GOD is speaking to us all the time. We so often pay no heed to His voice. Do we know the language he speaks? It is a secret tongue. Let us try to learn it.
Once there was a prisoner who was cast into jail because he preached Jesus. It seemed to him he was alone and without friends to help. But there was another prisoner in an adjoining cell who knew him but could not speak to him because the guards would hear his voice. At night the lonely man would hear some one knocking on the wall. What did this sound mean? What did the knocks say? At last he thought the knocks might stand for the letters of the alphabet. One knock meant A, two knocks B, etc. so he counted the taps one night. He counted twenty-one taps. "That," said he, "means U." When he counted again it struck fourteen times; that meant N. The next time it struck four times; that meant D. Now he heard five taps; that meant E. Again he heard eighteen taps; that stood for R. Then nineteen taps; that stood for S. Then twenty taps; that meant T; then one tap which meant A; then fourteen, N; then four, D; then the taps ceased and he knew the message had been delivered and discovered the word meant UNDERSTAND. He answered by twenty-five knocks which meant Y; then five taps for E; then nineteen taps for S which spelled out his answer which was YES. They talked together because they knew each other's language. God often knocks at our heart's door. Some great trouble comes to our home. Over and over He knocks and the knocking spells out the word COME, let us answer 25Y 5E 19S
Give them further illustration in knocks. They will like it.
CHAPTER VII
IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT AT LAST
Objects: A small number of little toys
IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT AT LAST
ASK two little girls to come to the platform and say to them "I know you little girls love each other, but do you like to see each other receive good things?" Then say, as you hold up some small gift, "This little treasure has been given to me to give to some little girl that would be glad to receive it: but you see I cannot give it to both of you, and how will I decide which girl shall receive it? If I give it to this little girl then the other will be disappointed. Sometimes great trouble comes to this world because one receives and the other does not. However, I will take a chance and give it to this little girl." And as you speak pass the toy to her. Turning to the other girl, you say, "You don't feel hurt do you? I know you are glad to see your little friend made happy. I also trust you are not displeased with me for not giving it to you. Here learn the lesson some people seem to get the good things of life, and others seem to go without." Now without further remarks give the same girl another toy. Then that is true to life also. Some seem to get all, and others get little or nothing. Perhaps this little girl without anything seems to be saying in her mind, she has two already, she might give me one, and at the point pass a toy to the little girl that has none, but she says even yet, the other girl has twice as many as I have, so she does not seem to enjoy the one she has when she remembers the other girl has two. It doesn't look right, does it? But she is a good little and girl and says, "I will be thankful for what I have and try to be glad." At this point you seem to be in deep study and finally say, "I just remember that I have overlooked a little box," which you produce from some corner and on opening it you discover another toy which you give to the little girl with the one toy. Now they both have the same number and so it is all right at last. This teaches us a lesson so hard to learn in life,—how one man receives much, the other but little. Strife and war are often the result of this condition but we must be patient with our lot. God knows best. He will reward us in full by and by so it will be all right at last.