SEEKING THE LORD EARLY
Children's Stories By J. C. Ryle
All these things the Lord Jesus Christ does for those whom He loves. Only look at them! What mighty things, what glorious things they are! He cleanses them from all their sins. He gives them power to be good. He takes care that they are not lost. He gets ready a house for them in Heaven.
Dear children, this is love indeed; this is love worth having. Did I not tell you truly, that there is nothing in all the world to be compared to Christ's love; that there is nothing like being loved by Jesus Christ?
II. But let us see next - WHO are those whom Jesus Christ loves. He tells us in our text. He says, "I love those who love Me."
Now, how shall we know whether we love Jesus Christ or not? This is indeed an important question. Are there no marks or signs, perhaps you will say, by which those who love Him may be found out? Yes, dear children, I think there are; and what those marks and signs are, I shall now try to show you.
Remember, then, for one thing, those who love Jesus Christ, believe whatever He says in the Bible.
The Bible says we are all sinners - lost, perishing sinners; full of wickedness and deceit; deserving of nothing but God's anger and wrath. Many people cannot quite believe this. They cannot bring themselves to think they are so bad. They dislike to be told of it. Not so with those who love Jesus Christ. They believe it all. They are ready to say, "It is true, true, quite true."
Again, the Bible tells us we must come to Christ, and trust only in Him, if we would be saved. It says that nothing but His blood can wash away our sins; that it is only for His sake that anyone can be forgiven. Many people will not believe this either. They cannot think their own goodness will not help to get them to Heaven. But those who love Jesus Christ believe it all. They take the Lord at His word; they leave off trusting in their own goodness, and are ready to say, "None but Christ - none but Christ is my Savior!"
Dear children, no one can love Jesus Christ who does not believe what He says. Think what a sad thing it would be if you and I could not get our relations to believe us. Only fancy how hard and unkind it would seem if they were to say, "We do not depend at all on what you tell us, we cannot trust your word." I am sure we should suppose they no longer loved us. This, then, is one mark of those who love Jesus Christ - they never doubt what He tells them, they believe every word.
Remember, for another thing, those who love Jesus Christ try to please Him. You know when you love people - that you try to please them. You try to do what they tell you, and to behave as they wish you, and to remember what they teach you, and to mind what they tell you - and why do you do so? Because you love them.
And besides this, you try to please them, not only before their faces, when they can see you - but also when they are gone away, and out of sight. True love makes you always think, "What would my dear friends like me to do?" If your father and mother found you doing naughty things - doing what they told you not to do, might they not well say, "Child, child, I am afraid you do not really love me!" Yes, indeed they might. True love will always cause true obedience, and the Bible says, "Even a child is known by his doings." (Proverbs 20:2)
Now, dear children, just as you try to please your friends, if you love them, so do those who love Jesus Christ try to please Him. They are always trying to do His will, to keep His laws, to live after His commandments, to obey His precepts. They do not think any of Christ's commands grievous; they never say that His laws are hard, strict, and disagreeable. It is their delight to walk in His paths.
Dear children - no man, or woman, or child, can really love Jesus Christ, if they do not try to obey Him. "You are my friends," He says, "if you do whatever I command you."
This, then, is another sure mark of those who love Jesus Christ - they try in all things to please Him.
Now we have got through one part of our text. Sit still and think for a moment about what you have heard. Each of you ask your own heart this little question, "Do I love Jesus Christ or not? Do I believe what He says, and do I try to please Him?" Those who can answer, "Yes," are the children He especially loves. Oh, remember what He says: "I love those who love Me."
III. But let us look next to the other part of our text, and see what we may learn from it. I really think this part is almost as pleasant as the first, for it contains a sweet promise: "Those who seek Me early - shall find Me."
Dear children, how are you and I to seek Jesus Christ? He does not live upon earth like one of us; we cannot see Him with our eyes; we cannot reach Him and take hold of Him with our hands; and yet He says, "Those who seek Me - shall find Me." What can this mean? Let me try to tell you.
First of all, you must seek Jesus Christ in His own Book. The Bible is Jesus Christ's book, and all who want to know Him must be very diligent in reading their Bibles. He says to everyone of you, "Search the Scriptures," and He will give the Holy Spirit to those who seek Him in the Scriptures, and teach them all about Himself.
Dear children, be regular readers of the Bible every day. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly, and then you will be truly wise. Read it daily, read a great deal of it, try and remember it, learn texts by heart. I remember a little girl in my first church, who could learn seventy verses of the Bible in a week. How pleasant it is to find the Apostle Paul reminding Timothy, that from a child, he had known the Holy Scriptures. Now, why should not all of you be like Timothy in this? I would like to hear that you were all Bible-reading children - children who read the Bible at home, as well as at school.
This, then, is one way to seek Jesus Christ. You must seek Him in the Bible.
Secondly, you must seek Jesus Christ in His own house. Jesus Christ has many houses in this country, where people meet together to pray to Him, and to hear about Him. This Church is one of them; and wherever two or three are gathered together in Jesus Christ's name, the Lord Himself is really present, though we cannot see Him with our eyes.
Dear children, I hope you will all regularly go to Jesus Christ's house as long as you live. I hope you will never do like those foolish people who keep away from it. Oh, what sad harm they are doing to their poor souls!
And when you go, try to obey all you hear, and to get good from it. Do not stare about, and make noises, or talk to other children - but listen well to all that is read or preached. Jesus Christ is there, and sees how you behave. He loves to see little children coming to His house, and behaving well; and if you persevere in so doing, you may be sure He will put His Spirit in you, and fill you with all knowledge.
This, then, is another way to seek Jesus Christ. You must seek Him in His house.
Thirdly, you must seek Jesus Christ on your knees in prayer. You must ask Him with your own mouth to give you everything that your soul needs. You must ask Him to cleanse you from all your sins in His blood - to give you His Spirit - to make you good, obedient, gentle, kind, truth-speaking children - to keep you from being selfish, idle, greedy, angry, deceitful, or ill-tempered. You must tell Him all you are afraid of, and all you feel, and all you wish to have for your soul. This is prayer.