jesus as His Saviour, and that his life had been changed. As she read that message, the girl was glad that she could say with Paul: “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” The “Honor Button” has always been a bright reminder of the fact that at least three lives were touched — and there were probably more—all because one of the Lord’s children was not ashamed of Him. LIVING LETTERS I n 2. Cor. 3:2 we find this verse: “Ye are our epistles . . . known and read of all men.” Do you know what an epistle is? Yes, it is just another word for a letter. We all like to receive letters through the mail, don’t we? Some letters make us glad, and some letters make us sad. Of course you would rather receive a letter bearing good news, wouldn’t you? God’s Word says that we are “ let ters” ; letters that people read who meet us day by day. What kind of a letter are you? Do you bear good news, so that those who meet you are made glad and happy? You know there are some boys and girls who do not read God’s love letter, — the Bible, and so all that they know about the Lord Jesus is just what they see in our lives. How careful we should be in all that we do and say, that we might indeed
will, Captain. Are you not a Chris tian?” “No,” he answered, “ but my wife is.” This conversation gave my friend other opportunities to speak to the captain about her Saviour, for he passed her many times on that trip, and he always found her with her Bible. She had openings for speaking to many of the passengers also. Some listened, while others made fun of her. Some even called her in scorn, “ Be like Jesus.” To this name she replied, “ I am not worthy; it is too great a name for me.” The days passed, and all the time the steamer was nearing one of the ports of Italy. Then one day just be fore the destination of the great liner was reached, the captain sent for my friend. What an honor to be sought out by the captain! Of course the girl responded immediately. And why do you think he had sent for her? “ I have noticed your faithfulness,” he said, “ in reading your Bible daily, though many have made fun of you. I want to honor you for this.” And so saying, he cut from his uniform this beautiful gold button, which he handed to her. The first officer, seeing what the cap tain had done, said, “ I can do no less than the captain, for I have noticed your faithfulness, too.” And he cut from the sleeve of his uniform two gold buttons! How greatly my friend was honored that day! But there is a verse in 1 Samuel 2:30 which says: “ Them that honor me I will honor.” And I believe that it was the Lord who laid it on the captain’s heart to honor that girl above the other passen gers on the boat. When she left the captain, there were many of the women passengers waiting to see why she had been so honored by the captain. Many of them were jealous of her, and when they saw the gold buttons, they tried to take them from her. But at just the right moment, a big strong fellow, six feet tall, came up to befriend her. He,
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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