Little Nelly's Question

The beach was bright with groups of children. I was standing within a happy circle of boys and girls who had left off building their sand castles to listen to the simple gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. A little girl ran toward us. She pushed herself gently through the seated children and stood before us. Looking straight up to me, she asked, "Please, - what - mean - 'saved'? I don't know: will you tell me?" She then paused, puzzled and serious.

"How old are you, dear?" I asked.

"Five," she said.

"And what is your name?"

"Nelly."

"And where do you live?"

"London."

"Now, Nelly, listen to me, and I will try to answer your question very plainly. First of all, where did you hear of being saved?"

"A man who talks to the people on the sands said, 'You must be saved!'"

"Well, Nelly, he must have believed that people were lost, or else he would not have told them, 'You must be saved!'" Then I said, "Are you lost, do you think?"

"No, I am not lost," she said, "I can see my big brother Bertie and my nurse, and they will take care of me."

"You are not lost to your brother and your nurse, but you have a soul in you which neither you nor anyone else can see, and your soul is lost to God in heaven. It is because of sin - because you, little child as you are, have done that which God hates. But the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came down from heaven to save your soul. Do you know, dear Nelly, that although only a little child, five years old, you have a heart full of sin? Are you ever naughty?"

"Yes," she said. "Sometimes I am very cross, and like to do what I like."

"Well, dear, Jesus saves us from our sins. Do you know, Nelly, how Jesus saves us?"

"No, I don't," gravely answered the child. "Mamma never told me."

"I will tell you then. Jesus is God. He made everything - the seashore and the sand, and He made you. Many years ago Jesus came down from heaven to this earth. When He was here He loved the little children very much; He took them in His arms and blessed them. He was so gentle, so loving.

"But the people did not love Him, and wicked men took Him and nailed Him to a cross of wood. They pierced His hands and His feet with nails, and put on His head a crown of thorns. All this did Jesus suffer, dear Nelly, to save our souls. And more, too. God put the sins of His people upon Jesus when He hung upon the cross, and then God turned away from His dear Son, and His soul was made an offering for sin.

"It was as if you had been very cross, and your mamma was going to punish you, but then your brother asked to be punished in your place. So, the kind Saviour stood in our stead and 'with His stripes we are healed' (Isaiah 53:5). Oh! the pain of soul, when Jesus bore our punishment, was more dreadful to bear than that of the nails with which wicked men had pierced His hands and His feet.

"Jesus suffered all this to be our Saviour. All who come to Him He receives, and God gives them His Holy Spirit. Oh! how happy you will be through life, dear Nelly, if you will only have Jesus for your Saviour. But I must tell you the whole truth. If you turn your back upon Jesus you will not be saved."

We had spoken so long that the rising tide made us run quickly to the cliff.

"On this solid rock we all are safe," I said, "and Jesus in the Bible is called the Rock. Mind all of you that your feet stand upon the sure foundation."

"I will love Jesus," whispered little Nelly.

And what is your answer, dear reader? Are you concerned about being saved? Remember, everyone who has not taken the Lord Jesus as his own personal Saviour is lost. You are a sinner and need to be saved, and Jesus is the only one who can save you from sin and judgment. He suffered on the cross for you and wants to save you too. Won't you trust Him and give Him your heart?

- J.L.M.V., Abridged.