If you go and stand on the sea-shore, you see the great wide sea of waters heaving and moving all over. Then a long wave comes rising up; it runs on and on, and rises high, falls over in white foam, and breaks on the sand with a rush. Then another rolling wave comes after it, and another, and another, each a little higher than the last. They hide the ground; and if you stood still at the edge of the first, they would soon carry you off. Stone is hidden after stone, rock after rock, and you would think all the land would get covered at last. No, there is no fear of that.
In six hours' time, the waves leave off coming farther and farther; but each leaves a little bit more ground uncovered, till they have gone quite back to where they were before, and the beach lies fresh and shining in the wet. People call this the tide, and know it always does so; it comes up and goes back at its set times, because God fixed a line for that fierce sea, and said to it, "Hitherto shalt thou go, and no farther; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed." And if the waves dash and roar ever so loud, still they never can get beyond the bound God fixed for them.
There is the wonder of the sea! Now look at the wonder of the land. All over the country, the corn stands up tall and brown; or else it has been cut, and is piled up in shocks; or the wagons are carrying it safe home! Perhaps you have been gleaning in the fields, and have brought home your lap full of corn.
THE LORD COMMANDS JEREMIAH.—Jer. 2:16, 17.
How did we get the corn that is to make us bread? It was because, when the farmer sowed his grain, God sent rain to make it grow, and caused the sun to shine, so as to draw up the stalk, and swell the grain in the ear; and now He hath "reserved to us the appointed weeks of the harvest." He has given us the glad harvest-time to store up our wheat, to make bread for all the year. Let us thank Him, and never forget who gives us bread, nor to say our prayer for daily bread.
QUESTIONS.
1. What do the waves of the sea do every day? 2. What do people call the coming up of the sea? 3. Need we fear its coming too far? 4. Why cannot the waves come too far? 5. What did God say to the sea? 6. Who made the sea? 7. Can you tell me a verse you say or sing at church about the sea being His? 8. What is it that God gives us every day to eat? 9. What is bread made of? 10. Where does corn grow? 11. Who makes the corn grow? 12. What does God send to make the corn grow? 13. What do we call the gathering in of our corn? 14. Who takes care we shall have a harvest? 15. How should we ask God for our food? 16. How should we thank Him for our food?