DARLENE WAS READY

Darlene lived across the street from us in Newhall, California, the second youngest of a large family. When she was four years old she was diagnosed with leukemia. She had to have chemotherapy every week, but her parents never left her in the hospital. Her mother Lily always held her lovingly when she was having treatments and blood tests, and this gave Darlene strength to bear the pain without crying.

Her parents had asked Jesus into their hearts and He was very real to them. They loved all their children very much. Darlene heard them talking about Jesus every day.

Darlene lost her hair because of the chemotherapy treatments. She was too young to attend kindergarten, but she longed to go. She was excited when she was finally allowed to attend for a few days. Some of the children teased her because she was bald, but she didn’t let it bother her.

One day when she was walking with her older sister Teresa, some children who saw her baldness and puffiness from the cancer treatments started to poke fun at her. Her sister was very upset but Darlene said, "Don’t be upset, Teresa. If everyone read the Bible like Momma does, people wouldn’t be like that."

Little Darlene was meek and patient with people, very Christlike. Jesus is called the Lamb of God because He was meek even when they crucified Him.

Another time Darlene asked her mother if it was okay for her to go home to heaven. Lily was having a hard time letting go of her precious child, but she assured Darlene she was free to leave at any time.

So Darlene told her mom, "Jesus comes to me every night, and He kisses me and shows me His angels." This child was aware of spiritual things and very conscious of God’s presence in her life.

One day Lily brought Darlene across the street to see me. She said, "Darlene wants you to pray that she will be able to go home soon to be with Jesus." Since I was a missionary, they trusted me to talk to Jesus about this situation. I prayed for little Darlene that day with tears, and every time I saw this precious child my heart was deeply touched.

Darlene’s condition deteriorated, but she refused to be hospitalized. She wanted to be home with her brothers and sisters until the very moment when she left this earth. On her last night she was suffering, but she asked her parents to sing the Christian songs she loved. The whole family was awake most of that night, singing and listening to recordings of Christian music with Darlene. Heaven was very real to them.

Just before dawn, Darlene left her body to be with the Lord Jesus forever. She wasn’t quite six years old. As I was getting into my car the next morning to drive to work, one of the Claffey children ran across the street to tell me that Darlene had gone to be with Jesus.

This was a very emotional time for me. As I drove to the hospital where I worked, tears ran down my face. I could visualize Darlene being welcomed into God’s presence by Jesus Himself with crowds of children around him. They were singing and smiling, so happy to have Darlene with them. At last she was with her loving Savior, the Good Shepherd of all believers.

Jesus is the center of everything that goes on in heaven. Darlene may have thought about her parents who were still on earth, but she knew they were safe in Jesus and would someday come to be with her.

You, too, can be God’s precious child if you will receive Jesus into your heart, confessing your sins and believing that only Jesus can save you. No church can save anyone. Little Darlene knew that Jesus alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Have you asked Jesus to come into your life to be your Lord and Savior? Tell your friends about Jesus so they will be ready, too.

GOD’S WONDERFUL WORD

The greatest comfort of my life is being able to know the thoughts and desires that God has for me. So many people go through life with no knowledge of the true, eternal God who loves them. They have no communication with Him and if they think of Him at all, they feel only fear and anxiety or a vague hope that God will be merciful to them.

God has given us the Bible, His holy Word, to be a lamp for our feet and a light upon our pathway (Psalm 119:105). Imagine stumbling through a dark valley with dangers on every side but refusing to use the flashlight in your hand!

We are blessed to have God’s Word available in our mother tongue, whereas in many parts of the world people do not even know that God has communicated with mankind. Yet many Christians let their Bible sit on a shelf, unread day after day.

Don’t ever trust in the words of man, even a religious man, if they do not correspond with what God reveals in the Bible. There are hundreds of early manuscripts of the various books of the Bible in the original language, which scholars have carefully studied. They have found no important changes or discrepancies that would affect any major doctrine of Christianity.

The Bible has always been trusted by believers throughout previous centuries. Our forefathers who came to America to escape persecution knew that God’s Word is entirely trustworthy. Shall we doubt the truths that undergird our constitution and made America great?

The psalmist said in Psalm 119:160, "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." God’s revealed Word does not change. However, a man’s opinions will change, because no man is perfect or knows all truth. "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89).

God does not ask us to do anything which offends our sense of moral rightness. If a religion persuades people to do something which is clearly illegal or harmful to our families, it is clearly not of God.

I have been reading the Bible daily for more than fifty years. I’ve read it through in its entirety each year for the past ten years. I have found that the Bible is precious and refreshing to my spirit. It enlightens my understanding of life. It is sweet to the taste. It brings joy and peace when we read it every day. No other book can do this. The more we read the Bible, the better we understand it, for the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual comprehension.

The Bible accomplishes many purposes as we read it. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness"
2 Timothy 3:16.

"The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" (Psalm 19:8-10).

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Don’t build your life on the opinions and restrictions of any religious leader. Read God’s Word for yourself. Test its accuracy and power by applying it to your personal life. It will lead you closer to God and show you that Jesus is God’s only Way of salvation (John 14:6). It will expose the lies and deceptions of men and will cause you to love God above all else. "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him" (Proverbs 30:5).

God wants us to know His will, so He has revealed Himself in the Bible. By His great power and wisdom He has preserved the Scriptures from being distorted by the evil purposes of men. Jesus Himself exalted God’s Word when He was being tempted by the devil. "And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4).

We should always trust God and listen to Him. What other book on your bookshelf could you read daily, year after year, and always find comfort, guidance and peace in its pages? Read all of Psalm 119 if you doubt the importance of the Bible.

Read God’s Word daily and let His light flood your mind and wash away the filth of the world.
-- Rosemary Watson