A Little Child Shall Lead Them by H. S. Anderson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jan 8, 1914

“A Little Child Shall Lead Them”

By H. S. Anderson

H. S. ANDERSON

MANY are the ways by which our dear Heavenly Father seeks to arrest the attention of the subjects of his grace, and to attract them away from themselves to the eternal riches in Christ.

Very often he uses the weakest instruments in disarming the mighty, and by the revelation of his matchless love he leads the soul captive, and binds the hearts of the children of men to his bosom with cords that even bitter persecution, poverty, suffering, or death cannot sever. Being transformed by his power, they become willing, and love to serve their beloved Master and to bear his cross, because he has wooed them to himself by his grace, and they follow in his steps.

The following incident will show how God can and does use little children to do a work which sometimes seems impossible for the older ones to accomplish. It was at the recent encampment, a little girl seven years of age, whose mother was a member of the Methodist Church, had come to the camp meeting with her aunt, a believing sister.

The girl's mother knew something of the truths for this time, but decided to maintain her present affiliation with her church, and was thus kept from making the investigations of God's Word that would have enabled her to see the light which God has caused to shine upon our path at this time.

The little girl's father being confined by severe illness, it devolved upon the mother to meet the stern necessities of life by working early and late to win bread for herself and her three small children. Thus it usually happened that when Sabbath came, the children attended Sabbath school with their aunt; and as a result of their study of God's Word and the example of believers, the children came to love and reverence the Lord's Sabbath. As the time for the encampment drew near, the mother, as usual, was invited to attend, but with no definite promise as a result.

The day came when the great camp was in session, and as time passed by, small companies met for special prayer to God for loved ones and friends, among whom was this little girl's aunt praying that her sister might be led to come to the camp; and she was rewarded of God, for toward the close of the meetings the sister-mother came to the tent.

We now come to the very interesting part. It was in the evening, bedtime for the little one. The mother, hearing a voice with which she was so well acquainted, stepped over to the curtain to listen. It was her little girl praying her usual prayer of thanksgiving to God, and interceding for his watch care for the night. But she had found a sweet peace in keeping God's Sabbath, and not being content to share it alone, she prayed, “Dear Father, help my mamma to accept the truth.” It was these words, the natural longing of a heart touched by the Spirit of God, that burned their way into the inmost soul of the unsuspected listener, her own dear mother. That prayer was registered in heaven, for later when the plea was made at the big tent that men should lay down their arms of rebellion, and take up the cross, this mother yielded to the call of God's Spirit, and is now rejoicing in a newfound experience and hope, which is manifest by a willingness to make the sacrifices called for by the Word of God as the natural result of a life renewed by the Spirit and grace of Christ.

Truly “there is a God in heaven who does things,” and well may we sing,— “Not to the strong is the battle, Not to the swift is the race, Yet to the true and the faithful Victory is promised through grace.” “And a little child shall lead them.” Isa. 11: 6.