JUNIOR KING'S BUSINESS
shelters h r (hildren
bomb
,by Betty Bruechert
earth, and from the fear of death it self,” she said. Let us examine some of the verses in the Bible that bear this out. Take, for instance, Deuteronomy 33:27, which was given to the Israelites aft er they had gone through the trials, temptations, and troubles of forty years’ wandering in the wilderness. “ The eternal God is thy refuge; and underneath are the everlasting aims . . .” Think of the comfort this must have brought those weary, sin-sick people. But since every verse in the Bible is for us, too, we can also feel safe in this refuge and rest peacefully upon those arms. Take a look at Second Samuel 22:2 and 3. These are words of David who had so many battles with jealous King Saul and the wicked heathen nations. “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust; he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my Saviour . . .” Who can be afraid when the Lord is all that to him? The Psalms, most of which were composed by David, are filled with references to the fact that the Lord is the safeguard of His children. We have space for only a few. Take 45:1-3 as an example: “ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” Earthquakes, tidal waves, atomic bombs — and we need not be afraid! Here is Psalm 62:7: “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my ref uge, is in God.” And 91:2: “ I will
could cover the entire town on foot in an hour or so. Among the inter esting sights was a huge fall-out shel ter, the first one either had seen. It was almost completed and they were allowed to go through it. Built on an acreage at the rear of the own er’s house and covered with many tons of dirt, it could be detected from the outside only by the air vents which rose up from the ground like peri scopes on a submarine. It was fully equipped for air, water and food, con tained sleeping accommodations and means of employment and entertain ment. It had cost a lot of money and could shelter more than one hundred people. It was constructed by a Chris tian man who believed the threats against our way of life that the Com munists are making and who felt that he should provide what he could for his children, grandchildren and oth er relatives in case atomic bombs should ever be dropped. Our scien tists have made it clear that although there is at present no protection against direct bomb hits, shelters would provide defense against fall out for those who could reach them within the minutes allotted after a blast. Mark and his aunt were im pressed, not only with the size, efficien cy and cost of this shelter, but also with the devotion of this man for his family. When she returned to California, Aunt Betty gave a little talk to her Sunday School Junior Department about this shelter. She asked the chil dren what spiritual lesson this could teach us. With one accord, the boys and girls called out, “ Of our safety in Christ!” She agreed. “ Christ is the provision that God made for our sal vation through His death on the cross; He is our protection too from the at tacks of Satan while we live on this
T h i s s u m m e r , while on vacation in the Middle West, Aunt Betty and her eleven-year-old nephew, Mark, were invited to visit a friend in a lovely northern Iowa village. This meant a long bus ride, on which they entertained themselves by talk ing, reading and by playing a Bible guessing-game and “ ’Tis.” To the old twenty-questions puzzler they added interest by using, not only the names of persons in the Old and New Tes taments, but also objects that figured in the narratives, especially the mir acles. Aunt Betty was unable to guess “ stern” from Acts 27:29 and Mark didn’t find the “ baskets” of Matt. 14:20 (and other places) easy. It was fun to use things, instead of people, for a change! Bible animals are in triguing, too. Likely all of you have played “ ’Tis” in one form or another as you have travelled through the country side. One can choose any category he likes, give whatever points he choos es, and set “ game” at 500 or 1000. Mark and his aunt decided upon wind mills, white horses, white cows, white chickens, signboards and men with beards. They didn’t see a single man with a beard! Of course the one who calls out “ ’Tis!” first, and identifies the objeot, wins the point. Once when Aunt Betty was travelling with some other children, they went through a town which was celebrating pioneer days, and as nearly all the men — young and old — had grown beards, the scores and the excitement mounted up in a hurry! Best of all was the end of the jour ney, when Mark and Aunt Betty were received with loving hospitality and shown a wonderful time. Both lived in cities and so it was “ different” to be in a place so small, where you
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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